Letter IV.—To Eusebius33    Sent as an Easter present to Eusebius, bishop of Chalcis, in Cœle-Syria, a staunch Catholic, who attended the Council of Constantinople. For this custom amongst the Eastern Christians of exchanging presents at the great festivals, cf. On the Making of Man (p. 387), which Gregory sent to his brother Peter: Gregory Naz. Letter 54 to Helladius, and Letter 87 to Theodore of Tyana..

When the length of the day begins to expand in winter-time, as the sun mounts to the upper part of his course, we keep the feast of the appearing of the true Light divine, that through the veil of flesh has cast its bright beams upon the life of men: but now when that luminary has traversed half the heaven in his course, so that night and day are of equal length, the upward return of human nature from death to life is the theme of this great and universal festival, which all the life of those who have embraced the mystery of the Resurrection unites in celebrating. What is the meaning of the subject thus suggested for my letter to you? Why, since it is the custom in these general holidays for us to take every way to show the affection harboured in our hearts, and some, as you know, give proof of their good will by presents of their own, we thought it only right not to leave you without the homage of our gifts, but to lay before your lofty and high-minded soul the scanty offerings of our poverty. Now our offering which is tendered for your acceptance in this letter is the letter itself, in which there is not a single word wreathed with the flowers of rhetoric or adorned with the graces of composition, to make it to be deemed a gift at all in literary circles, but the mystical gold, which is wrapped up in the faith of Christians, as in a packet34    ἀποδέσμῳ., must be my present to you, after being unwrapped, as far as possible, by these lines, and showing its hidden brilliancy. Accordingly we must return to our prelude. Why is it that then only, when the night has attained its utmost length, so that no further addition is possible, that He appears in flesh to us, Who holds the Universe in His grasp, and controls the same Universe by His own power, Who cannot be contained even by all intelligible things, but includes the whole, even at the time that He enters the narrow dwelling of a fleshly tabernacle, while His mighty power thus keeps pace with His beneficent purpose, and shows itself even as a shadow wherever the will inclines, so that neither in the creation of the world was the power found weaker than the will, nor when He was eager to stoop down to the lowliness of our mortal nature did He lack power to that very end, but actually did come to be in that condition, yet without leaving the universe unpiloted35    Evidently an allusion to the myth in Plato.? Since, then, there is some account to be given of both those seasons, how it is that it is winter-time when He appears in the flesh, but it is when the days are as long as the nights that He restores to life man, who because of his sins returned to the earth from whence he came,—by explaining the reason of this, as well as I can in few words, I will make my letter my present to you. Has your own sagacity, as of course it has, already divined the mystery hinted at by these coincidences; that the advance of night is stopped by the accessions to the light, and the period of darkness begins to be shortened, as the length of the day is increased by the successive additions? For thus much perhaps would be plain enough even to the uninitiated, that sin is near akin to darkness; and in fact evil is so termed by the Scripture. Accordingly the season in which our mystery of godliness begins is a kind of exposition of the Divine dispensation on behalf of our souls. For meet and right it was that, when vice was shed abroad36    The χύσις τῆς κακίας is a frequent expression in Origen. without bounds, [upon this night of evil the Sun of righteousness should rise, and that in us who have before walked in darkness37    A corrupt passage. Probably some lines have been lost. A double opposition seems intended; (1) between the night of evil and our Saviour’s coming like the Sun to disperse it; and (2) between walking in darkness and walking in light on the part of the individual (H. C. O.).] the day which we receive from Him Who placed that light in our hearts should increase more and more; so that the life which is in the light should be extended to the greatest length possible, being constantly augmented by additions of good; and that the life in vice should by gradual subtraction be reduced to the smallest possible compass; for the increase of things good comes to the same thing as the diminution of things evil. But the feast of the Resurrection; occurring when the days are of equal length, of itself gives us this interpretation of the coincidence, namely, that we shall no longer fight with evils only upon equal terms, vice grappling with virtue in indecisive strife, but that the life of light will prevail, the gloom of idolatry melting as the day waxes stronger. For this reason also, after the moon has run her course for fourteen days, Easter exhibits her exactly opposite to the rays of the sun, full with all the wealth of his brightness, and not permitting any interval of darkness to take place in its turn38    ἐν τῷ μέρει, or “on her part” or “at that particular season.” To support this last, Col. ii. 16, ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς, may be compared, as Origen interprets it, “in a particular feast,” c. Cels. viii. 23: “Paul alludes to this, when he names the feast selected in preference to others only ‘part of a feast,’ hinting that the life everlasting with the Word of God is not ‘in the part of a feast, but in a complete and continuous one.’ Modern commentators on that passage, it is true, interpret ἐν μέρει “with regard to,” “on the score of.” But has Origen’s meaning been sufficiently considered?: for, after taking the place of the sun at its setting, she does not herself set before she mingles her own beams with the genuine rays of the sun, so that one light remains continuously, throughout the whole space of the earth’s course by day and night, without any break whatsoever being caused by the interposition of darkness. This discussion, dear one, we contribute by way of a gift from our poor and needy hand; and may your whole life be a continual festival and a high day, never dimmed by a single stain of nightly gloom.

