VII.

Again therefore Barlaam took up his parable and said, "If you wilt learn who is my Master, it is Jesus Christ the Lord, the only-begotten Son of God, 'the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lords of lords; who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto'; who with the Father and the Holy Ghost is glorified. I am not one of those who proclaim from the house-top their wild rout of gods, and worship lifeless and dumb idols, but one God do I acknowledge and confess, in three persons glorified, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but in one nature and substance, in one glory and kingdom undivided. He then is in three persons one God, without beginning, and without end, eternal and everlasting, increate, immutable and incorporeal, invisible, infinite, incomprehensible, alone good and righteous, who created all things out of nothing, whether visible or invisible. First, he made the heavenly and invisible powers, countless multitudes, immaterial and bodiless, ministering spirits of the majesty of God. Afterward he created this visible world, heaven and earth and sea, which also he made glorious with light and richly adorned it; the heavens with the sun, moon and stars, and the earth with all manner of herbs and divers living beasts, and the sea in turn with all kinds of fishes. 'He spoke the word and these all were made; he commanded and they were created.' Then with his own hands he created man, taking dust of the ground for the fashioning of his body, but by his own in-breathing giving him a reasonable and intelligent soul, which, as it is written, was made after the image and likeness of God: after his image, because of reason and free will; after his likeness, because of the likeness of virtue, in its degree, to God. Him he endowed with free will and immortality and appointed sovran over everything upon earth; and from man he made woman, to be an helpmeet of like nature for him.

"And he planted a garden eastward in Eden, full of delight and all heart's ease, and set thereto the man whom he had formed, and commanded him freely to eat of all the heavenly trees therein, but forbade him wholly the taste of a certain one which was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thus saying, 'In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall surely die.' But one of the aforesaid angel powers, the marshall of one host, though he bore in himself no trace of natural evil from his Maker's hand but had been created for good, yet by his own free and deliberate choice turned aside from good to evil, and was stirred up by madness to the desire to take up arms against his Lord God. Wherefore he was cast out of his rank and dignity, and in the stead of his former blissful glory and angelick name received the name of the 'Devil' and 'Satan' for his title. God banished him as unworthy of the glory above. And together with him there was drawn away and hurled forth a great multitude of the company of angels under him, who were evil of choice, and chose in place of good, to follow in the rebellion of their leader. These were called Devils, as being deluders and deceivers.

"Thus then did the devil utterly renounce the good, and assume an evil nature; and he conceived spite against man, seeing himself hurled from such glory, and man raised to such honour; and he schemed to oust him from that blissful state. So he took the serpent for the workshop of his own guile. Through him he conversed with the woman, and persuaded her to eat of that forbidden tree in the hope of being as God, and through her he deceived Adam also, for that was the first man's name. So Adam ate of the tree of disobedience, and was banished by his maker from that paradise of delight, and, in lieu of those happy days and that immortal life, fell alas! into this life of misery and woe, and at the last received sentence of death. Thenceforth the devil waxed strong and boastful through his victory; and, as the race of man multiplied, he prompted them in all manner of wickedness. So, wishing to cut short the growth of sin, God brought a deluge on the earth, and destroyed every living soul. But one single righteous man did God find in that generation; and him, with wife and children, he saved alive in an Ark, and set him utterly desolate on earth. But, when the human race again began to multiply, they forgat God, and ran into worse excess of wickedness, being in subjection to divers sins and ruined in strange delusions, and wandering apart into many branches of error.

"Some deemed that everything moved by mere chance, and taught that there was no Providence, since there was no master to govern. Others brought in fate, and committed everything to the stars at birth. Others worshipped many evil deities subject to many passions, to the end that they might have them to advocate their own passions and shameful deeds, whose forms they moulded, and whose dumb figures and senseless idols they set up, and enclosed them in temples, and did homage to them, 'serving the creature more than the Creator.' Some worshipped the sun, moon and stars which God fixed, for to give light to our earthly sphere; things without soul or sense, enlightened and sustained by the providence of God, but unable to accomplish anything of themselves. Others again worshipped fire and water, and the other elements, things without soul or sense; and men, possest of soul and reason, were not ashamed to worship the like of these. Others assigned worship to beasts, creeping and four-footed things, proving themselves more beastly than the things that they worshipped. Others made them images of vile and worthless men, and named them gods, some of whom they called males, and some females, and they themselves set them forth as adulterers, murderers, victims of anger, jealousy, wrath, slayers of fathers, slayers of brothers, thieves and robbers, lame and maim, sorcerers and madmen. Others they showed dead, struck by thunderbolts, or beating their breasts, or being mourned over, or in enslavement to mankind, or exiled, or, for foul and shameful unions, taking the forms of animals. Whence men, taking occasion by the gods themselves, took heart to pollute themselves in all manner of uncleanness. So an horrible darkness overspread our race in those times, and 'there was none that did understand and seek after God.'

