the 464 Word having assumed the human element; for he made his own the body from the holy virgin, his own, just as one might say, perhaps, that the body of each of us is his own; and this, I think, is what his becoming flesh signifies, not by way of change or alteration; for the divine nature is unchangeable; but because it is somehow customary in divine scripture always and sometimes to signify the whole human being, I mean the one composed of soul and body, by the flesh alone, as it is in, "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." We confess one Son, therefore, begotten divinely from the Father, insofar as he is conceived of and is the Word, but the same one born of a woman according to the flesh; for so he will be understood, having partaken of blood and flesh in a similar way to us, in order that through his own death he might destroy the devil, by whose "envy death entered into the world;" for the death of Christ has become like a root of life, and the destruction of corruption, and the aversion of sin and the end of wrath; we had become accursed, and under the penalty of death in Adam, but the Word, who knew no sin, was called the son of Adam, and through him the offenses of the first transgression are loosed; for the nature of man was seen in Christ as soundly possessing sinlessness, this has saved those on earth.

IX. Not to the nature of the Word itself, however, belongs the title of High Priest and such names, but to the economy with the flesh and to the measures that are ours. And come, let us first inquire into this: who was it that was able and had the authority to take hold of angels, if this had been useful, but did not take hold of them, "but rather of the seed of Abraham?" If, then, 465 some suppose these things are said of a common man, how was it possible for one not yet born nor existing to take hold of the nature of the holy angels, if indeed he wished to do this, but not having done that, to take hold rather of the seed of Abraham? Besides, for I think it is necessary to observe this too, to say that a man takes hold of humanity is completely senseless. Therefore, he who is outside the nature of man, as God, takes hold of the seed of Abraham; for thus having taken an ensouled and intelligent body from the holy and God-bearing Mary, he was made like his brethren in all things, that is, us; then he became a merciful high priest for us, and in addition to this, faithful. How then he became so, it follows to see; for was he not merciful even before he became as we are? Was he not good as from a good Father, but when he became man, then he also became merciful? Did the Word from God the Father, then, advance, and become better than himself, when he took hold of the seed of Abraham? Therefore, he became what he was not, and has benefited more by becoming man; How then is he still unchangeable by nature, if he has become what he was not? How has he remained the same? And where has he emptied and lowered himself to humility, if he has become more beautiful than himself? But this is not so, may it not be; for he was merciful and is so always; and since this is so, he took hold of the seed of Abraham, that he might become a merciful priest for us; and in what way, I will say; it was not possible for man to be justified in the law, it was not possible to transgress the given commandment, and not to suffer punishment immediately and even to death; and Paul will confirm this by writing, "Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses." In order, therefore, to release us from the judgment and curse and severity in the law, he was called our priest, not demanding penalties for sins committed, not making liable to judgment those who have sinned out of 466 human weakness; but rather justifying by faith and forgiving offenses and declaring men holy and partakers of his own nature, and thus uniting them through himself to God the Father; for Christ became a merciful high priest for us, no longer allowing the legal severities to prevail, but rather forgiving the ancient charges against those who were weak; and faithful, because he is permanent and perpetual, and worthy of belief in what was promised, and has an unchangeable priesthood; a merciful and faithful priest, therefore, that is, ever abiding, he became when

προσλαβόντος τοῦ 464 Λόγου τὸ ἀνθρώπινον· ιδιον γὰρ ἐποιήσατο τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου, ιδιον δὲ ὡσανεὶ λέγοιτο τυχὸν καὶ ἡμῶν ἑκάστου τὸ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τοῦτο οιμαι δηλοῦν τὸ γενέσθαι σάρκα αὐτὸν, οὐ κατὰ τροπὴν η μετάστασιν· ατρεπτος γὰρ ἡ θεία φύσις· ἀλλ' οτι τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ σύνηθές πως ἀεὶ καὶ ολον εσθ'οτε τὸν ανθρωπον, τὸν ἐκ ψυχῆς δὴ λέγω καὶ σώματος, καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ μόνης καταδηλοῦν τῆς σαρκὸς, οιόν ἐστι τό " ̓Εκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα." ενα τοίνυν ὁμολογοῦμεν Υἱὸν, γεννηθέντα μὲν θεϊκῶς ἐκ Πατρὸς, καθὸνοεῖται καὶ εστι Λόγος, ἀποτεχθέντα δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκ γυναικὸς κατὰ σάρκα· νοηθήσεται γὰρ ουτω, κεκοινωνηκὼς αιματος καὶ σαρκὸς παραπλησίως ἡμῖν, ινα διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν διάβολον, ου"φθόνῳ θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθε·" ῥίζα γὰρ ωσπερ ζωῆς ὁ Χριστοῦ γέγονε θάνατος, καὶ φθορᾶς ἀναίρεσις, καὶ ἁμαρτίας ἀποτροπὴ καὶ πέρας ὀργῆς· γεγόναμεν ἐπάρατοι, καὶ ὑπὸ θανάτου δίκην ἐν Ἀδὰμ, ἀλλὰ κεχρημάτικεν ὁ Λόγος, ὁ μὴ εἰδὼς ἁμαρτίαν, υἱὸς ̓Αδὰμ, καὶ λέλυται δι' αὐτοῦ τῆς τοῦ πρώτου παραβάσεως τὰ ἐγκλήματα· ωφθη γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις ἐν Χριστῷ ὑγιῶς εχουσα τὸ ἀπλημμελὲς, τοῦτο σέσωκε τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς.