[4] Εὐσεβίῳ Ὅτε πλεονάζειν ἄρχεται τὸ ἡμερήσιον μέτρον κατὰ τὴν χειμέριον ὥραν τοῦ ἡλίου πρὸς τὸν ἄνω δρόμον ἀναποδίζοντος, τὴν τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς θεοφάνειαν τοῦ διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιλάμψαντος τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ζωῇ ἑορτάζομεν: νυνὶ δὲ μεσουρανήσαντος ἤδη τοῦ φωστῆρος κατὰ τὸν κύκλον, ὡς νύκτα τε καὶ ἡμέραν πρὸς ἴσον ἀλλήλαις ἀντιμετρεῖσθαι διάστημα, ἡ ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν ἐπάνοδος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ὑπόθεσις ἡμῖν γίνεται τῆς μεγάλης ταύτης καὶ καθολικῆς ἑορτῆς, ἣν σύμπασα κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἑορτάζει ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωὴ τῶν τὸ μυστήριον ἀναδεξαμένων τῆς ἀναστάσεως. τί μοι βούλεται τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἡ ὑπόθεσις; ἐπειδὴ σύνηθές ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς πανδήμοις ταύταις ἱερομηνίαις διὰ πάντων ἡμᾶς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι τὴν ἐγκειμένην ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν διάθεσιν, καί πού τινες τοῖς ἰδίοις δώροις δωροφοροῦντες τὴν εὐφροσύνην ἐπισημαίνουσι, καλῶς ἔχειν ἐνομίσαμεν μὴ παραδραμεῖν σε τῶν ἡμετέρων δώρων ἀγέραστον, ἀλλά σου τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ὑψηλήν τε καὶ μεγαλόφρονα τοῖς πενιχροῖς ξενίοις ἐκ τῆς πτωχείας ἡμῶν δεξιώσασθαι. ξένιον δὲ ἡμέτερον τὸ διὰ τοῦ γράμματός σοι προσαγόμενον αὐτὸ τὸ γράμμα ἐστίν, ἐν ᾧ λόγος μέν τις περιηνθισμένος ταῖς καλλιφώνοις τε καὶ εὐσυνθέτοις τῶν λέξεων ἔστιν οὐδείς, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο δῶρον τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς φιλολόγοις νομίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὁ μυστικὸς χρυσὸς ὁ τῇ πίστει τῶν Χριστιανῶν οἷόν τινι ἀποδέσμῳ ἐνειλημμένος γένοιτο ἄν σοι δῶρον, ἐξαπλωθεὶς ὡς οἷόν τε διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων καὶ τὴν κεκρυμμένην λαμπηδόνα προδείξας.
Οὐκοῦν ἐπανακλητέον ἡμῖν τὸ προοίμιον. τί δήποτε προελθούσης μὲν πρὸς τὸ ἀκρότατον τῆς νυκτός, ὅτε οὐκέτι προσθήκην ἡ νυκτερινὴ ἐπαύξησις δέχεται, τότε ἡμῖν διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιφαίνεται ὁ τοῦ παντὸς περιδεδραγμένος καὶ κρατῶν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει τὸ πᾶν, ὁ μηδὲ ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ὄντων χωρούμενος, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν περιέχων καὶ τῷ βραχυτάτῳ εἰσοικιζόμενος, οὕτω τῆς μεγάλης δυνάμεως τῷ ἀγαθῷ θελήματι συνδιεξιούσης καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἴσον, ὅπου περ ἂν ῥέψῃ τὸ θέλημα, ἐκεῖ ἑαυτὴν δεικνυούσης, ὡς μήτε ἐν τῇ κτίσει τῶν ὄντων ἀτονωτέραν τῆς βουλήσεως εὑρεθῆναι τὴν δύναμιν, μήτε ὁρμήσαντα τῷ ταπεινῷ τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων συγκαταβῆναι, πρὸς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀδυνατῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γενέσθαι καὶ μὴ διαφεῖναι τὸ πᾶν ἀκυβέρνητον; ἐπεὶ οὖν πάντως τις λόγος ἐπ' ἀμφοτέρων ἐστὶ τῶν καιρῶν, πῶς τότε μὲν διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιφαίνεται, τῇ δὲ ἰσημερίᾳ τὸν εἰς γῆν ἀναλυθέντα διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἄνθρωπον τῇ ζωῇ πάλιν ἀποκαθίστησι, ταῦτα διὰ βραχέων ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ὦ παραστήσας τῷ λόγῳ, δῶρον τὸ γράμμα ποιήσομαι.