"Now in that generation one Abraham alone was found strong in his spiritual senses; and by contemplation of Creation he recognized the Creator. When he considered heaven, earth and sea, the sun, moon and the like, he marvelled at their harmonious ordering. Seeing the world, and all that therein is, he could not believe that it had been created, and was upheld, by its own power, nor did he ascribe such a fair ordering to earthly elements or lifeless idols. But therein he recognized the true God, and understood him to be the maker and sustainer of the whole. And God, approving his fair wisdom and right judgement, manifested himself unto him, not as he essentially is (for it is impossible for a created being to see God), but by certain manifestations in material forms, as he alone can, and he planted in Abraham more perfect knowledge; he magnified him and made him his own servant. Which Abraham in turn handed down to his children his own righteousness, and taught them to know the true God. Wherefore also the Lord was pleased to multiply his seed beyond measure, and called them 'a peculiar people,' and brought them forth out of bondage to the Egyptian nation, and to one Pharaoh a tyrant, by strange and terrible signs and wonders wrought by the hand of Moses and Aaron, holy men, honoured with the gift of prophecy; by whom also he punished the Egyptians in fashion worthy of their wickedness, and led the Israelites (for thus the people descended from Abraham were called) through the Red Sea upon dry land, the waters dividing and making a wall on the right hand and a wall on the left. But when Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursued and went in after them, the waters returned and utterly destroyed them. Then with exceeding mighty miracles and divine manifestations by the space of forty years he led the people in the wilderness, and fed them with bread from heaven, and gave the Law divinely written on tables of stone, which he delivered unto Moses on the mount, 'a type and shadow of things to come' leading men away from idols and all manner of wickedness, and teaching them to worship only the one true God, and to cleave to good works. By such wondrous deeds, he brought them into a certain goodly land, the which he had promised aforetime to Abraham the patriarch, that he would give it unto his seed. And the task were long, to tell of all the mighty and marvellous works full of glory and wonder, without number, which he shewed unto them, by which it was his purpose to pluck the human race from all unlawful worship and practice, and to bring men back to their first estate. But even so our nature was in bondage by its freedom to err, and death had dominion over mankind, delivering all to the tyranny of the devil, and to the damnation of hell.

"So when we had sunk to this depth of misfortune and misery, we were not forgotten by him that formed and brought us out of nothing into being, nor did he suffer his own handiwork utterly to perish. By the good pleasure of our God and Father, and the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, the only-begotten Son, even the Word of God, which is in the bosom of the Father, being of one substance with the Father and with the Holy Ghost, he that was before all worlds, without beginning, who was in the beginning, and was with God even the Father, and was God, he, I say, condescended toward his servants with an unspeakable and incomprehensible condescension; and, being perfect God, was made perfect man, of the Holy Ghost, and of Mary the Holy Virgin and Mother of God, not of the seed of man, nor of the will of man, nor by carnal union, being conceived in the Virgin's undefiled womb, of the Holy Ghost; as also, before his conception, one of the Archangels was sent to announce to the Virgin that miraculous conception and ineffable birth. For without seed was the Son of God conceived of the Holy Ghost, and in the Virgin's womb he formed for himself a fleshy body, animate with a reasonable and intelligent soul, and thence came forth in one substance, but in two natures, perfect God and perfect man, and preserved undefiled, even after birth, the virginity of her that bore him. He, being made of like passions with ourselves in all things, yet without sin, took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses. For, since by sin death entered into the world, need was that he, that should redeem the world, should be without sin, and not by sin subject unto death.

"When he had lived thirty years among men, he was baptized in the river Jordan by John, an holy man, and great above all the prophets. And when he was baptized there came a voice from heaven, from God, even the Father, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,' and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in likeness of a dove. From that time forth he began to do great signs and wonders, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, casting out devils, healing the lame and maim, cleansing lepers, and everywhere renewing our out-worn nature, instructing men both by word and deed, and teaching the way of virtue, turning men from destruction and guiding their feet toward life eternal. Wherefore also he chose twelve disciples, whom he called Apostles, and commanded them to preach the kingdom of heaven which he came upon earth to declare, and to make heavenly us who are low and earthly, by virtue of his Incarnation.

