' Accordingly the expression 'shall be beaten with many' |380 and 'with few', I say again, stands not in the extent of the time and the shortness1018, but in the difference of the torment» 1019. These things this great ruler and shepherd of rational souls Basil taught and stated with great completeness. 1020 And Gregory, who became bishop of Nazianzus, himself in the homily of defence thinks that the future torment is endless, teaching thus: «But for us, the salvation of whose blessed and immortal soul is in danger, which will be undyingly tormented or glorified1021 by reason of wickedness or of virtue, how great do you think should the contest be1022? »1023 And John in the 66th homily1024 of the commentary on the Gospel of Matthew |381 states things consonant with these as follows: «For all these reasons accordingly let us first pay the taxes; for it is indeed very easy, and the reward is greater, and there is great abundance of profit, and worse is the torture if we do not understand, and a torture that has no end»4. And the same again in the 79th exposition when speaking of the Passion referred to the kingdom, and to the endless torment. And in the 82nd about the man who approaches the communion of the holy mysteries in a careless mood and without caution he gives teaching in the following words: «He who approaches after he has sinned is worse than a demoniac; for the: latter because they have a demon do not receive punishment, but the |382 former, because they approach unworthily, are delivered to undying torment 1025» 1026. And at the end of the commentary on the epistle to the Ephesians he 1027 expressed himself thus: «For a man to be burnt 1028 and not consumed, and to be perpetually gnawed by a 1029 worm is indestructible 1030 destruction, as happened to the blessed Job, who was in process of destruction and did not perish for a considerable time, but was constantly suffering and wasting away, while he scraped off putrid matter from his body 1031 for a long time. Something similar will happen to the soul at that time, when the 1032 worms surround and gnaw it, not for two years 1033 nor for ten nor for a hundred nor |383 for myriads 1034, but for years without end; for 'their worm', he says, 'shall not die'» 1035. The wise Cyril 1036 also in the 1st book of the commentary on the Gospel of John said: "We ought not to be ungrateful to God but on the contrary 1037 to thank him because by means of the Resurrection from the dead he has appointed for us torment that does not pass away 1038»1039.
> > XCIX. ---- OF THE SAME FROM THE 57th LETTER OF THE 4th BOOK OF THOSE WRITTEN AFTER EXILE, WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO CAESARIA THE HYPATISSA 1040.
[519-38] «But in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them walking on the sea»1041. Know therefore that it is the custom in a city for the sake of |384 precaution against housebreakers and thieves, as well as in military camps for the sake of precaution against an attack upon them by their enemies, to keep ward by night and watch in turns; and some watch during the first portion of the night, and go round the city or the camp, and some during the second portion and some during the 1042 third, and others during the fourth, and others at the very appearance of dawn, those who follow in succession coming in in order after the previous ones are tired. And this is recorded even in the Old Testament Scriptures also. When Gideon was ordered to attack a city by night, I mean the camp of the Midianites, the divine Scripture said: «And Gideon went in and the 100 men who were with him into a part of the camp when they had begun the middle watch, when those who set the guards had just set them, and they sounded the horns» 1043. And in the 2nd book of Ezra, when the walls of Jerusalem were being built, and the barbarians who lived near the country wished to assail them and stop the work, it is written thus: «And I prayed to our God, and we set guards over us day and night against them»; and again, «At that time I said to the |385 people, 'Every man with his slave shall go up and down in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take night for the first watch, and day for the work'». Accordingly therefore the evangelist desired to signify the very time of night at which Jesus, who is God appeared to his disciples when distressed in the boat walking on the sea.
(And after other things.)
Accordingly therefore the evangelist desired to signify the very time of night at which Jesus, who is God appeared to his disciples when distressed in the boat walking on the sea. (And after other things. )
But that which is written in the divine gospels about the cloak with which the Romans at the time of the Passion and of the voluntary saving Cross sought to clothe our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and indeed did actually clothe him, for the purpose of mockery contains no discrepancy, because Matthew related as follows: «And, when they had stripped him, they put on him a cloak of scarlet», and Mark, «And they clothe him in purple robes», and John, «And they covered him with a purple garment». You should understand that the rascally company of soldiers, by way of prolonging the mockery and ridicule and derision for him, first clothed him with the cloak of scarlet, that is red, and after this with the purple one, |386 thinking by the change of attire to increase the mockery. That they did this for the sake of mockery is plainly signified by the story told by Luke also, for he said that, when Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent him to Herod, on the ground that the supremacy and authority was by right his, and he was glad to see him; and when he did not hear any word from him, or see any sign done by him, but found him silent, 'having set him at naught' (he says) 'with his soldiers and made fun of him, having clad him in splendid robes, sent him to Pilate'. But, if one considers the matter carefully and minutely, one may say that there is one cloak, of purple, but of purple which contains some inferior dark tincture, so that it disavows the true purple, and changes its appearance to one that is redder, and appears to hold a position approximating to both colours, and to be each of them, and in strictness is neither of them.' Accordingly the evangelists looked one at the one colour and the other at the other, so as to mention each of them both with the same meaning and in different terms. Since it was the purpose of those blasphemers against God to pile up the whole mass |387 of insult and increase the mockery, for this reason they found even the very dress which, as they thought, would excite much mockery; but the mystery contained in it which was hidden was shown by each of the colours, in order that the purple colour might show the King of kings and Lord and God, who was of his own will coming to the Passion, while the scarlet and red showed the fact that he himself took the whole of our sin, so that he was clad in the crimson cloak of blood, and nailed this to the saving Gross. For he suffered who knows not sin, not on his own behalf (may we never say this!), but rather on behalf of our sins. This therefore John also the ambassador said: «Behold! the Lamb of God who beareth the sin of the world» 1044. And Peter the chief of the apostles wrote in his epistle: «He took up our own sins in his body on to the tree, in order that being separated from the sins we may live in righteousness» 1045. And the wise Paul wrote to the Corinthians about God and the Father, who wishes with him that he should suffer for for the sake of the salvation of the race of all men: «Him who knew not sin he made sin for our sake, that we in him may become righteousness unto God» 1046. |388
For there is also another further question which you ask, as to how we should understand the statement made by Gregory the Theologian in the 2nd peace-making homily about the Holy Trinity in the following words: «A perfect Trinity of three perfect ones, Unity having been moved on account of wealthiness, while duality was passed over on account of the material and the form of which bodies consist, and a Trinity was fixed on account of perfection, for it first passes the composition of a duality, in order that the Godhead may not remain narrow, nor be diffused into infinitude; for the one is mean, and the other disorderly, and the one is utterly Jewish, and the other heathen and polytheistic»1047. This abominable notion must therefore first be removed from our mind, that we should not 1048 think that the Father first existed in his own sole hypostasis, and was moved as if by some |389 afterthought to put forth another hypostasis, that of the Son, and similarly further conceived the thought of putting forth a third hypostasis also from himself, that of the Spirit, in order that he might exist in a Trinity. On this theory it will result that the Son and the Holy Spirit are not ever-existing but were afterwards added to the Father, and we shall give occasion for the blasphemy of Arius who says, «There was once when the Son and the Holy Spirit were not». But this is abominable; for one who was acquired later and came into being afterwards is not God; for the Holy Trinity is of equal everlastingness, and it is therefore understood and acknowledged to be one God truly in three hypostases. The words used by the doctor we should therefore understand in the same way as that which is stated in Wisdom, «From the greatness and beauty of created things the causer of their birth |390 is inferentially seen» 1049; and from formed creation and this visible world we may conceive not only of the wisdom and power of him who created them, but also of the very peerlessless of his Godhead in regard of creation, and its distance in all points and lack of similarity. We see that all the bodies which make up the world are composed of material 1050 and form, and arise from a duality; but what material 1050 and form are we will state in the form of an example. For instance the potter's material 1050 for the craft is the clay, but he adds the form to the material 1050, that is to say, that which belongs to the fashioning of the vessel that is being manufactured, a jar or a pot or anything of the kind. But in this case the potter is the maker of the form only, and he borrows the material 1050. But God, the Maker of all and perfect in craftsmanship, both brought the material 1050 of every body from that which did not exist and added the form; and, if you speak of fire or of earth, or |391 of air 1051 or of water, or of the sky and the sun and the moon and the other stars, he both formed the material 1052 of all of them out of non-existent things, and the form was devised for them in different ways at the moment that they came into being, and he is both the Maker and the adorner of the shapeless material 1052 of the bodies, in that he differentiated it into the various forms of the bodies.