Ἦ πάντως προέλαβες ἀπὸ ἀγχινοίας τὸ ὑποπτευόμενον ἐν τούτοις μυστήριον, ὅτι ἐγκόπτεται τῆς νυκτὸς ἡ πρόοδος τῇ τοῦ φωτὸς προσθήκῃ καὶ συστέλλεσθαι τὸ σκότος ἄρχεται αὐξομένου ταῖς προσθήκαις τοῦ ἡμερινοῦ διαστήματος. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἴσως ἂν γένοιτο φανερόν, ὅτι συγγενῶς ἔχει πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τὸ σκότος, καὶ οὕτω τὸ κακὸν παρὰ τῆς γραφῆς ὀνομάζεται. οὐκοῦν ἑρμηνεία τίς ἐστι τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας ὁ καιρὸς ἐν ᾧ τὸ μυστήριον [ἡμῶν] ἄρχεται: ἔδει γὰρ πρὸς ἄπειρον ἤδη τῆς κακίας ἐκχυθείσης τὴν διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἡμῖν λαμπομένην ἡμέραν παρὰ τοῦ τὸ τοιοῦτον φῶς ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐντιθέντος [ἐπιφανῆναι], ὥστε τὸν μὲν φωτεινὸν βίον εἰς ὅτι μήκιστον παρατείνεσθαι ταῖς ἀγαθαῖς προσθήκαις αὐξανόμενον, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ ζωὴν διὰ τῆς κατ' ὀλίγον ὑφαιρέσεως εἰς ἐλάχιστον συσταλῆναι: ἡ γὰρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπαύξησις τοῦ κακοῦ μείωσις γίνεται. ἡ δὲ ἰσημερία τὴν ἀναστάσιμον ἑορτὴν δεξαμένη τοῦτο δι' ἑαυτῆς ἑρμηνεύει, ὅτι οὐκέτι πρὸς ἀντίπαλον τάξιν ἀντικαταστήσεται, ἰσοπαλῶς τῷ ἀγαθῷ τῆς κακίας συμπλεκομένης, ἀλλ' ὁ φωτεινὸς ἐπικρατήσει βίος, τοῦ ζόφου τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἐν τῷ πλεονασμῷ τῆς ἡμέρας δαπανωμένου. οὗ χάριν καὶ τοῦ σεληναίου δρόμου τὸ κατὰ τὴν τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτην ἡμέραν ἀντιπρόσωπον δείκνυσιν αὐτὴν ταῖς τοῦ ἡλίου βολαῖς, πληθύνουσαν παντὶ τῷ πλούτῳ τῆς λαμπηδόνος καὶ μηδεμίαν τοῦ σκότους διαδοχὴν ἐν τῷ μέρει γενέσθαι παρασκευάζουσαν: δυόμενον γὰρ διαδεξαμένη τὸν ἥλιον οὐ πρότερον αὐτὴ καταδύεται, πρὶν ταῖς ἀληθιναῖς αὐγαῖς τοῦ ἡλίου τὰς ἰδίας συμμίξειεν, ὥστε ἓν φῶς κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς διαμεῖναι, κατὰ τὸ διάστημα τοῦ ἡμερινοῦ τε καὶ νυκτερινοῦ δρόμου τῇ παρεμπτώσει τοῦ σκότους μηδαμοῦ διαιρούμενον.
Ταῦτά σοι, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, τῇ πενιχρᾷ ἡμῶν χειρὶ τοῦ λόγου δωροφοροῦμεν, καί σοι πᾶς ἔστω ὁ βίος ἑορτὴ καὶ ἡμέρα μεγάλη, τοῦ νυκτερινοῦ ζόφου καθαρεύων ὅτι μάλιστα.