"But, through envy of his marvellous and divine conversation and endless miracles, the chief priests and rulers of the Jews (amongst whom also he dwelt, on whom he had wrought his aforesaid signs and miracles), in their madness forgetting all, condemned him to death, having seized one of the Twelve to betray him. And, when they had taken him, they delivered him to the Gentiles, him that was the life of the world, he of his free will consenting thereto; for he came for our sakes to suffer all things, that he might free us from sufferings. But when they had done him much despite, at the last they condemned him to the Cross. All this he endured in the nature of that flesh which he took from us, his divine nature remaining free of suffering: for, being of two natures, both the divine and that which he took from us, his human nature suffered, while his Godhead continued free from suffering and death. So our Lord Jesus Christ, being without sin, was crucified in the flesh, for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; and he was not subject unto death, for by sin, as I have said before, came death into the world; but for our sakes he suffered death in the flesh, that he might redeem us from the tyranny of death. He descended into hell, and having harrowed it, he delivered thence souls that had been imprisoned therein for ages long. He was buried, and on the third day he rose again, vanquishing death and granting us the victory over death: and he, the giver of immortality, having made flesh immortal, was seen of his disciples, and bestowed upon them peace, and, through them, peace on the whole human race.

"After forty days he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead, and to reward every man according to his works. After his glorious Ascension into heaven he sent forth upon his disciples the Holy Ghost in likeness of fire, and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. From thence by his grace they were scattered abroad among all nations, and preached the true Catholic Faith, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to observe all the commandments of the Saviour. So they gave light to the people that wandered in darkness, and abolished the superstitious error of idolatry. Though the enemy chafeth under his defeat, and even now stirs up war against us, the faithful, persuading the fools and unwise to cling to the worship of idols, yet is his power grown feeble, and his swords have at last failed him by the power of Christ. Lo, in few words I have made known unto you my Master, my God, and my Saviour; but you shalt know him more perfectly, if you wilt receive his grace into your soul, and gain the blessing to become his servant."

VII

Αὖθις οὖν ἀναλαβὼν τὸν λόγον ὁ Βαρλαάμ, εἶπεν: Εἰ τὸν ἐμὸν βούλει Δεσπότην μαθεῖν, ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ μακάριος καὶ μόνος δυνάστης, ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ Κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων, ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν, φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον, ὁ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δοξαζόμενος. οὐκ εἰμὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ τῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς τούτους καὶ ἀτάκτους ἀναγορευόντων θεούς, καὶ τὰ ἄψυχα ταῦτα καὶ κωφὰ σεβομένων εἴδωλα: ἀλλ' ἕνα Θεὸν γινώσκω καὶ ὁμολογῶ ἐν τρισὶν ὑποστάσεσι δοξαζόμενον, Πατρί, φημί, καὶ Υἱῷ, καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ἐν μιᾷ δὲ φύσει καὶ οὐσίᾳ, ἐν μιᾷ δόξῃ καὶ βασιλείᾳ μὴ μεριζομένῃ. οὗτος οὖν ὁ ἐν τρισὶν ὑποστάσεσιν εἷς Θεός, ἄναρχός τε καὶ ἀτελεύτητος, αἰώνιός τε καὶ ἀΐδιος, ἄκτιστος, ἄτρεπτός τε καὶ ἀσώματος, ἀόρατος, ἀπερίγραπτος, ἀπερινόητος, ἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος μόνος, ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ὑποστησάμενος, τά τε ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, πρῶτον μὲν δημιουργεῖ τὰς οὐρανίους δυνάμεις καὶ ἀοράτους, ἀναρίθμητά τινα πλήθη ἄϋλά τε καὶ ἀσώματα, λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλειότητος: ἔπειτα τὸν ὁρώμενον κόσμον τοῦτον, οὐρανόν τε καὶ γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, ὅνπερ καὶ φωτὶ φαιδρύνας κατεκόσμησεν, οὐρανὸν μὲν ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ καὶ τοῖς ἄστροις, γῆν δὲ παντοίοις βλαστήμασι καὶ διαφόροις ζῴοις, τήν τε θάλασσαν πάλιν τῷ παμπληθεῖ τῶν νηκτῶν γένει. ταῦτα πάντα, αὐτὸς εἶπε, καὶ ἐγεννήθησαν, αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν. εἶτα δημιουργεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον χερσὶν ἰδίαις, χοῦν μὲν λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς εἰς διάπλασιν τοῦ σώματος, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν λογικὴν καὶ νοερὰν διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου ἐμφυσήματος αὐτῷ δούς, ἥτις κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ δεδημιουργῆσθαι γέγραπται: κατ' εἰκόνα μέν, διὰ τὸ νοερὸν καὶ αὐτεξούσιον, καθ' ὁμοίωσιν δὲ διὰ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ὁμοίωσιν. τοῦτον τὸν ἄνθρωπον αὐτεξουσιότητι καὶ ἀθανασίᾳ τιμήσας, βασιλέα τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς κατέστησεν: ἐποίησε δὲ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ θῆλυ, βοηθὸν αὐτῷ κατ' αὐτόν.