And this Wisdom also states, when it declares concerning Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who were vexed by the serpent and the vile reptile: «For neither was thine almighty hand, which created the world out of shapeless material, at a loss to send against them either a multitude of wolves or fierce lions» 1053. Therefore our mind, seeing that the bodies in this tangible world consist as we have said of material 1052 and form, |392 and that they arise from a duality, and being instructed by the sacred Scriptures that there is one Godhead in a Trinity, wonders and is amazed at the profoundness of the theology, since it sees a corresponding fact in creation, and is as it were initiated into a mystery and learns from creation the inaccessibility of the Trinity and its lack of likeness to and community with creation, and reflects in itself and says: The reason then why the Godhead does not exist in one hypostasis is that it may not be inferior to the bodies, falling short in the restriction of number. And it does not again exist in a duality, because it shuns similarity to the bodies, which arise from a duality, but it only appears in a Trinity and as plural, which is admirable; for in the Trinity is completed the unique number which follows two. Therefore also, when Moses said to him, «Show me thyself, let me see thee plainly», he refused this, saying, «Thou wilt not be able to see my face, for a man shall not see my face and live»; but he added, «Thou shalt see my back parts, |393 but my face shall not be seen by thee» 1054; signifying that by the very essence 1055 and by the sight, as one may say, of the face no man can comprehend God, but from his back parts a man shall know the things that pertain to him. out his back parts are created things which came into being afterwards, through which he is inferentially seen as the causer of their birth, as our father the Theologian himself also said in the 2nd theological homily: «These are God's back parts, all things which, being after him, make him known, like the shadows and reflexions of the. sun upon waters, which show the sun to weak eyes, because they cannot look at it, since by the purity of the light |394 it overcomes the perception» 1056. And therefore in the passage now before us for interpretation he applied the expression 'movement of the Unity towards a duality' to the everlasting birth of the Son from the Father, and 'passing over of the duality' to the procession of the Holy Spirit which is timeless and thereby without beginning, and by means of the words used as we have said he gave a philosophical 1057 explanation in mysterious and divine fashion of the lack of community in the Trinity towards bodies which exist in a duality. The passage contained in the homily entitled 'of Lights' which says, «But where there is purification there is shining, and shining is the completion of love, to those who desire things that are great, or that which |395 is great, or beyond what is great»1058, is plain and contains nothing difficult of comprehension. What he said is, «Where there is purification of the soul by means of virtues, there is the shining of knowledge, which raises and uplifts to the satisfaction of divine love».
But the satisfaction of love is the end of things delightful and pleasing, which is God, who exists and is made known in things that are great, and in that which is. great, and beyond that which is great; in things that are great in the three hypostases which are equal in power and of which none is in anything inferior to the others in power and in equality in all things, except that they are distinct in the matter of non-generation and generation and procession, in the unconfused individualities which stamp each of the hypostases; in that which is great, |396 because he is one and the same and because of the Unity of the Godhead; and beyond that which is great, because he is not limited by size and quantity. For, in. that we employ the poverty of names that exists among us, we name God great, when he is more than great. Therefore also the Psalmist said: «Great is the Lord and very admirable; and there is no end to his greatness»1059. For all greatness is limited, but the Godhead cannot be limited, and is not limited by any boundary. |397
[Syriac] |398 [Syriac] |399
> > C. ---- OF THE SAME FROM THE 3rd LETTER OF THE 6th BOOK OF THOSE AFTER EXILE, WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO THE GLORIOUS CAESARIA.
Therefore also the Psalmist said: «Great is the Lord and very admirable; and there is no end to his greatness»1059. For all greatness is limited, but the Godhead cannot be limited, and is not limited by any boundary. |397
[Syriac] |398 [Syriac] |399
> > C. ---- OF THE SAME FROM THE 3rd LETTER OF THE 6th BOOK OF THOSE AFTER EXILE, WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO THE GLORIOUS CAESARIA.
[519-33. ] You say therefore that it has been discovered by certain persons concerning Balaam the soothsayer and seer and propitiator of falsely-named gods that it is testified by the divine words that he had such power in his mouth |400 that those whom he blessed were bles'sed, and those on the contrary whom he cursed were cursed. For this reason therefore the man who bore such a character was then lifted up to bless Israel also the holy people, the people which was named God's people; for you say that the same men who discovered this plainly produce these words. And at this I am not surprised; for it is the peculiarity of those who repeat the contents of divine Scripture cursorily and as it were from hearing, and not from learning and accurate knowledge, to arrive at false and erring notions. Where did the divine Scripture testify of the reprobate Balaam, as they said, that he had such a power? Moses who wrote these things, being inspired 1060 by the very excellent Spirit and being a minister of the truth, neither gave this testimony as in his own person, nor said of God that he gave any such testimony concerning Balaam, but recorded that Balak, King of the Moabites, being a demon-worshipper and a slave of foul fiends, thought of Balaam the soothsayer that he could curse and bless authoritatively and not in a worthless manner. And it is a simple thing to listen to the divine Scriptures manifestly proclaiming this: «And Balak son of Zippor, King of Moab, was at that time, and he sent |401 ambassadors to Balaam son of Beor the interpreter of dreams, who was on the river-land of the sons of his people, to call him. saying. 'Lo! a people hath come out of Egypt, and lo! they have covered the face of the land, and this people hath encamped round me. And now come, curse me this people, because this people is stronger than we, in case we may be able to overthrow some of them, and cast them out of the land; because I know that they whom thou blessest are blessed, and they whom thcu cursest are cursed'» 1061. Since therefore Balak and the Moabites who were under subjection to him, and the Midianites their neighbours, who were barbarians, held this belief, God 'who wisheth that all men should live and come to the knowledge of the truth' 1062 according to the apostle's saying, instructing our race, hard as it is to turn, by many various methods, first showed his power with which none can contend, and displayed the kings round about them, Sihon, King of the Amorites, and Og, King of Bashan, who were giants, and trusted to their strength, and were eager to engage in battle, and met Israel in warlike guise, slain with the sword and dead together with their followers; and |402 afterwards, when the same Balak, prince, of the Moabites, as we have said, perceived the feebleness of his own power, and feared lest he also should become the prey of the Israelite sword, and had recourse to the power of the falsely-named gods, and thought that by means of the soothsayer's curse he was escaping from his troubles, the wisdom that is higher than all understanding instructed the barbarian by the instrumentality of the very soothsayer himself in whom he trusted that there is no other god beside him, and that by the very demons and the very soothsayers who serve them witness is borne that he alone is true God.
