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offers a hymn; just as if one were to hymn the twelve divine apostles, calling them a twelve-stringed lyre of the Spirit, he has left none of the apostles unhonored—for each is said to be one string of the Spirit—, but the hymn is not referred to each one alone—for neither is Peter alone a twelve-stringed lyre of the Spirit, nor indeed Andrew, but the entire twelve, and if one, in hymning Peter, should happen to say the hymn, the hymn would not refer to him alone, but would hymn together with him the whole choir of the apostles; but if he were to say: "The twelve-stringed lyre of the apostles is the son of Jonah from Bethsaida who was martyred in Rome under Nero," he would prove himself a liar—, so too, if one were to say: "Holy, holy, holy, the one crucified for us," he will be shown to be a blasphemer, and likewise he who says: "Thrice-holy is the one crucified for us." 15 Again from the same Cyril, from the fifth discourse against Hermias, of which the beginning is: "Be it for us in every way"; And indeed the seraphim stand around the throne, which is beyond nature and exalted, giving glory, calling him holy and also that he is Lord of hosts, and saying that heaven and earth are full of his glory. And he who rules over all is equal in power and equal in strength to the Father and no less renowned; for all things are full of his glory. And these things we say pertain to the former meaning, speaking truly. 16 Again from the same, from the aforementioned discourse: But if he were indeed without glory and far from being worshiped, what did the seraphim learn that they stand around the Son seated on the throne of divinity, honoring him with hymns and doxologies, and calling him Lord of Sabaoth, and saying that heaven and earth are full of his glory? We too know these things and agree, but these things do not establish the Son as thrice-holy. 17 From the blessed Proclus of Constantinople, from the discourse on the holy Theotokos: He was fixed upon the cross, and his throne in the heavens was not emptied; he was enclosed in a tomb, and he stretched out the heaven like a curtain; he was numbered among the dead, and he despoiled Hades; below he was slandered as a deceiver, and above he was glorified as "holy, holy, holy." I, therefore, have read in one and in two and in more ancient books that the most holy Proclus says "holy" once. But if we grant that he said "holy" three times, it pertains to the same meaning as the things written before, that as one of the holy Trinity he is glorified together with the Father and the Spirit by the seraphim crying out: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth." 18 From the same Saint Proclus, from the encomium on the holy Theotokos, of which the beginning is: "All the testimonies and festivals indeed"; Therefore, there is nothing in life like Mary, the Theotokos. Go around, O man, all creation with your reasoning, and see if there is anything equal to or greater than the holy Theotokos. Travel about the earth, look around the sea, investigate the air, search the heavens with your mind, consider all the invisible powers, and see if there is such a wonder in all creation. For the heavens declare the glory of God, angels minister with fear, archangels worship with trembling, the cherubim, unable to bear it, shudder, the seraphim do not draw near, flying around and crying out with trembling: "Holy, holy, holy; the earth is full of his praise." And this is clear, that it depends on the meaning of the previous things, but let those who bring these things forward hear and understand. And I am persuaded that they will understand and will be enlightened with the full assurance concerning these things, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in them. 19 From Saint Athanasius, from the discourse on the incarnation and the Trinity, of which the beginning is:
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ἀνατίθησιν ὕμνον· ὥσπερ εἴ τις ὑμνήσοι τὴν δωδεκάδα τῶν θείων ἀποστόλων λέγων αὐτὴν δωδεκάχορδον λύραν τοῦ πνεύματος οὐδένα μὲν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀφῆκεν ἀγέραστον-ἕκαστος γὰρ μία χορδὴ τοῦ πνεύματος εἴρηται-, οὐκ εἰς ἕκαστον δὲ μόνον ὁ ὕμνος ἀναφέρεται-οὐ γὰρ ὁ Πέτρος μόνος δωδεκάχορδος λύρα τοῦ πνεύματος οὐδὲ μὴν Ἀνδρέας, ἀλλ' ἡ δωδεκὰς ἅπασα, κἄν τις ὑμνῶν τὸν Πέτρον τυχὸν ἐρεῖ μὲν τὸν ὕμνον, ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτὸν μόνον ὁ ὕμνος αἰνίξοιτο, ἀλλὰ συνυμνήσοι σὺν αὐτῷ ἅπαντα τὸν τῶν ἀποστόλων χορόν· εἰ δέ γε εἴποι· Ἡ τῶν ἀποστόλων δωδεκάχορδος λύρα ὁ ἐκ Βηθσαϊδὰ Ἰωνᾶ υἱὸς ὁ ἐν Ῥώμῃ μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ Νέρωνος, ψεύστην ἑαυτὸν ἀποδείξειεν-, οὕτως, εἴ τις εἴποι· Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ὁ σταυρωθεὶς δι' ἡμᾶς, βλάσφημος ἀποφανθήσεται, ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ φάσκων· Τρισάγιος ὁ σταυρωθεὶς δι' ἡμᾶς. 15 Ἔτι τοῦ αὐτοῦ Κυρίλλου ἀπὸ τοῦ πέμπτου λόγου τοῦ πρὸς Ἑρμείαν, οὗ ἡ ἀρχή· Εἶεν ἐκ παντὸς ἡμῖν· Καὶ μὴν ἐν κύκλῳ τὸν ὑπερφυᾶ τε καὶ ἐπηρμένον περιεστᾶσι θρόνον δοξολογοῦντα τὰ σεραφὶμ ἅγιόν τε αὐτὸν καὶ μὴν ὅτι καὶ κύριον τῶν δυνάμεων ὀνομάζοντα πλήρη τε εἶναι λέγοντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ δὴ κατάρχων ἐν ἴσῳ τῶν ὅλων ἰσόχειρ τε καὶ ἰσοσθενὴς τῷ πατρὶ καὶ οὐ μεῖον εὐκλεής· ἔμπλεα γὰρ τὰ πάντα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα τῆς προτέρας ἐννοίας ἔχεσθαί φαμεν ἀληθῆ λέγοντες. 16 Ἔτι τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ προγεγραμμένου λόγου· Ἀλλ' εἴπερ ἦν ἀκλεὴς καὶ τοῦ προσκυνεῖσθαι μακράν, τί μαθόντα τὰ σεραφὶμ ἐν τῷ τῆς θεότητος θώκῳ καθιζάνοντα τὸν υἱὸν κύκλῳ περιεστᾶσιν ὕμνοις καὶ δοξολογίαις καταγεραίροντα, καὶ κύριον σαβαὼθ ὀνομάζοντα πλήρη τε εἶναι λέγοντα τόν τε οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ; Ἴσμεν ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ σύμφαμεν, ἀλλ' οὐ ταῦτα τὸν υἱὸν τρισάγιον νομοθετεῖ. 17 Τοῦ μακαρίου Πρόκλου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐκ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν θεοτόκον· Ἐπὶ σταυροῦ ἐπήγνυτο καὶ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς οὐκ ἐγυμνοῦτο, ἐν τάφῳ κατεκλείετο καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐξέτεινεν ὡσεὶ δέρριν, ἐν νεκροῖς ἐλογίζετο καὶ τὸν ᾅδην ἐσκύλευσε, κάτω πλάνος ἐσυκοφαντεῖτο καὶ ἄνω «ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος» ἐδοξολογεῖτο. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐν μιᾷ καὶ ἐν δυσὶ καὶ πλείοσι παλαιαῖς βίβλοις ἅπαξ τὸ ἅγιος ἀνέγνων τὸν ἱερώτατον Πρόκλον λέγοντα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τρὶς αὐτὸν φάναι τὸ ἅγιος δώσομεν, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐννοίας ἔχεται τοῖς προγεγραμμένοις, ὅτιπερ ὡς εἷς τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος συνδοξολογεῖται πατρὶ καὶ πνεύματι τῶν σεραφὶμ βοώντων· «Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, κύριος σαβαώθ.» 18 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἁγίου Πρόκλου ἐκ τοῦ ἐγκωμίου τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν θεοτόκον, οὗ ἡ ἀρχή· Πᾶσαι μὲν αἱ μαρτυρίαι καὶ πανηγύρεις· Οὐδὲν τοίνυν ἐν βίῳ οἷον ἡ θεοτόκος Μαρία. Περίελθε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ βλέπε, εἰ ἔστιν ἴσον ἢ μεῖζον τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου. Περινόστησον τὴν γῆν, περίβλεψαι τὴν θάλασσαν, πολυπραγμόνησον τὸν ἀέρα, τοὺς οὐρανοὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐρεύνησον, τὰς ἀοράτους πάσας δυνάμεις ἐνθυμήθητι καὶ βλέπε, εἰ ἔστιν τοιοῦτον θαῦμα ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει. Οὐρανοὶ μὲν γὰρ δόξαν διηγοῦνται θεοῦ, ἄγγελοι λειτουργοῦσι μετὰ φόβου, ἀρχάγγελοι προσκυνοῦσι μετὰ τρόμου, τὰ χερουβὶμ μὴ φέροντα φρίττει, τὰ σεραφὶμ οὐ πλησιάζουσι περιιπτάμενα καὶ κεκραγότα τρόμῳ· «Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος· πλήρης ἡ γῆ τῆς αἰνέσεως αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον, ὡς τῆς τῶν προτέρων ἐννοίας ἤρτηται, ἀλλ' ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ ταῦτα προφέροντες καὶ ἐπιγινωσκέτωσαν. Πέπεισμαι δέ, ὡς ἐπιγνώσονται καὶ τὴν περὶ τούτων φωτισθήσονται πληροφορίαν, εἴπερ πνεῦμα θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτοῖς. 19 Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου ἐκ τοῦ περὶ σαρκώσεως καὶ τριάδος λόγου, οὗ ἡ ἀρχή·