Καὶ φυτεύσας παράδεισον ἐν Ἐδὲμ κατὰ ἀνατολάς, εὐφροσύνης καὶ θυμηδίας πάσης πεπληρωμένον, ἔθετο ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὃν ἔπλασε, πάντων μὲν τῶν ἐκεῖσε θείων φυτῶν κελεύσας ἀκωλύτως μετέχειν, ἑνὸς δὲ μόνου θέμενος ἐντολὴν ὅλως μὴ γεύσασθαι, ὅπερ ξύλον τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρὸν κέκληται, οὕτως εἰπών. ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε. εἷς δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀγγελικῶν δυνάμεων, μιᾶς στρατιᾶς πρωτοστάτης, οὐδόλως ἐν ἑαυτῷ παρὰ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ κακίας φυσικῆς ἐσχηκὼς ἴχνος ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ γενόμενος, αὐτεξουσίῳ προαιρέσει ἐτράπη ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦ εἰς τὸ κακόν, καὶ ἐπήρθη τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ, ἀντᾶραι βουληθεὶς τῷ Δεσπότῃ καὶ Θεῷ. διὸ ἀπεβλήθη τῆς τάξεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀξίας, καί, ἀντὶ τῆς μακαρίας δόξης ἐκείνης καὶ ἀγγελικῆς ὀνομασίας, διάβολος ἐκλήθη καὶ Σατανᾶς προσωνόμασται. ἔρριψε γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ὡς ἀνάξιον τῆς ἄνωθεν δόξης: συναπεσπάσθη δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ συναπεβλήθη καὶ πλῆθος πολὺ τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτὸν τάγματος τῶν ἀγγέλων, οἵτινες, κακοὶ γεγονότες τὴν προαίρεσιν, καί, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τῇ ἀποστασίᾳ ἐξακολουθήσαντες τοῦ ἄρχοντος αὐτῶν, δαίμονες ὠνομάσθησαν, ὡς πλάνοι καὶ ἀπατεῶνες.

Ἀρνησάμενος οὖν πάντη τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ πονηρὰν προσλαβόμενος φύσιν, φθόνον ἀνεδέξατο πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὁρῶν ἑαυτὸν μὲν ἐκ τηλικαύτης ἀπορριφθέντα δόξης, ἐκεῖνον δὲ πρὸς τοιαύτην τιμὴν ἀναγόμενον, καὶ ἐμηχανήσατο ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτὸν τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης διαγωγῆς. τὸν ὄφιν οὖν ἐργαστήριον τῆς ἰδίας πλάνης λαβόμενος, δι' αὐτοῦ ὡμίλησε τῇ γυναικί, καί, πείσας αὐτὴν φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἀπηγορευμένου ἐκείνου ξύλου ἐλπίδι θεώσεως, δι' αὐτῆς ἠπάτησε καὶ τὸν Ἀδάμ, οὕτω τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου κληθέντος. καὶ φαγὼν ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος τοῦ φυτοῦ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐξόριστος γίνεται τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ, καί, ἀντὶ τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς ἐκείνης καὶ ἀνωλέθρου διαγωγῆς, εἰς τὴν ἀθλίαν ταύτην καὶ ταλαίπωρον (φεῦ μοι) βιοτὴν ἐμπίπτει, καὶ θάνατον τὸ τελευταῖον καταδικάζεται. ἐντεῦθεν ἰσχὺν ὁ διάβολος λαβὼν καὶ τῇ νίκῃ ἐγκαυχώμενος, πληθυνθέντος τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πᾶσαν κακίας ὁδὸν αὐτοῖς ὑπέθετο. ὡς, ἐντεῦθεν διακόψαι τὴν πολλὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας φορὰν βουλόμενος, ὁ Θεὸς κατακλυσμὸν ἐπήγαγε τῇ γῇ, ἀπολέσας πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ζῶσαν: ἕνα δὲ μόνον εὑρὼν δίκαιον ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ἐκείνῃ, τοῦτον σὺν γυναικὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἐν κιβωτῷ τινι περισώσας, μονώτατον εἰς τὴν γῆν κατέστησεν. ἡνίκα δὲ ἤρξατο πάλιν εἰς πλῆθος τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος χωρεῖν, ἐπελάθοντο τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἰς χεῖρον ἀσεβείας προέκοψαν, διαφόροις δουλωθέντες ἁμαρτήμασι, καὶ δεινοῖς καταφθαρέντες ἀτοπήμασι, καὶ εἰς πολυσχιδῆ πλάνην διαμερισθέντες.

Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτομάτως φέρεσθαι τὸ πᾶν ἐνόμισαν, καὶ ἀπρονόητα ἐδογμάτισαν, ὡς μηδενὸς ἐφεστηκότος Δεσπότου: ἄλλοι εἱμαρμένην εἰσηγήσαντο, τῇ γενέσει τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέψαντες: ἄλλοι πολλοὺς θεοὺς κακοὺς καὶ πολυπαθεῖς ἐσεβάσθησαν, τοῦ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς τῶν ἰδίων παθῶν καὶ δεινῶν πράξεων συνηγόρους, ὧν καὶ μορφώματα τυπώσαντες ἀνεστήλωσαν ξόανα κωφὰ καὶ ἀναίσθητα εἴδωλα, καὶ συγκλείσαντες ἐν ναοῖς προσεκύνησαν, λατρεύοντες τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν Κτίσαντα, οἱ μὲν τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἄστροις ἃ ἔθετο ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸ φαῦσιν παρέχειν τῷ περιγείῳ τούτῳ κόσμῳ, ἄψυχά τε ὄντα καὶ ἀναίσθητα, τῇ προνοίᾳ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ φωτιζόμενα καὶ διακρατούμενα, οὐ μὴν δὲ οἴκοθέν τι δυνάμενα: οἱ δὲ τῷ πυρὶ καὶ τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς στοιχείοις τῆς γῆς, ἀψύχοις καὶ ἀναισθήτοις οὖσι: καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνθησαν οἱ ἔμψυχοι καὶ λογικοὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα σέβεσθαι: ἄλλοι θηρίοις καὶ ἑρπετοῖς καὶ κτήνεσι τετραπόδοις τὸ σέβας ἀπένειμαν, κτηνωδεστέρους τῶν σεβομένων ἑαυτοὺς ἀποδεικνύντες: οἱ δὲ ἀνθρώπων τινῶν αἰσχρῶν καὶ εὐτελῶν μορφώματα ἀνετυπώσαντο, καὶ τούτους θεοὺς ἐκάλεσαν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν ἄρρενας, τινὰς δὲ θηλείας ὠνόμασαν, οὓς ἐκεῖνοι αὐτοὶ ἐξέθεντο μοιχοὺς εἶναι καὶ φονεῖς, ὀργίλους καὶ ζηλωτὰς καὶ θυμαντικούς, πατροκτόνους καὶ ἀδελφοκτόνους, κλέπτας καὶ ἅρπαγας, χωλοὺς καὶ κυλλούς, καὶ φαρμακούς, καὶ μαινομένους, καὶ τούτων τινὰς μὲν τετελευτηκότας, τινὰς δὲ κεκεραυνωμένους, καὶ κοπτομένους, καὶ θρηνουμένους καὶ δεδουλευκότας ἀνθρώποις, καὶ φυγάδας γενομένους, καὶ εἰς ζῷα μεταμορφουμένους ἐπὶ πονηραῖς καὶ αἰσχραῖς μίξεσιν: ὅθεν, λαμβάνοντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀφορμὰς ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν, ἀδεῶς κατεμιαίνοντο πάσῃ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ. καὶ δεινὴ κατεῖχε σκότωσις τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς χρόνοις, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ συνιών, οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν.