For it is his habit to convert those who are in error to the truth by the very paths of the error. And this we do not say out of our imagination, but because we learn it from Scripture itself. It is recorded in the first book of Kingdoms that the Philistines who dwelt in Ascalon and Gaza and the neighbouring cities took arms against Israel and won a great victory over them in combat, insomuch that together with the rest of the spoil they took the ark of God also and placed it in the sanctuaries and shrines of the idols, and every city to which they carried it was smitten with the disease of emerods for which there was no cure, and the land produced a multitude of mice, and they [deliberated] 1063 and took counsel |403 what they could do to escape from such distresses, and, having called upon the soothsayers, who were accustomed to instigate their actions by making use of the deceit of demons, they begged them to find a means of release from these calamities, and those men proposed to them the following plan; to bring cows that were first-born 1064 and were unaccustomed to the yoke, and to yoke these to a new cart bearing the ark and golden figures of the emerods and of the mice, equal in number to the cities that had been smitten with a plague of this kind, and upon this to shut up the calves that had been born in one house, that, if their mothers went on drawing the cart to the land of Judah, where the ark was previously placed, they might know that the God of Israel had laid the plagues upon them as a punishment, but, if hey turned towards the cry of the calves and were affected in accordance with their own natural instincts, they might learn that it was not on account of Israel that the punishment came upon them, but they happened as men to suffer these things. And, when these things had been thus stated, those cows as if very forcibly driven by the command of God, went of their own |404 accord to the land of Judah and brought the ark with the propitiatory offerings, though it was not those words of the soothsayers that were able to do these things, but God himself acted according to their words, and by means of the soothsaying to which they were accustomed and which they loved led the Philistines who were in error to the knowledge of the truth. So too Nebuchadnezzar also had future things revealed to him beforehand by an ordinary vision seen in dreams, in order that by Daniel's wise interpretation concerning the things seen in the dream the Babylonians might know what the God of the Hebrews was; and Nebuchadnezzar must not on this account be placed among religious men, as neither must the soothsayers who advised the Philistines to adopt the above-mentioned plan; for even they themselves also could if they wished on the strength of such signs have recognised God and not remained in error. For neither did God bring such things about for any other purpose, condescending as he did at times to men who were not in the perfect state, except that every man might be saved, because he is indeed the Creator of all.
The prophesyings and workings of miracles are not under all circumstances performed by men who are worthy, but perhaps by men who are unworthy also for their own profit, because they are |405 barbarians, and cannot be brought to religion by teaching or by any other similar method. This same thing our Lord and God Jesus Christ also said in the gospel: «Many shall say in that day, 'Our Lord,] our Lord, did we not in [thy] name prophesy, and in [thy] name cast out demons, and in thy name do many mighty works? ' and then will I profess unto them, ' I never knew you, depart ye from me, workers of iniquity'» 1065. And Caiphas, being president and ruler of the assembly of the Jews that contended with God, those who crucified our Lord, said prophetically that he should be crucified for the people; and this John the Evangelist who was indeed the Theologian described as follows: «But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high-priest of that year, said to them, 'Ye know nothing, and do not consider that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people, and the whole people perish not'. But this he said not of himself, but, because he was the high-priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the people, and not for the people only, but also that he might gather into one the sons of God who were scattered»1066. Accordingly therefore neither |406 Caiaphas nor Balaam are 1067 religious men, but actually blasphemers and contenders against God, and remained in the snares of impiety, although God, In order to show the truth, and in order to convert those who were in error, made use of their words.
(And after other things. ) The citations which we have made from the testimonies of the divine Scriptures are in themselves sufficient; but I will show by means of a few instances that the genuine doctors of the church also have taught us to think and say these things. The very wise John who became bishop of Constantinople in the 6th homily of the commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, when he was speaking about the Magi who by seeing the star were led to know our Lord and God Jesus, who was in swaddling-clothes and was being nurtured on milk from his mother's breast in the flesh, teaches as follows: «And wherefore did he attract them by such a sight? But how should he have done so? Should he have sent prophets? but the Magi would not have submitted to the prophets. But should he have emitted a voice from on high? but they would not have regarded this. But should he have sent an angel? but him also they would accordingly have |407 neglected. But on this account God, having set all these methods aside, calls them by means of things to which they are accustomed, condescending greatly, and showing them a great and peculiar star, in order by means of the size and the beauty of the appearance to make them astonished, and by the method of movement. Imitating these things, Paul spoke to the heathen from the starting-point of an altar, and cites testimonies from the poets, and he spoke with the Jews from the starting-point of circumcision, and with those who lived according to the law he took the beginning of teaching from sacrifices. For, since each man loves that to which he is accustomed, both God and also the men who were sent by him for the salvation of the world used facts in this way. Do not therefore think it an unworthy thing that he called them by means of a star; since, if it is so, you will find fault with all the practices of the Jews also, their sacrifices and their cleansings, and the beginnings of the months and the ark and the temple itself. For these things also received their origin from heathen denseness. But nevertheless God for the sake of the salvation of those who had gone astray consented to be worshipped by means of the very things by which the demons outside were worshipped, changing them himself a little, in order [that] he might |408 remove them gradually from the custom [and] bring them to the high philosophy; a thing which he also does to the Magi, in that he consented to call them by means of the appearance of the star, in order to make them thereafter higher. Since therefore he brought and led them, and set them by the manger, he did not again thereafter speak with them through a star, but through an angel, and so they gradually became better. The same thing he did also to the men of Ascalon and Gaza. For these five cities also, since after the coming of the ark they had been smitten with a regular plague, and found no escape from the plagues laid upon them, having called the soothsayers and held an assembly, wished to find a release from the plague which came from God. But the soothsayers said that they should yoke unbroken and firstborn 1068 cows to the ark and let them go, no man leading them; 'for so it will be plain whether the plague is from God, or from some chance or disease.
