Part I

§1. Introduction:—The purpose of the book a vindication of Christian doctrine, and especially of the Cross, against the scoffing objection of Gentiles. The effects of this doctrine its main vindication.

The knowledge of our religion and of the truth of things is independently manifest rather than in need of human teachers, for almost day by day it asserts itself by facts, and manifests itself brighter than the sun by the doctrine of Christ. 2. Still, as you nevertheless desire to hear about it, Macarius1    See de Incarn. 1 and note there., come let us as we may be able set forth a few points of the faith of Christ: able though you are to find it out from the divine oracles, but yet generously desiring to hear from others as well. 3. For although the sacred and inspired Scriptures are sufficient2    Constantly insisted on by Athan. Cf. de Incarn. 5, and note on de Decr. 32. to declare the truth,—while there are other works of our blessed teachers3    De Incarn. 56. 2; he may also be referring to works from the Alex. school, such as Orig. de Princ. compiled for this purpose, if he meet with which a man will gain some knowledge of the interpretation of the Scriptures, and be able to learn what he wishes to know,—still, as we have not at present in our hands the compositions of our teachers, we must communicate in writing to you what we learned from them,—the faith, namely, of Christ the Saviour; lest any should hold cheap the doctrine taught among us, or think faith in Christ unreasonable. For this is what the Gentiles traduce and scoff at, and laugh loudly at us, insisting on the one fact of the Cross of Christ; and it is just here that one must pity their want of sense, because when they traduce the Cross of Christ they do not see that its power has filled all the world, and that by it the effects of the knowledge of God are made manifest to all. 4. For they would not have scoffed at such a fact, had they, too, been men who genuinely gave heed to His divine Nature. On the contrary, they in their turn would have recognised this man as Saviour of the world, and that the Cross has been not a disaster, but a healing of Creation. 5. For if after the Cross all idolatry was overthrown, while every manifestation of demons is driven away by this Sign4    Cf. de Incarn. 47. 2, 48. 3, Vit. Ant. passim., and Christ alone is worshipped and the Father known through Him, and, while gainsayers are put to shame, He daily invisibly wins over the souls of these gainsayers5    Cf. de Incarn. 50. 3, 51. 3, &c.,—how, one might fairly ask them, is it still open to us to regard the matter as human, instead of confessing that He Who ascended the Cross is Word of God and Saviour of the World? But these men seem to me quite as bad as one who should traduce the sun when covered by clouds, while yet wondering at his light, seeing how the whole of creation is illumined by him. 6. For as the light is noble, and the sun, the chief cause of light, is nobler still, so, as it is a divine thing for the whole world to be filled with his knowledge, it follows that the orderer and chief cause of such an achievement is God and the Word of God. 7. We speak then as lies within our power, first refuting the ignorance of the unbelieving; so that what is false being refuted, the truth may then shine forth of itself, and that you yourself, friend, may be reassured that you have believed what is true, and in coming to know Christ have not been deceived. Moreover, I think it becoming to discourse to you, as a lover of Christ, about Christ, since I am sure that you rate faith in and knowledge of Him above anything else whatsoever.

