he changed the body into his own substance, let us ask again, how was the body changed into the substance of the Word. Therefore, having been changed into the substance of the Word, has it provided an addition to the substance? Then it would have been deficient before this, if indeed it received an addition. But it received nothing from this. Therefore that which was changed would be nothing. And how did nothing fall into a divine substance? But not into his own, he says, substance did the Word resolve the body, but he remade it into a divine one. Therefore let them answer us again, divine as another besides his own, or the same as his own? And if it is the same as his own, shall we preach two divine substances of the Word, one which he had, having been begotten from the Father, and another, according to which he also made the body itself according to it. But if it is another besides his own, and not divine, they will surely say it is created. For there would be nothing between divinity and creation. And what necessity was there for the change to the body, if it were to be remade again into a created substance? You grow dizzy at the difficulties, and perhaps you even fear lest something of what has been said might undermine the word of our faith. But when I, in seeking, am at a loss, then I will cry out the wonder of the mystery of the Christians, that our things are beyond mind, beyond reason, beyond comprehension. And when some difficulty comes upon you as you seek such things, offer faith as a ready solution to the questions, considering that where God is, even if something of what is said is not known, either because of the excellence of his nature or the manner of his economy, no harm comes from this to those who do not know. And how are you not at all afraid of the audacity, trying to direct divine things? Or have you not heard the divine words, which, restraining us from such undertakings, have set before us the image of the clay and the potter, by this teaching us that we must not become meddlesome or examiners of divine things, but yield to the divine will, just as the clay to the potter? Therefore, revere at last and with a very gentle mind put your reasonings to sleep and let faith alone resolve the further questions in you and tremble at the divine words according to what is written, so that, having become worthy of the divine repose, you may hear from the God of all those blessed words: "On whom shall I look," he says, "but on the humble and quiet and him who trembles at my words?" Therefore, with the tongues of those who fight against God having been enclosed by these things, the discourse runs, hurrying toward the distinction. But you, the sons of the church, who make your inquiry piously and who bring your questions about difficulties not to test but, if it is possible, to learn, prepare your mind for me here. The form of divine teaching is indeed manifold, but it is summed up as in a chapter both in the learning and keeping of commandments, and in divine knowledge and worship. The lovers of piety, therefore, the keeping and learning of the commandments in no way

εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίαν μετέβαλεν τὸ σῶμα, πάλιν ἐρωτή σωμεν, πῶς εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ λόγου μετεβλήθη τὸ σῶμα. Ἀρα μεταβληθὲν εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ λόγου προσθήκην τῇ οὐσίᾳ παρέσχηκεν; Oὐκοῦν ἐλλιπὴς ἂν ἦν πρὸ τούτου, εἴ γε προσθήκην δεξαμένη. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τούτου προσέλαβεν. Oὐκοῦν τὸ μεταβληθὲν οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη. Καὶ πῶς εἰς θείαν τὸ μηδὲν μετέπεσεν οὐσίαν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, φησίν, οὐσίαν ὁ λόγος ἀνέλυσεν τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ' εἰς θείαν τοῦτο μετ εποίησεν. Πάλιν οὖν ἡμῖν ἀποκρινέσθωσαν, θείαν ὡς ἄλ λην παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ, ἢ ταὐτὸν τῇ αὐτοῦ; Καὶ εἰ μὲν ταὐτὸν τῇ αὐτοῦ, δύο θείας οὐσίας τοῦ λόγου κηρύξωμεν, μίαν μέν, καθ' ἣν ἐκ πατρὸς γεννηθεὶς εἶχεν, ἑτέραν δέ, καθ' ἣν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα κατ' αὐτὴν πεποίηκεν. Eἰ δὲ ἑτέραν παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ, οὐ θείαν δέ, κτιστὴν πάντως ἐροῦσιν. Θεότητος γὰρ καὶ κτίσεως οὐδὲν μέσον ἂν εἴη. Καὶ τί τῆς μεταβολῆς τῷ σώματι τὸ ἀναγκαῖον, εἴπερ εἰς κτιστὴν οὐσίαν πάλιν μετεποιεῖτο; Ἰλιγγιᾷς ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀπορίαις, καὶ τάχα που καὶ δέ διας μή πού τι τῶν εἰρημένων τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν παραλύσῃ λόγον. Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐγὼ ζητῶν ἀπορήσω, τότε τοῦ μυστηρίου τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀνακράξω τὸ θαῦμα, ὅτι ὑπὲρ νοῦν, ὑπὲρ λόγον, ὑπὲρ κατάληψιν τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ σοὶ τὰ τοι αῦτα ζητοῦντι ἀπορία τις ἐπείη, πρόσφερε τοῖς ζητουμένοις ἑτοίμην λύσιν τὴν πίστιν, λογιζόμενος, ὅτιπερ ὅπου θεός, κἂν ἀγνοῆταί τι τῶν λεγομένων, ἢ δι' ὑπεροχὴν φύσεως ἢ δι' οἰκονομίας τρόπον, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τούτου βλάβος τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν ἐγγίνεται. Πῶς δὲ ὅλως οὐ δεδίατε τὴν τόλμαν, τὰ θεῖα διευθύνειν ἐπιχειροῦντες; Ἢ τῶν θείων οὐκ ἀκηκόατε λόγων, οἳ τοὺς καθ' ἡμᾶς τῶν τοιούτων ἐγχειρήσεων ἀνείργοντες τὴν τοῦ πηλοῦ καὶ τοῦ κεραμέως ἡμῖν εἰκόνα προέθηκαν, ταύτῃ παιδεύοντες ἡμᾶς μὴ δεῖν περιέργους ἢ ἐξεταστὰς τῶν θείων καθίστασθαι, ἀλλ' εἴκειν τῇ βουλήσει τῇ θείᾳ, καθάπερ τὸν πηλὸν τῷ κεραμεῖ; Eὐλαβήθητε γοῦν ὀψέ ποτε καὶ φρο νήματι λίαν ἐπιεικεῖ τοὺς ὑμετέρους λογισμοὺς κοιμίσατε καὶ τὰς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐπαπορήσεις πίστις ἐπιλυέτω μόνη καὶ τοὺς λόγους τοὺς θείους κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον τρέμετε, ἵνα τῆς ἐπαναπαύσεως τῆς θείας ἄξιοι γενόμενοι τῶν μακαρίων ἐκείνων ·ημάτων παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἐπακούσητε, Ἐπὶ τίνα ἐπιβλέψω, λέγοντος, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν ταπεινὸν καὶ ἡσύ χιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; Τούτοις οὖν περικλει σθεισῶν τῶν θεομάχων γλωσσῶν, πρὸς τὴν διαστολὴν ὁ λόγος ἐπειγόμενος τρέχει. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ τῆς ἐκκλησίας υἱεῖς, οἱ τὴν ζήτησιν εὐσεβῶς ποιούμενοι καὶ τῶν ἐπαπορουμένων τὰς πεύσεις οὐ πειράζοντες ἀλλ' εἰ δυνατὸν μανθάνειν προσ άγοντες, ὧδέ μοι τὸν νοῦν εὐτρεπίσατε. Πολυσχιδὲς μὲν τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας τὸ σχῆμα, συναιρεῖται δὲ ὡς ἐν κε φαλαίῳ εἴς τε μάθησιν ἐντολῶν καὶ φυλακήν, εἴς τε τὴν θείαν γνῶσιν καὶ προσκύνησιν. Oἱ τοίνυν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐρα σταὶ τὴν μὲν τῶν ἐντολῶν φυλακὴν καὶ μάθησιν κατ' οὐδὲν