For, if' (they say) 'they either from inexperience break the yoke, or return to the calves when they low, it is a chance or an accident that has happened. But, if they walk straight, and are in no way affected by the lowing of their young, or by the ignorance of their error 1069 |409 in the way, it is very plain that it is God's hand that has touched these cities'. Since therefore, after the soothsayers had said these things, those who dwelt in these cities obeyed, and did as they commanded, God also followed the counsel of the soothsayers, again condescending, and it did not seem to him to be a thing unworthy of him to carry into effect the thing stated beforehand by the soothsayers, and make them appear to be truthful men in what they spoke at that time. For indeed the success obtained was a great thing, that the adversaries themselves should bear witness to the power of God, and their own teachers themselves should pronounce a decision concerning him. And many other such things one may see that God performs by dispensation» 1070. And in the 24th homily of the same work, where he is expounding the passage which we ourselves mentioned above, which says, «Many shall say to me on that day, 'Our Lord, our Lord, did we not in thy name prophesy, and in thy name cast out demons, and in thy name do many mighty works? ' And then he will profess unto them, 'I never knew you. Depart ye from me, ye who work iniquity'», he gave the same teaching in the following form: «Who therefore are these? » (he says). |410
"Many of those who believed received gifts, as was 1071 the man who was casting out demons and was not with him; as was1 Judas, for even he also, being an evil man, had gifts. And in the Old Testament one will accordingly find that the grace often worked in men who were unworthy, in order to benefit others. For, since all had not readiness for all things, but some were pure in life, but had not an equal amount of faith, while others were in the converse position, he both entices the former by means of the latter in order that they may show great faith, and calls the latter by means of this incomprehensible grace to become virtuous. Wherefore also he used to gave the grace with great abundance, for '«We did many mighty works». But then will I profess unto them «I know you not». For now they think they are my friends, but then they will know that I did not give as to friends'. And why are you surprised if he gave his graces to men who had believed in him but had not a life consonant to the faith, when he is in fact found to work even in men who have fallen from both? For Balaam was an alien both to faith and to life; but nevertheless the grace was effected in him for |411 the sake of influencing others. And Pharaoh likewise; but nevertheless to him also as well he showed the future. And Nebuchadnezzar was a great transgressor of the law; and to him again he revealed things that should happen later after many generations. And to his son again who surpassed his father in transgression of the law he showed the future, in that he brought wonderful and great things to pass. Since therefore at that time also the proclamation was at its beginning, and it very was desirable that a display of its power should be made, many even among the unworthy also received gifts. But nevertheless those men gained nothing from these signs, but are even judged all the more. Wherefore also he said to them those terrible words, 'I never knew you'. For many he already hates even here, and before the judgment turns away from them" 1072. By means of all these things therefore he clearly establishes the fact that Balaam also and Nebuchadnezzar, and Belteshazzar the latter's son, and all such men, did not profit by the grace of God, in that they remained in the snares of demon-worship, but even endure the decrees of the sentences of tortures all the more. |412
(And after other things. ) But, as to the tunic of God our Saviour Jesus, on which those who performed the crucifixion cast lots, your mightiness' love of God should know that we should understand the statement exactly according to the letter. In Palestine it is the custom for men to make such tunics as are divided in the middle and not woven together throughout, but contain the sections of the texture separately; so that even now we may see many such tunics, made of wool and linen, in the city of Gaza; since afterwards, when it is about to be put on, and is skilfully and becomingly folded, that division is concealed by the tailors. But some 1073 of those who are of low station have it all woven together from beginning to end, and these they |413 describe according to custom as being woven from the top to the bottom, since there is no division in them. But this indicates also a mystery which shows 1074 that the Only Word who was born below in flesh is above from God and the Father. Since every human soul has a body like some garment which springs up with it, as is said by Job the man of mighty endurance to God: «With skin and flesh hast thou clothed me, and with bones and sinews hast thou strengthened me»1075, so also our Saviour's body, if one conceives of it as a kind of tunic that sprang up at the same time, because it was united to the Word invariably by a natural union, was woven from the top, that is by the coming of the Holy Spirit, and not by human seed. That these things are so the genuine doctors of the holy church also show; for it is good that |414 we confirm every statement and opinion by the expressions used by these. John who became bishop of Constantinople in the 85th homily of the commentary on the Gospel of John wrote as follows: «But do you, I pray, observe the prophet's accuracy; for the prophet did not say only that they divided, but also that they did not divide. Some things they divided, but the tunic they did not divide, but also committed the matter to lot. But the expression 'woven from the top' is not added casually; but some say that by means of this expression one thing is indicated in place of another, because he who was crucified was not mere man, but had also the Godhead from above; while others say that the evangelist is depicting the actual pattern of the tunic, for, since in Palestine they join two pieces of material together and so weave garments, John signifies that the tunic was not 1076 of this kind, in that he says that it was woven from the top. And this it seems to me that he says by way of signifying the meanness of the garments, and, as in all other things, so also in raiment he followed a simple form» 1077.
And Athanasius the great in the homily on the Cross says these things: «Together with these things |415 he put on also an unsewn tunic that was woven from the top throughout, that from this also the Jews might be able to believe who and whence he is who put on these things; that the Word is not from the earth, but that he came from above, and he is not one divided, but is without division from the Father; because, when he became man, he had not a body that was sewn together from a man and a woman, but one that was woven from a virgin alone by the Spirit's workmanship» 1078.
(And after other things.) But, as to the passage about the sweat and the drops of blood, know that in the divine and evangelical Scriptures that are at Alexandria it is not written. Wherefore also the holy Cyril in the 12th of the books written by him on behalf of the religion of the Christians against the impious demon-worshipper Julian plainly stated as follows: «But, since he said that the divine Luke inserted among his own words the statement that an angel stood and strengthened Jesus, and his sweat dripped like blood-drops or blood, let him learn from us that we have found nothing of this kind inserted in Luke's work, unless perhaps 1079 an interpolation has been made |416 from outside which is not genuine. The books therefore that are among us contain nothing whatever of this kind; and I therefore think it madness for us to say anything to him about these things; and it is a superfluous thing to oppose him on things that are not stated at all, and we shall be condemned to be laughed at and that very justly» 1080. In the books therefore that are at Antioch and in other countries it is written 1081, and some of the fathers mention it; among whom Gregory the Theologian made mention of this same passage in the 2nd homily on the Son 1082; and John bishop of Constantinople in the exposition composed by him about the passage, «My Father if possible let this cup pass from me» 1083. And I myself therefore in the 64th homily showed the religious meaning of the things thus brought about 1084, according to the limited power that has been given to me from above.
> > CI. ---- OF THE SAME FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA THE HYPATISSA.
And I myself therefore in the 64th homily showed the religious meaning of the things thus brought about 1084, according to the limited power that has been given to me from above. > > CI. ---- OF THE SAME FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA THE HYPATISSA.
[519-38.] But the Lord, when after the Resurrection he breathed upon the disciples |417 and said, «Receive the Holy Spirit» 1085, (since you ask this question also besides), gave them a beginning only of the gifts of the Spirit, and, as one may say, one kind among the many gifts of the Spirit which Paul enumerated in writing to the Corinthians 1086, I mean that of binding and loosing men's sins. This was signified by the addition, in that that Giver of the gifts of the Spirit said, «If ye forgive any men's sins they shall be forgiven to-them; and if ye bind any men's sins they shall be bound» 1087. And by means of the breathing he taught them in very mysterious fashion that he is himself the Creator of Adam, whom he formed out of earth and into whose face he breathed the Spirit of life, and that he made man 'a living soul' as it is written 1088, shining in the spiritual image and the beauty that flashes from it, and sharing in the divine likeness. And by breathing into the disciples he majestically shows that the Holy Spirit himself is of his essence 1089 and not alien.