1 Ἡ μὲν περὶ τῆς θεοσεβείας καὶ τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἀληθείας γνῶσις οὐ τοσοῦτον τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διδασκαλίας δεῖται, ὅσον ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς ἔχει τὸ γνώριμον· μόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ καθ' ἡμέραν τοῖς ἔργοις κέκραγε, καὶ ἡλίου λαμπρότερον ἑαυτὴν διὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ διδα σκαλίας ἐπιδείκνυται· ποθοῦντι δέ σοι ὅμως τὰ περὶ ταύτης ἀκοῦσαι, φέρε, ὦ μακάριε, ὡς ἂν οἷοί τε ὦμεν, ὀλίγα τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν πίστεως ἐκθώμεθα, δυναμένῳ μέν σοι καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν θείων λογίων ταύτην εὑρεῖν, φιλοκάλως δὲ ὅμως καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων ἀκούοντι. αὐτάρκεις μὲν γάρ εἰσιν αἱ ἅγιαι καὶ θεόπνευστοι γραφαὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπαγγελίαν· εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν μακαρίων ἡμῶν διδασκάλων εἰς ταῦτα συνταχθέντες λόγοι· οἷς ἐάν τις ἐντύχοι, εἴσεται μέν πως τὴν τῶν γραφῶν ἑρμηνείαν, ἧς δὲ ὀρέγεται γνώσεως τυχεῖν δυνήσεται. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὰς τῶν διδασκάλων συντάξεις ἐν χερσὶ νῦν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν ἃ παρ' ἐκείνων ἐμάθομεν, ταῦτα καὶ ἀπαγγέλλειν καὶ γράφειν σοι· λέγω δὴ τὴν κατὰ τὸν Σωτῆρα Χριστὸν πίστιν· ἵνα μήτε εὐτελῆ τις τὴν τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς λόγου διδασκαλίαν ἡγήσηται, μήτε ἄλογον τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν ὑπολάβῃ· ὁποῖα διαβάλλοντες Ἕλληνες χλευάζουσι, καὶ πλατὺ γελῶσι καθ' ἡμῶν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ προφέροντες· ἐφ' ᾧ μάλιστα καὶ τὴν ἀναισθησίαν αὐτῶν οἰκτειρήσειεν ἄν τις, ὅτι, τὸν σταυρὸν διαβάλλοντες, οὐχ ὁρῶσι τὴν τούτου δύναμιν πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην πεπληρωκυῖαν, καὶ ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ τὰ τῆς θεογνωσίας ἔργα πᾶσι πεφανέρωται. οὐκ ἂν γάρ, εἴπερ ἦσαν καὶ αὐτοὶ γνησίως ἐπιστήσαντες αὐτοῦ τῇ θεότητι τὸν νοῦν, ἐχλεύαζον τὸ τηλικοῦτον· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦτον ἐπεγίνωσκον Σωτῆρα τοῦ παντός, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν μὴ βλάβην ἀλλὰ θεραπείαν τῆς κτίσεως γεγονέναι. εἰ γὰρ τοῦ σταυροῦ γενομένου, πᾶσα μὲν εἰδωλολατρεία καθῃρέθη, πᾶσα δὲ δαιμόνων φαντασία τῷ σημείῳ τούτῳ ἀπελαύνεται, καὶ μόνος ὁ Χριστὸς προσκυνεῖται, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ γινώσκεται ὁ Πατήρ, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀντιλέγοντες καταισχύνονται, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἀντιλεγόντων ὁσημέραι τὰς ψυχὰς ἀφανῶς μεταπείθει· πῶς (εἰκότως γὰρ ἄν τις εἴποι πρὸς αὐτούς) ἔτι ἀνθρώπινον ἔστιν ἐπινοεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ οὐ μᾶλλον ὁμολογεῖν Θεοῦ Λόγον καὶ Σωτῆρα εἶναι τοῦ παντὸς τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀναβάντα; πάσχειν δὲ καὶ οὗτοί μοι δοκοῦσιν ὅμοιον, ὡς εἴ τις τὸν μὲν ἥλιον ὑπὸ νεφῶν σκεπόμενον διαβάλλοι, τὸ δὲ τούτου φῶς θαυμάζοι, βλέπων ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις ὑπὸ τούτου καταλάμπεται. ὡς γὰρ καλὸν τὸ φῶς, καὶ καλλίων ὁ τοῦ φωτὸς ἀρχηγὸς ἥλιος· οὕτω θείου πράγματος ὄντος τοῦ τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώσεως πεπληρῶσθαι, ἀνάγκη τὸν ἀρχηγὸν καὶ ἡγεμόνα τοῦ τοιούτου κατορθώματος εἶναι Θεὸν καὶ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Λέγομεν οὖν ὡς ἐφικτὸν ἡμῖν, πρότερον διελέγξαντες τὴν τῶν ἀπίστων ἀμαθίαν· ἵνα, τῶν ψευδῶν διελεγχθέντων, λοιπὸν ἡ ἀλήθεια δι' ἑαυτῆς ἐπιλάμψῃ, καὶ θαρρῇς καὶ αὐτός, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, ὅτι ἀληθείᾳ πεπίστευκας, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν γινώσκων οὐκ ἠπατήθης. πρέπειν δέ σοι ἡγοῦμαι φιλοχρίστῳ ὄντι τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ διαλέγεσθαι, ἐπεὶ καὶ πάντων τιμιωτέραν τὴν περὶ τούτου γνῶσιν καὶ πίστιν ἡγεῖσθαί σε πεπίστευκα.