IX. Οὐκ αὐτῇ μέντοι τῇ τοῦ Λόγου φύσει, τό ̓Αρχιερέα κεκλῆσθαι καὶ τὰ τοιάδε τῶν ὀνομάτων, ἀλλὰ τῇ μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίᾳ καὶ μέτροις τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς. καὶ φέρε πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο ζητήσωμεν, τίς ην ὁ δυνάμενος μὲν καὶ ἐξουσίαν εχων ἐπιλαβέσθαι ἀγγέλων, εἰ τοῦτο χρήσιμον ην, οὐκ ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκείνων, "ἀλλὰ σπέρματος ̔Αβραάμ;" εἰμὲν ουν 465 οιονταί τινες περὶ ἀνθρώπου ταῦτα λέγεσθαι κοινοῦ, πῶς ἐνεδέχετο τὸν ουπω γεγεννημένον μηδὲ ὑπάρχοντα, φύσεως ἐπιλαβέσθαι τῆς τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων, ειπερ ηθελε τοῦτο δρᾶν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν οὐ πεποιηκότα, ἐπιλαβόμενον δὲ μᾶλλον σπέρματος ̔Αβραάμ; αλλως τε, κἀκεῖνο γὰρ οιμαι κατιδεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, τὸ λέγειν ανθρωπον ἀνθρωπότητος ἐπιλαβέσθαι, ἀσύνετον παντελῶς. οὐκοῦν ὁ εξω τῆς ἀνθρώπου φύσεως ων ὡς Θεὸς, ἐπιλαμβάνεται σπέρματος ̔Αβραάμ· σῶμα γὰρ ουτω λαβὼν εμψυχόν τε καὶ εννουν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ θεοτόκου Μαρίας, ὡμοιώθη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς κατὰ πάντα, τουτέστιν ἡμῖν· τότε γέγονεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἀρχιερεὺς ἐλεήμων, καὶ πρός γε τούτῳ πιστός. πῶς ουν γέγονεν, ἀκόλουθον ἰδεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ην ἐλεήμων καὶ πρὶν γένηται καθ' ἡμᾶς; οὐκ ην ἀγαθὸς ὡς ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' οτε γέγονεν ανθρωπος, τότε καὶ ἐλεήμων; προέκοψεν ουν ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος, καὶ κρείττων ἑαυτοῦ γέγονεν, οτε σπέρματος ̔Αβραὰμ ἐπελάβετο· οὐκοῦν οπερ οὐκ ην ἐγένετο, καὶ ὠφέληται μᾶλλον γενόμενος ανθρωπος· πῶς ουν ατρεπτος ετι κατὰ φύσιν, εἰ γέγονεν οπερ οὐκ ην; πῶς μεμένηκεν ὁ αὐτός; ποῦ δὲ κεκένωκε καὶ καθῆκεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς ταπείνωσιν, εἰ γέγονεν ἑαυτοῦ καλλίων; ἀλλ' οὐχ ουτω ταῦτ' εχει, μὴ γένοιτο· ην γὰρ ἐλεήμων καὶ εστιν ἀεί· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἐπελάβετο σπέρματος ̔Αβραὰμ, ιν' εἰς ἡμᾶς ἱερεὺς ἐλεήμων γένηται· καὶ τίνα τρόπον, ἐρῶ· οὐκ ην ἐν νόμῳ δικαιωθῆναι τὸν ανθρωπον, οὐκ ην παραβῆναι τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν, καὶ μὴ δίκας ὑποσχεῖν παραχρῆμα καὶ μέχρι θανάτου· πιστώσεται δὲ γράφων ὁ Παῦλος " ̓Αθετήσας τις νόμον Μωϋσέως "χωρὶς οἰκτιρμῶν ἐπὶ δυσὶν η τρισὶν μάρτυσιν ἀποθνήσκει." ινα τοίνυν ἀπαλλάξῃ ἡμᾶς τῆς ἐν νόμῳ δίκης καὶ ἀρᾶς καὶ ἀποτομίας, κεχρημάτικεν ἡμῶν ἱερεὺς, οὐ δίκας αἰτῶν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων, οὐκ ἐνόχους τῇ κρίσει καθιστὰς τοὺς ἐξ 466 ἀσθενείας ἀνθρωπίνης πεπλημμεληκότας· δικαιῶν δὲ μᾶλλον τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐγκλημάτων ἀνιεὶς καὶ ἁγίους ἀποφαίνων καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φύσεως κοινωνοὺς, ουτω τε συνάπτων δι' ἑαυτοῦ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί· ἐλεήμων γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰς ἡμᾶς γέγονεν ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐκέτι ταῖς νομικαῖς ἀποτομίαις κρατεῖν ἐπιτρέπων, ἀνιεὶς δὲ μᾶλλον τῶν ἀρχαίων αἰτιαμάτων τοὺς ἠσθενηκότας· πιστὸς δὲ, οτι μόνιμος καὶ διηνεκὴς, καὶ ἀξιόχρεως εἰς πίστιν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων, καὶ ἀπαράβατον εχων τὴν ἱερωσύνην· ἐλεήμων τοίνυν καὶ πιστὸς, τουτέστιν ἀεὶ μένων γέγονεν ἱερεὺς οτε