And in addition to that you ask this other question, how then we are able to explain how it is that our Lord Christ does not speak falsely who says, «As Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the |418 earth 1090» 1091. Some say that we are to reckon the time from the very evening of the 5th day of the week when our Saviour supped with the disciples, and instituted the new Passover, causing the old to cease, since it was from that time that our Lord was virtually sacrificed of his own accord on our behalf, and went down into the lower parts of the earth, and they say that the one night and the six hours of the preparation should be reckoned as one day and night, and the darkness from the 6th hour to the 9th and the light from the 9th hour till sunset as the 2nd day and night, so that consequentially the following night and the sabbath-day make up the whole of the 3rd day and night, and in this way it is to be believed that our Lord rose after three days and nights. But others 1092 have appeared to give another elucidation upon the question 1093 before us, which is subtle and very accurate. They said that according to the custom and tradition contained in Scripture every day with the night preceding it are 1094 combined into one entity. Thus in Exodus, when Moses was giving orders about the Passover and about the feast of unleavened bread, he said, «When the 14th day of the 1st month beginneth, ye |419 shall eat unleavened bread from the evening» 1095, and he counted the beginning of the following day from the preceding evening: and the cessation of the sabbath he instituted the same way, so that they were to cease from work on the preceding night and the following day; and the Jews are known to observe this down to this day, and to honour not the night after the sabbath but the night before the sabbath by cessation and- abstention from work; and we ourselves on the Ist day of the week honour the preceding night as united with the honoured day, and not the night following. Accordingly therefore they say that every night-and-day is as one may say one entity, and, what therefore anyone does during one of these 24 hours, that act is said to have been performed on the whole of that day. As for instance, when a man is sent on a long journey and returns to his own country or city either on the 2nd or on the 3rd day of the week, this man entered the city during one hour or a small portion of an hour, but everyone says, «So-and-so arrived on the 2nd day of the week» or «on the 3rd», and they reckon the whole day which is one with the preceding night to his arrival.
|420 And therefore, they say, we should on this principle regard the period of the three days' burial, and the descent of our God and Saviour who became incarnate into Sheol, as beginning from the time when he truly entered the heart of the earth; and that he did after he gave up his spirit, saying, «My Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit» 1096, and then his spirit departed, and thus, though he was united in a perfect union, the soul and the body were separated from one another, and through the burial of the body he does away corruption in graves, and through the soul he is seen in the lower parts' of the earth, and he released those who were bound in graves. Then it was therefore that he entered the heart of the earth, when 'he went down', as Paul says, 'to the lower parts of the earth' 1097, that is to the lowest limits and to the gloomy crowns (? ) 1098 in the earth; From the departure of the spirit therefore the three day-and-nights are to be counted; and the departure took place at the 9th hour of the preparation, when three hours of the day remained. Since therefore the preparation is according to the custom handed down in Scripture united with the preceding night, we reckon that our Lord spent the whole of the day and the night of the preparation in the heart of the earth, and then after sunset the sabbath begins and its |421 night, the day which the Jews honour by a cessation; and the whole of this together with the following day which is joined to it our Lord spent in the lower parts of the earth. But, when the sabbath had gone by, and had been completed by the, setting of the sun, then began the night of the 1st day of the week; and the night again and the day following it are to be reckoned in order according to that same custom of Scripture, and our Lord will be found to have risen from the place of the dead on the 3rd day-and-night, that of the 1st day of the week; for in fact one who passed the beginning of a day-and-night in the heart of the earth is to be reckoned as having spent the whole of that day-and-night there. For this reason they say that Christ spent the preparation in the lower parts of the earth as regards the last portion of the day-and-night, and the 1st day of the week as regards the first portion, and the sabbath entirely through all the 24 hours, keeping the day of the Jews' feast in mourning, that thereby also he might fulfil the prophecy spoken through the prophet Amos, which threatens the Jews and says, «I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into wailing»1099. But those men say also that the three hours' darkness which took place is reckoned to be a night, and this is forced; for this darkness is not a night, |422 but an affliction of day; and they say that they are prevented from holding anything of the kind by the prophecy of Zechariah also, who prophesies about that day as follows: «On that day there shall be no light, and cold and frost shall be one day, and that day shall be known to the Lord, neither day nor night, and towards evening there shall be light» 1100. See!
the prophet plainly says, «On that day there shall be no light», and, having first plainly named the darkness, he prevented such an affliction and the light which rose afterwards from being reckoned a night and a day by saying «neither day nor night»; and this he says plainly, in order that no one may reckon this a day and a night. As to the statement, «Cold and frost shall be one day», it is not unreasonable for us to understand it to mean that there was actually sensible cold and frost on that day; and supra-sensually that, because at a certain time fiery fervour had grown cold among the Jews, the grace of the Holy Spirit ceased to work among them 1101. This also besides we should know, that our Lord in the gospels sometimes said that he was destined to rise on the 3rd day, and sometimes that he would rise after three days, the expression signifying that even the beginning of the 3rd day is reckoned a whole day. |423
> > CII. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS, FROM THE WORDS WRITTEN TO CAESARIA THE PATRICIAN.
[519-38.] What he says therefore is this. In the way of worldly intercourse, that is to say in the business of this world, I do not forbid you to associate with idolaters, it may be, and with those who are differently situated and hold different opinions. Otherwise we are reduced to withdrawing outside the world. But, if, when a man is named a brother, that is one who has the same spirit of adoption with us and is judged among the sons of faith, he fall away to idolatry or any such abominable thing, with such a one it is good for us not even to eat1102. Otherwise, by disregarding foul behaviour of such a kind we fall under God's judgment.
> > CIII. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA.
Otherwise, by disregarding foul behaviour of such a kind we fall under God's judgment. > > CIII. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA.
[519-38.] For1103, since they had a mind in contact with earthly things, they said, |424 «Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary?» 1104; and again, «Thou art a 1104 Samaritan and hast a demon»1105; and, «For good deeds we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, that, being a man, thou makest thyself God»1106. Since therefore it was because they stumbled at the dispensation in the flesh that they said these things, all the blasphemies that they uttered against the Son of man, our Saviour said that they should be forgiven to them; for they have as a defence ignorance of the mystery and the condescension as man. «Therefore it shall be forgiven to men and not to you», as if he were saying, «I give forgiveness as to men who have not known the depth of the dispensation». But the things which they said in blasphemy against the divine signs and mighty works which he did and performed by the Spirit that was in him and of his nature (as he said, «I by the Spirit of God cast out the demons»), «In Beelzebub» (as they say) «he casts out the demons», these things (he says) as things which are concerned with blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and have from the acts |425 themselves the quality of God-befittingness 1107 and have no room for defence Christ said should not be forgiven 1108. But this blasphemy against the Son of man shall be forgiven, and it is smaller than the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, down to the time of the Cross, we must understand, because down to that time Christ obscured the greatness of his Godhead by means of the words and actions of the dispensation; but after the Cross and the Resurrection 1109 he did so no longer; since the dispensation had once for all received an end 1110.
> > CIV. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA.
[519-38.] But Luke related that he even communicated in the holy body and in our Lord's cup 1111, whence also the devil gained complete mastery over him, inasmuch as he had presumed to communicate in the mysterious spiritual food when he was unworthy and had a heart such as his. This we say, not |426 because that savage fiend in the case of men of this character treats the power of the mystery, with contempt, but because he who communicates when unworthy is delivered into his hands, when anyone presumes to receive the holy communion when secretly involved in impieties that are great, and especially in such as relate to God.
> > CV. ---- OF MAR SEVERUS TO CAESARIA THE HYPATISSA.
