2

But that such things are not right for us, you yourself surely agree. But if it is not of the form that has been changed into God, but of His very mortal flesh before the change, that you say you are asking for the image from us, —has then this reading alone escaped your notice, in which God legislates not to make a likeness, neither of things in heaven, nor of things on the earth below? or have you ever heard such a thing in Church, either yourself, or from another? Have not such things been banished throughout the whole world and driven far from the Churches, and has it not been proclaimed among all that we alone are not permitted to do such a thing? .... For I do not know how a certain woman, once carrying in her hands two painted figures, as if of philosophers, put forth a story that they were of Paul and the Savior; I cannot say, either from where she got them, or from where she learned this. So that neither she, nor others might be scandalized, having taken this from her, I kept it myself, not thinking it good to display these at all to others, lest we should seem, like idolaters, to be carrying our God around in an image. And I hear Paul instructing all of us to no longer pay attention to carnal things. For if we have known Christ according to the flesh, he says, yet now we know him no longer. —It is said that Simon the Magician is worshipped among the godless heretics, depicted in inanimate matter. And we ourselves have seen the one named for his madness being honored with an image by the Manichaeans.

But for us such things are forbidden. Confessing therefore God the Lord our Savior, 20.1549 we prepare ourselves to see him as God, purifying our own hearts with all diligence, so that, being purified, we might see him. For blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. But if out of abundance, before the future sight and vision face to face, you yourselves hold the images of our Savior in high esteem, what better painter could we have than God the Word himself?

2

Ἡμῖν δὲ ὅτι μὴ δίκαιον τὰ τοιαῦτα, πάντως που καὶ αὐτὴ συμβάλλεις. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν μεταβληθείσης μορφῆς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πρὸ τῆς μεταβολῆς σαρκίου αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ θνητοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα φῂς παρ' ἡμῶν αἰτεῖν, -ἆρα γὰρ τοῦτό σε μόνον διέλαθεν τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα, ἐν ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς νομοθετεῖ μὴ ποιεῖν ὁμοίωμα, μήτε τῶν ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, μήτε τῶν ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω; ἢ ἔστιν ὅτε ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἢ αὐτὴ, ἢ καὶ παρ' ἄλλου τοῦτο ἤκουσας; Οὐχὶ δὲ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐξώρισται καὶ πόῤῥω τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν πεφυγάδευται τὰ τοιαῦτα, μόνοις τε ἡμῖν μῆ ἐξεῖναι τὸ τοιοῦτον ποιεῖν παρὰ πᾶσι βεβόηται; .... Οὐκ οἶδα γὰρ, ὅπως γύναιόν τι μετὰ χεῖράς ποτε δύο τινὰς φέρουσα καταγεγραμμένους, ὡς ἂν φιλοσόφους, ἀπέῤῥιψε λόγον, ὡς ἂν εἶεν Παύλου καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν, οὔτε ὁπόθεν λαβοῦσα, οὔτε ὅθεν τοῦτο μαθοῦσα. Ἵνα μὴ δὲ αὐτὴ, μηδὲ ἕτεροι σκανδαλίζοιντο, ἀφελόμενος ταύτην, παρ' ἐμαυτὸν κατεῖχον, οὐχ ἡγούμενος καλῶς ἔχειν εἰς ἑτέρους ὅλως ἐκφέρειν ταῦτα, ἵνα μὴ δοκῶμεν δίκην εἰδωλολατρούντων τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν ἐν εἰκόνι περιφέρειν. Παύλου τε ἀκούω πάντας ἡμᾶς παιδεύοντος, μηκέτι τοῖς σαρκικοῖς προσανέχειν. Εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωμεν, φησὶ, κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν. -Σίμωνα τὸν Μάγον λόγος ἔχει παρὰ τοῖς ἀθέοις αἱρεσιώταις προσκυνεῖσθαι, ἐν ἀψύχῳ ὕλῃ καταγεγραμμένον. Ἐθεωρήσαμεν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν τῆς μανίας ἐπώνυμον ὑπὸ τῶν Μανιχαίων εἰκόνι δορυφορούμενον.

Ἡμῖν δὲ ἀπείρηται τὰ τοιαῦτα. Θεὸν γοῦν Κύριον τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν ὁμολογοῦντες, 20.1549 ὡς Θεὸν ἰδεῖν εὐτρεπιζόμεθα, πάσῃ σπουδῇ καθάραντες αὐτοὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν καρδίας, ὡς ἂν ἴδοιμεν αὐτὸν κεκαθαρμένοι. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Εἰ δὲ ἐκ περιουσίας, πρὸ τῆς μελλούσης πρόσωπον εἰς πρόσωπον ὄψεώς τε καὶ θέας, τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὰς εἰκόνας αὐτοὶ περὶ πολλοῦ τίθεσθε, τίνα μᾶλλον ἀγαθὸν ζωγράφον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ἔχοιμεν ἄν;