Ἀβραὰμ δέ τις ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ γενεᾷ μόνος εὑρέθη τὰς αἰσθήσεις τῆς ψυχῆς ἐρρωμένας ἔχων, ὃς τῇ θεωρίᾳ τῶν κτισμάτων ἐπέγνω τὸν Δημιουργόν. Κατανοήσας γὰρ οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν, ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ τὰ λοιπά, ἐθαύμασε τὴν ἐναρμόνιον ταύτην διακόσμησιν: ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα, οὐκ αὐτομάτως γεγενῆσθαι καὶ συντηρεῖσθαι ἐνόμισεν, οὔτε μὴν τοῖς στοιχείοις τῆς γῆς ἢ τοῖς ἀψύχοις εἰδώλοις τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς τοιαύτης διακοσμήσεως προσανέθετο: ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀληθῆ Θεὸν διὰ τούτων ἐπέγνω, καὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι Δημιουργὸν τοῦ παντὸς καὶ συνοχέα συνῆκεν. ἀποδεξάμενος δὲ τοῦτον τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης καὶ ὀρθῆς κρίσεως, ὁ Θεὸς ἐνεφάνισεν ἑαυτὸν αὐτῷ, οὐ καθὼς ἔχει φύσεως (Θεὸν γὰρ ἰδεῖν γεννητῇ φύσει ἀδύνατον), ἀλλ' οἰκονομικαῖς τισι θεοφανείαις, ὡς οἶδεν αὐτός, καὶ τελεωτέραν γνῶσιν ἐνθεὶς αὐτοῦ τῇ ψυχῇ, ἐδοξασε, καὶ οἰκεῖον ἔθετο θεράποντα, ὅς, καὶ κατὰ διαδοχὴν τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ παραπέμψας τὴν εὐσέβειαν, τὸν ἀληθῆ γνωρίζειν ἐδίδαξε Θεόν. διὸ καὶ εἰς πλῆθος ἄπειρον τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐλθεῖν ὁ Δεσπότης εὐδόκησε, καὶ λαὸν περιούσιον αὑτῷ ὠνόμασε, καὶ δουλωθέντας αὐτοὺς ἔθνει Αἰγυπτίῳ καὶ Φαραῷ τινι τυράννῳ σημείοις καὶ τέρασι φρικτοῖς καὶ ἐξαισίοις ἐξήγαγεν ἐκεῖθεν διὰ Μωσέως καὶ Ἀαρών, ἀνδρῶν ἁγίων καὶ χάριτι προφητείας δοξασθέντων: δι' ὧν καὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐκόλασεν ἀξίως τῆς αὐτῶν πονηρίας, καὶ τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας (οὕτω γὰρ ὁ λαὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀπόγονος ἐκέκλητο) διὰ ξηρᾶς τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν διήγαγε, διασχισθέντων τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ τεῖχος ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ τεῖχος ἐξ εὐωνύμων γεγενημένων: τοῦ δὲ Φαραὼ καὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων κατ' ἴχνος αὐτῶν εἰσελθόντων, ἐπαναστραφέντα τὰ ὕδατα ἄρδην αὐτοὺς ἀπώλεσεν. εἶτα θαύμασι μεγίστοις καὶ θεοφανείαις ἐπὶ χρόνοις τεσσαράκοντα διαγαγὼν τὸν λαὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἄρτῳ οὐρανίῳ διατρέφων, νόμον δέδωκε πλαξὶ λιθίναις θεόθεν γεγραμμένον, ὅνπερ ἐνεχείρισε τῷ Μωσεῖ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους, τύπον ὄντα καὶ σκιαγραφίαν τῶν μελλόντων, τῶν μὲν εἰδώλων καὶ πάντων τῶν πονηρῶν ἀπάγοντα πράξεων, μόνον δὲ διδάσκοντα τὸν ὄντως ὄντα Θεὸν σέβεσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ἀντέχεσθαι: τοιαύταις οὖν τερατουργίαις εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀγαθήν τινα γῆν, ἥνπερ πάλαι τῷ πατριάρχῃ ἐκείνῳ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπηγγείλατο δώσειν αὐτοῦ τῷ σπέρματι. καὶ μακρὸν ἂν εἴη διηγήσασθαι ὅσα εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐνεδείξατο μεγάλα καὶ θαυμαστά, ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός, δι' ὧν πάντων τοῦτο ἦν τὸ σπουδαζόμενον πάσης ἀθέσμου λατρείας καὶ πράξεως τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀποσπάσαι γένος, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐπαναγαγεῖν κατάστασιν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔτι τῇ αὐτονομίᾳ τῆς πλάνης ἐδουλοῦτο ἡ φύσις ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐβασίλευε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ θάνατος, τῇ τυραννίδι τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ τῇ καταδίκῃ τοῦ ᾅδου πάντας παραπέμπων.