This we say, not |426 because that savage fiend in the case of men of this character treats the power of the mystery, with contempt, but because he who communicates when unworthy is delivered into his hands, when anyone presumes to receive the holy communion when secretly involved in impieties that are great, and especially in such as relate to God. > > CV. ---- OF MAR SEVERUS TO CAESARIA THE HYPATISSA.
[519-38.] You should know that the priest who offers represents the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; for he in fact celebrates the memory of the sacrifice which he himself instituted, and of that which he himself began in the mysterious supper.
The veil therefore which before the priest approaches hides what is set forth and is removed after his entry manifestly cries by the mouth of the facts themselves that the mystery, which was previously concealed by means of the sacrifices of the law and the shadowy service, and was obscurely made known as it were by an indication only, by means of this spiritual and rational priestly ministration reveals Christ who is God to those who have believed on him. |427
To this refer also the words which Paul uses in the epistle to the Corinthians, «The veil remaineth upon the readers of the Old Testament, and it is not revealed because 1112 it is done away in Christ» 1113; since Christ has indeed done away or has removed the veil by means of the service and ministration in the Spirit, as is further stated by Paul himself, «We all with open face see the glory of the Lord as in a mirror» 1114. For what is done with the veil shows according to a simple explanation that things that are hidden from and not [seen] by those who initiate, these are manifest and visible to those who believe and are initiated. [In] Palestine and in Jerusalem, while the priest makes the said 1115 prayer, the deacons frequently and ceaselessly lift [the cover] 1116 up and let it down again, until the end of the prayer, and so after that the priest begins the petition over the offering of the sacrifice. Further what is done in this fashion reminds us of that veil or linen sheet which came down from heaven upon Peter, which contained all the quadrupeds and reptiles, and birds clean and unclean, and signified to him that |428 the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out not only on the people of Israel which was clean, because it received God's law, but upon all the nations which were without the law and unclean.
For this reason therefore the cloth that is laid upon what is set forth on the altar shows by being lifted and lowered the abundant and perfect gift of the divine Spirit, which was shown to Peter by the vision to have included all the nations, which descends from heaven upon [all] that is set forth, and consecrates and hallows it.....1117
> > CVI. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS THE PATRIARCH, ON SOME EXPRESSIONS TAKEN FROM THE SAME BOOK OF KOHELETH, WHICH ARE, «KEEP THY FOOT WHEN THOU GOEST INTO A HOUSE OF GOD, AND DRAW NIGH TO HEAR» 1118. FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA.
1117
> > CVI. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS THE PATRIARCH, ON SOME EXPRESSIONS TAKEN FROM THE SAME BOOK OF KOHELETH, WHICH ARE, «KEEP THY FOOT WHEN THOU GOEST INTO A HOUSE OF GOD, AND DRAW NIGH TO HEAR» 1118. FROM THE LETTER TO CAESARIA.
[519-38.] For you have listened with perception to Koheleth wisely warning and |429 saying, «Keep thy foot when thou goest into a house of God, and draw nigh to hear». For a man who is going along the road of religion must keep his own foot and be attentive lest he anywhere slip; and, when he is walking to the church as to a house of God, I mean the teaching of piety and the confession of the faith (for this is what we must suppose the church properly to be), draw nigh to hear, and not hold aloof, and apply and attach so to speak a ear that loves listening to the sound words of the teaching. For a mind that is so disposed God reckons in place of a sacrifice, and above every gift and fruit-offering of the foolish, who know not how to do good, nor yet will learn from those who know. Therefore he who said, «Keep thy foot when thou goest into a house of God, and draw nigh to hear», went on to say carefully, «Above a gift of the foolish is thy sacrifice, because they are not men who know how to do good» 1119. |430
> > CVII. ---- OF THE HOLY SEVERUS PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AS TO WHAT THINGS THE SOUL WILL ENCOUNTER.
(To Thomas, bishop of Germanicea) 1120.
Therefore he who said, «Keep thy foot when thou goest into a house of God, and draw nigh to hear», went on to say carefully, «Above a gift of the foolish is thy sacrifice, because they are not men who know how to do good» 1119. |430
> > CVII. ---- OF THE HOLY SEVERUS PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AS TO WHAT THINGS THE SOUL WILL ENCOUNTER. (To Thomas, bishop of Germanicea) 1120.
[519-38(? )] For we have already said that those who became founders of these evil heresies find fault with the Old Testament 1121, and put forward the New, some adding to it, others mutilating it; men whom the apostle Jude accuses through the words stated as men who speak (? ) 1122 great swollen words of railing, which he also called their shame which comes after 1123 it. But Michael the archangel who was then contending with the devil, when he was speaking about Moses' body, did not dare to bring a railing accusation, but said, «The Lord rebuke thee» 1124, which seems to me to convey the following meaning. The law which was given through Moses showed all the things that relate to the cleansing of the soul and its justification |431 by means of bodily types and indications. Such is the fact that it passes judgment upon the body of a leper as unclean, and similarly also upon a man with an issue; for God does not exact punishment for involuntary afflictions, but by means of these things annuls the stain of sin which is diverse and hard to wash away, by which the soul is in divers manners stained. After this pattern therefore he judges it pollution that the man should be dissipated on pleasures who begets fruits for the benefit of the rational and intelligent soul 1125; and here therefore God further showed by a bodily type a certain mystery that happens to the soul. Since, when the soul is separated from the body after the release from this world, the angelic and good hosts and a company of evil demons meet it, in order that, according to the quality of the deeds which it has performed bad or good, either the one or the other may convey it to the proper regions to be kept till the last day, on which, we shall all rise, either to judgment or to eternal life, or shall be brought to the unending flame of the fire, therefore, because God wished |432 to show this to the sons of Israel by some bodily type, he caused the burial of Moses to appear before their eyes at the time of the swathing 1126 of the body and at: the customary deposition in the earth, as if the evil demon were opposing and, Michael the good angel were, acting contrary to him. who met him and drove him away, and did not authoritatively rebuke him, but yielded the judgment against that demon to the Lord of all, and said, «The Lord rebuke thee», that by means of these things those who are being instructed may learn that that the soul has a contest after the release from this world, and that we must by means of good deeds pre'pare ourselves in order that angelic help may come to us when the demons gnash their teeth enviously and bitterly at us. And, when this sight had appeared before the eyes, then there fell in that place a ray of light of a cloud that darkened and obstructed the sight of those who were standing on this side and that, that no man might know his grave.
Therefore the Holy Scripture says in Deuteronomy also: «Moses the Lord's bondman ended his life there, in the land of Moab, by the word of the Lord; and they buried him there in |433 the land of Moab beside the house of Peor, and no man hath known the end or his grave to this day» 1127; which is also confirmed by that which the evangelist wrote 1128, since Luke one of the evangelists said in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, «And it happened that the poor man also died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom» 1129. These same details labout the burial of Moses men have stated to be contained in an apocrypha Book the more succinct title of which is 'The book of Generation or of Creation, which Moses himself wrote for us' 1130. And to us this seems to be the interpretation of what he propounded, so that I thus understand it. But some have said that Jude calls the law itself the body of Moses; and, when he came down to show this to the sons of Israel, the devil opposed, and he worked in opposition retarding the gift of the law, and contending and saying, «The people does not deserve this to be done for them»; and therefore Michael went before him and drove away him who opposed, uttering the rebuke, «The Lord rebuke thee». And others |434 again: «He calls the people whom he was leading the body of Moses; and he meant that, when they were leaving the land of Egypt, the devil opposed and resisted, as if he were saying in contention with Moses, «His body (which is the people) does not deserve deliverance from Egypt to be given to it». And this devil when he was opposing Michael put in bonds, and he reproved him saying, «The Lord rebuke thee».
> > CVIII. ---- OF THE HOLY SEVERUS PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH, FROM THE 27th LETTER OF THE 9th BOOK AFTER EXILE WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO THOMAS BISHOP OF GERMANICEA.
And this devil when he was opposing Michael put in bonds, and he reproved him saying, «The Lord rebuke thee». > > CVIII. ---- OF THE HOLY SEVERUS PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH, FROM THE 27th LETTER OF THE 9th BOOK AFTER EXILE WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO THOMAS BISHOP OF GERMANICEA.
[519-38.] «Thus saith the Lord: 'I found a hot one in the wilderness with the slain of the sword. Go and destroy not Israel. The Lord shall be revealed upon him afar off. With perfect love I loved thee; therefore I drew thee with mercy. Again I will build thee and thou shalt be built, virgin Jerusalem'» 1131. Certain men with experience of war say that generals of |435 armies have a custom of bringing besides the armed forces physicians also, and, after the hosts engage with one another and the battle is joined, and the opposite side is defeated, they send the physicians to search among the fallen, and examine carefully lest there be found a man among them who is warm and has breath in him, and may by medical skill recover from the deadly wounds that are upon him. Therefore also the purport of this figurative prophecy which we have cited is that, when Israel was reckoned with the dead, he restored him to life; but some have not discovered the meaning contained in this figure, or the explanation of the words, 'I found a hot one in the wilderness', but have given a foolish interpretation. They changed the reading 'hot', and instead of saying 'hot' said 'solitary', and supposed from this that there is some herb which grows of itself in the wilderness, and signifies the solitariness of Israel. For it is not so. The words of the following context refute and truly banish their supposition; and the words of Scripture are as follows: «I found a hot one in the wilderness with the slain of the sword». So therefore I also am in this manner lifted up, and am constrained to take courage and speak a few words about the communications that have been addressed to me by your eloquent wisdom. |436
(And after other things.)
The words of the following context refute and truly banish their supposition; and the words of Scripture are as follows: «I found a hot one in the wilderness with the slain of the sword». So therefore I also am in this manner lifted up, and am constrained to take courage and speak a few words about the communications that have been addressed to me by your eloquent wisdom. |436
(And after other things. )
But that our Lord Jesus Christ our God was pierced in the side with a lance by that soldier after he gave up the ghost, and blood and water came forth from it in a miraculous manner, the divine John the Evangelist recorded, and no one else wrote about this. But certain persons have clearly falsified the Gospel of Matthew and inserted this same passage, when the contrary is the fact, in order to show that it was while he was alive that the soldier pierced his side with the spear, and afterwards he gave up the ghost 1132. This question was examined with great carefulness when my meanness was in the royal city, at the time when the affair of Macedonius was being examined, who became archbishop of that city, and there was produced the Gospel of Matthew, which was written in large letters, and was preserved with great honour in the royal palace, which was said to have been found in the days of Zeno of honourable memory in a city of the island of Cyprus buried with the holy Barnabas, who went about with Paul and spread the divine preaching; and, when the Gospel of Matthew was opened, it was found to be free from the falsification contained in this addition, |437 of the story of the soldier and the spear. I do not know how and for what reason the holy John who became bishop of the same royal city, and the admirable Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, did not test this question, and allowed the two passages to stand, in the two evangelists, neglecting the evidence to the contrary;1133 but perhaps in order that this also might be known, that, while they speak and write everything under the operation of the Holy Spirit, and while these men are higher than we (for we are men who creep along the earth), as the heaven is higher than the earth1134, and that they themselves also might be known to be men, and to leave omniscience to God only, and that there is something in affairs which cannot be expressed, the complete revelation of which is not made known. Thus Samuel also, who as one may say saw with the eye of prophecy everything that was about to happen, did not know Saul when he was present and standing among all Israel, Because God by means of these things was instructing his bondmen, and teaching them to pay regard to humility. Wherefore also the divine Scripture is written thus: «And Samuel asked in the Lord and said, 'Cometh that man hither? ' And the Lord said, ' Lo! he is hidden among the vessels'. And |438 he ran and took him thence» 1135. And at the time when the Shilumite woman's son died, and she had come to Elisha in great distress, as a mother who had been deprived of her beloved son, and, when she had just fallen at the feet of the prophet of God, and Gehazi tried to prevent her, the bondman of God, being moved by love and sorrow, said to Gehazi, «Let her alone, because her soul is bitter in her, and the Lord hid it from me and showed it not to me»1136.
Accordingly you should know that Eusebius of Caesarea also who is called 'Pamphili', who wrote the canons of the gospel, and imitated those who wrote on this subject before him, and had more complete knowledge of this question than the others, in the 10th canon, in which he recorded the places peculiar to one of the evangelists, inserted this passage also about the soldier and the lance, saying that John alone recorded it 1137. And we also agree with this careful accuracy, not that we contend against our fathers (far be it! ), but that we place the evangelists at a greater height than them, and assign to the evangelists only the intention which properly belongs to them, in order that in everything Jesus, who is God, who spoke in the |439 evangelists, may be glorified, 'in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden' 1138, according to the saying of Paul. But for the rest we find that the holy John himself also, the bishop of Constantinople, in the commentary on the same Matthew the Evangelist with regard to this same addition which we are now discussing, himself also said things that fit the truth; for he expressed himself thus: «'But another came up and perforated his side with a lance'. And what could be more wicked than these men? And who could be lawless like them? And who could be more savage than these same men, who showed their madness to such an extent, that they attacked a dead body. But do you mark how their madness was brought about for our salvation. For after the wound the fountain of life welled forth for us» 1139. But these are the words of a man who follows the footsteps of the narrative of John the Evangelist and nothing else; for he called the body 'dead'; because it was after he gave up the ghost that the soldier pierced him, and gave occasion for the fountain of our salvation to well forth thence, as the doctor John the bishop said. But this addition to the narrative of Matthew the Evangelist has never been inserted by any of the earlier |440 commentators who wrote, not by Origen, who examined such questions minutely, though he sinned 1140 in matters that are necessary for the truth of the faith of the church, nor by Didymus, nor by any other man who has written on this subject. But Eusebius 1141 of Caesarea, who is called 'Pamphili', whom we mentioned a little above, when writing to a man called Marinus about questions concerning the passions of our Saviour and about his Resurrection, showed us nothing whatever about the said addition, as being unknown and having no place in the books of the gospel. But in the same letters to Marinus, who had asked him for an interpretation on the subject of our Saviour's passions and his Resurrection, he inserted the following exposition also in his letters, that the divine Mark the Evangelist said that it was the 3rd hour at the time when Christ who is God and our Saviour was crucified, but the divine John (he said) wrote that it was at the 6th hour that Pilate sat upon his judgment-seat at the place called 'the pavement', and judged Christ. And therefore Eusebius said that this is an error of a scribe, who was inattentive when writing |441 the Gospel.