Εἰς τοιαύτην οὖν συμφορὰν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἐλθόντας ἡμᾶς οὐ παρεῖδεν ὁ πλάσας καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγών, οὐδὲ ἀφῆκεν εἰς τέλος ἀπολέσθαι τὸ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἔργον, ἀλλ' εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς καὶ συνεργίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός, ὁ ὁμοούσιος τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ὁ προαιώνιος, ὁ ἄναρχος, ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὤν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα ὤν, καὶ Θεὸς ὤν, συγκαταβαίνει τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δούλοις συγκατάβασιν ἄφραστον καὶ ἀκατάληπτον, καί, Θεὸς ὢν τέλειος, ἄνθρωπος τέλειος γίνεται ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου καὶ Θεοτόκου, οὐκ ἐκ σπέρματος ἀνδρός, ἢ θελήματος, ἢ συναφείας, ἐν τῇ ἀχράντῳ μήτρᾳ τῆς Παρθένου συλληφθείς, ἀλλ' ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, καθὼς καὶ πρὸ τῆς συλλήψεως εἷς τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων ἀπεστάλη μηνύων τῇ Παρθένῳ τὴν ξένην σύλληψιν ἐκείνην καὶ τὸν ἄφραστον τόκον. ἀσπόρως γὰρ συνελήφθη ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ συμπήξας ἑαυτῷ ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ τῆς Παρθένου σάρκα ἐμψυχουμένην ψυχῇ λογικῇ τε καὶ νοερᾷ, προῆλθεν ἐν μιᾷ τῇ ὑποστάσει, δύο δὲ ταῖς φύσεσι, τέλειος Θεός, καὶ τέλειος ἄνθρωπος, ἄφθορον τὴν παρθενίαν τῆς τεκούσης καὶ μετὰ τὸν τόκον φυλάξας, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν γενόμενος χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας, τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν ἀνέλαβε καὶ τὰς νόσους ἐβάστασεν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ δι' ἁμαρτίας εἰσῆλθεν ὁ θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἔδει τὸν λυτροῦσθαι μέλλοντα ἀναμάρτητον εἶναι καὶ μὴ τῷ θανάτῳ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑπεύθυνον.

Ἐπὶ τριάκοντα δὲ χρόνοις τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συναναστραφείς, ἐβαπτίσθη ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου, ἀνδρὸς ἁγίου καὶ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν ὑπερκειμένου. βαπτισθέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, φωνὴ ἠνέχθη οὐρανόθεν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός, λέγουσα: Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα. καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς κατῆλθεν ἐπ' αὐτόν. καὶ ἀποτότε ἤρξατο σημεῖα ποιεῖν μεγάλα καὶ θαυμαστά, νεκροὺς ἀνιστῶν, τυφλοὺς φωτίζων, δαίμονας ἀπελαύνων, κωφοὺς καὶ κυλλοὺς θεραπεύων, λεπροὺς καθαρίζων, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἀνακαινίζων τὴν παλαιωθεῖσαν ἡμῶν φύσιν, ἔργῳ τε καὶ λόγῳ παιδεύων καὶ διδάσκων τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδόν, τῆς μὲν φθορᾶς ἀπάγων, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ζωὴν ποδηγῶν τὴν αἰώνιον. ὅθεν καὶ μαθητὰς ἐξελέξατο δώδεκα, οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ἐκάλεσε: καὶ κηρύττειν αὐτοῖς ἐπέτρεψε τὴν οὐράνιον πολιτείαν, ἣν ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνδείξασθαι, καὶ οὐρανίους τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπιγείους τῇ αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίᾳ τελέσαι.