For it is the letter gamal that denotes 3 hours, while the letter which is called in Greek episemon denotes the number of 6 hours, and these letters are like one another in Greek, and, the scribe wishing to write '3' quickly, and having turned the letter a little backwards, it was thereby found to be '6', because, since the letter had been turned backwards, it was supposed to be the letter that denotes '6'. Since therefore the three other evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke stated alike as with one mouth that from the 6th hour to the 9th there was darkness over all the land, it is plain that our Lord and God Jesus Christ was crucified before the 6th hour, at which the darkness took place, that is from the 3rd hour, as 1142 the blessed John himself wrote. Similarly we say that it is the 3rd hour, because those who wrote before, as we have said, changed the letter. We must insert also in this our letter upon this matter a part of what Eusebius himself stated at length; and his words are as follows: «We agree not with any chance man, but with the evangelist who gave this testimony, |442 Mark. For it happened that there was an error on the part of the scribe so that he changed the letter by adding length to it, and it was thought that the letter which represents '3' was '6', on account of the likeness of the two letters [of that which denotes '3' and that which denotes '6'. If the refore it is stated by John that it was the preparation of the day of unlevened bread, and it was about the 6th hour, and Pilate said to the Jews «Behold! your king» 1143, and so on, let there be read instead of '6th' '3rd', since the beginning of his trial took place at that time, and in the middle of the hour or after it had been completed they crucified him, so that the result is that they judged and crucified him at the same hour» 1144; If you look for and find the volume addressed to Marinus about the interpretation of these things, you will find the accuracy of the writer as regards these matters. For our part we do not wish to write much on these subjects in this our letter. May the industry of your holiness be preserved for us meditating on these things and occupied with these things in priestly fashion, and rousing up the gloom of our silence and urging it to speak 1145. |443
> > CIX. ---- OF THE SAME HOLY SEVERUS FROM THE 250th LETTER OF THE Ist BOOK BEFORE EPISCOPACY, WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO THEOGNOSTUS. 1146
May the industry of your holiness be preserved for us meditating on these things and occupied with these things in priestly fashion, and rousing up the gloom of our silence and urging it to speak 1145. |443
> > CIX. ---- OF THE SAME HOLY SEVERUS FROM THE 250th LETTER OF THE Ist BOOK BEFORE EPISCOPACY, WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO THEOGNOSTUS. 1146
[508-12.] But now it is time for us to come to the other question. You say «What is meant to be signified by the phrase used by Isaiah the prophet about our Lord, that he was sent 'to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord ' 1147?» But this I say ..........1148
> > CX. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS, FROM THE LETTER TO EUGENIA THE DEACONESS AND ARCHIMANDRITESS.
[513-38.] «When thou sittest at the table of mighty men, to dine» (or «to take a meal»), «consider the things set before thee with intelligence, and stretch forth thine hand»1149. But a man will properly say that mighty men are am who showed themselves mighty and prevailed against the passions |444 of sin, but are ruled by righteousness, and made their own members an instrument of this, and give no passage for any strange and demoniac thoughts to creep into their own souls.
By these, as by men who have made themselves masters of the passions of lusts and gained the victory over them, the table of the word of religion is set before the pious hearer, which urges not only to fear God, but also strife against the devil and against all the passions of sin.
This teaching one should consider with intelligence and clothe oneself in the benefit derived from it, and delight oneself in its sweet and pleasant sustenance.
> > CXI. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO SIMUS THE SCRINIARIUS 1150, SHOWING THAT THE DIVINE INFLATION IN ADAM IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE POWER WHICH MAKES THE SOUL OF MAN.
This teaching one should consider with intelligence and clothe oneself in the benefit derived from it, and delight oneself in its sweet and pleasant sustenance. > > CXI. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO SIMUS THE SCRINIARIUS 1150, SHOWING THAT THE DIVINE INFLATION IN ADAM IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE POWER WHICH MAKES THE SOUL OF MAN.
[513-8 (?).] For against that contention we must vigorously make answer, that in |445 the composition or fashioning of man the rational soul of man is not created before the body, nor is the body formed before the soul. Why do you drag the teaching of the holy fathers which says that the divine inspiration is the Holy Spirit, an active and operative force, and is the power which makes the soul of man, to an abominable objection by saying this, that they who say this absolutely and by all means clearly hold that the body is created first, and after the formation is complete receives a soul, in that the Holy Scripture says, «And God created man dust from the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life» 1151, as if the formation comes first, and the animation follows afterwards, in the second place, according to the narrative of Scripture? But we shall not arrive at this cold supposition, if we receive in our mind that God creates, not like some feeble man. (A little farther on.) It would perhaps be possible for us to adduce other testimonies also that the human soul was created by divine inflation; but indeed this stands clear, that the holy Cyril taught all of them in his writings, showing that the soul of man came into being by divine inflation, and again that we are to |446 understand that, man having been created and possessing a soul, the inflation inserted only spiritual gifts and patterns of divine association.
And the holy Basil in what he wrote about the Holy Spirit taught as follows: «For, when Adam had lost the grace derived from the divine inflation, Christ gave it back again, when he breathed into the face of his disciples and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'» 1152. And again he said, «When he breathed in intellect, he is not another diifering from him who breathed at the beginning, but the same through whom he gave the inflation, then giving it with the soul, but now giving the soul». So much we have written as an abundant elucidation of the words, «Let us make man in our image» 1153, and of the words, «breathed into his face the breath of life».
> > CXII. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO URANIUS.
So much we have written as an abundant elucidation of the words, «Let us make man in our image» 1153, and of the words, «breathed into his face the breath of life». > > CXII. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO URANIUS.
Therefore in the Old Testament also, when the high-priest was anointed, and at his anointing the sacrifice of the ram of perfection was offered, the |447 thumb of his right hand, and the great toe of his right foot, and the lobe of his right ear were anointed with the blood of the victim which was sacrificed 1154, the type signifying this, that, if he set himself to perform right actions, and if he make great progress in them (for the hand is the emblem of deeds and of actions, and the foot of effort and of advance towards the things that are in front), he will have his ears fall of divine announcements and revelations.
> > CXIII. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO ZACHARIAS 1155.
[513-8.] God said to Moses, «Choose thee seventy old men and I will take of thy spirit and lay it upon them» 1156. And the God of all said and did these things by way of giving instruction and teaching in the direction of humility (for the gifts of the Spirit are not scanty or defective), and it was not because he took away some of the spirit that was upon Moses that he filled others with this. For the whole of it was both with the recipients and with him, just as one may also see in the nature of fire. When a man has lighted several |448 torches from one torch, he has not diminished the one, and yet has from it caused many to be in equal honour. For the grace that was upon Moses appeared as it were to be darkened by the fact that the seventy shared in the same honour and prophesied in the Spirit. But this type was fulfilled by the future; for, when after the coming of the Only one in the flesh the Spirit was poured out, the grace that was upon Moses was darkened, and the fire of the torch of the law, when brought near to the gospel, is extinguished by the all-brilliant rays of the Sun of righteousness.
> > CXIV. ---- OF THE HOLY MAR SEVERUS FROM THE LETTER TO MITRAEUS 1157.