Φθόνῳ δὲ τῆς θαυμαστῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ θεοπρεποῦς πολιτείας καὶ τῶν ἀπείρων θαυμάτων οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ἀρχηγοὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιεῖτο, μανέντες, οἷσπερ τὰ προειρημένα θαυμαστὰ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα πεποιήκει, ἀμνημονήσαντες πάντων, θανάτῳ αὐτὸν κατεδίκασαν, ἕνα τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς προδοσίαν συναρπάσαντες: καί, κρατήσαντες αὐτόν, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔκδοτον τὴν ζωὴν τῶν ἁπάντων ἐποιήσαντο, ἑκουσία βουλῇ ταῦτα καταδεξαμένου αὐτοῦ. ἦλθε γὰρ δι' ἡμᾶς πάντα παθεῖν, ἵν' ἡμᾶς τῶν παθῶν ἐλευθερώσῃ. πολλὰ δὲ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐνδειξάμενοι, σταυρῷ τὸ τελευταῖον κατεδίκασαν. καὶ πάντα ὑπέμεινε τῇ φύσει τῆς σαρκός, ἧς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἀνελάβετο, τῆς θείας αὐτοῦ φύσεως ἀπαθοῦς μεινάσης. δύο γὰρ φύσεων ὑπάρχων, τῆς τε θείας καὶ ἧς ἐξ ἡμῶν προσανελάβετο, ἡ μὲν ἀνθρωπεία φύσις ἔπαθεν, ἡ δὲ θεότης ἀπαθὴς διέμεινε καὶ ἀθάνατος. ἐσταυρώθη οὖν τῇ σαρκὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὢν ἀναμάρτητος. ἁμαρτίαν γὰρ οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπέκειτο θανάτῳ: διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας γάρ, ὡς καὶ προεῖπον, ὁ θάνατος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον: ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς ἀπέθανε σαρκὶ ἵν' ἡμᾶς τῆς τοῦ θανάτου λυτρώσηται τυραννίδος. κατῆλθεν εἰς ᾅδου, καὶ τοῦτον συντρίψας, τὰς ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἐγκεκλεισμένας ἐκεῖσε ψυχὰς ἠλευθέρωσε. τεθεὶς ἐν τάφῳ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐξανέστη, νικήσας τὸν θάνατον καὶ ἡμῖν τὴν νίκην δωρησάμενος κατ' αὐτοῦ, καί, ἀφθαρτίσας τὴν σάρκα ὁ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας πάροχος, ὤφθη τοῖς μαθηταῖς, εἰρήνην αὐτοῖς δωρούμενος καὶ δι' αὐτῶν παντὶ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Μεθ' ἡμέρας δὲ τεσσαράκοντα εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεφοίτησε, καὶ οὕτως ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς καθέζεται, ὃς καὶ μέλλει πάλιν ἔρχεσθαι κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἔνδοξον αὐτοῦ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάληψιν, ἀπέστειλε τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁγίους αὐτοῦ μαθητὰς ἐν εἴδει πυρός, καὶ ἤρξαντο ξέναις γλώσσαις λαλεῖν, καθὼς τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι. ἐντεῦθεν οὖν τῇ χάριτι αὐτοῦ διεσπάρησαν εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐκήρυξαν τὴν ὀρθόδοξον πίστιν, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρός, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, διδάσκοντες τηρεῖν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Σωτῆρος. ἐφώτισαν οὖν τὰ ἔθνη τὰ πεπλανημένα, καὶ τὴν δεισιδαίμονα πλάνην τῶν εἰδώλων κατήργησαν, κἂν μὴ φέρων ὁ ἐχθρὸς τὴν ἧτταν πολέμους καὶ νῦν καθ' ἡμῶν τῶν πιστῶν ἐγείρει, πείθων τοὺς ἄφρονας καὶ ἀσυνέτους ἔτι τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἀντέχεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀσθενὴς ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ γέγονε, καὶ αἱ ῥομφαῖαι αὐτοῦ εἰς τέλος ἐξέλιπον τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δυνάμει. ἰδού σοι τὸν ἐμὸν Δεσπότην καὶ Θεὸν καὶ Σωτῆρα δι' ὀλίγων ἐγνώρισα ῥημάτων: τελεώτερον δὲ γνωρίσεις, εἰ τὴν χάριν αὐτοῦ δέξῃ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ δοῦλος αὐτοῦ καταξιωθῇς γενέσθαι.