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in the twinkling of an eye for all things to come into being and run together. 62.25 2. But in the case of believing, not so; but how? Hear Him saying again: How often would I have gathered your children together, and you would not! Do you see that this is more difficult? So that from this He constructs the whole argument. For it is much more difficult for human reasonings to persuade free will than to work upon nature. And the reason is, because He Himself so wills that we should become good of our own accord. So He reasonably said: The exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe. For when prophets accomplished nothing, when angels and archangels, when all creation, both visible and invisible—the visible being set forth and not being strong enough to lead by the hand, and the invisible being abundant—He then ordained His own coming, showing that the matter required divine power. The riches of glory. That is, unspeakable glory. For what word shall be able to represent that glory, of which the saints shall then be partakers? None; but it truly needs grace, for the mind to learn it, and to receive at all even some small ray. For they knew some things even before, but now He willed them to learn more, and to know more clearly. Do you see how many things He has worked? He raised Christ; is this a small thing? But see again: He set Him at His own right hand; what word then shall be able to represent this? Him who was from the earth, more mute than the fishes, who became the sport of demons, He immediately raised to a height. Truly, the exceeding greatness of His power. And see where He raised Him; in the heavenly places He made Him higher than every created nature, far above all principality and power. Far above all principality, He says. Truly there is need of the spirit, of a wise mind in the knowledge of Him; truly there is need of revelation. Consider how great is the distance between the nature of man and of God; from this lowliness He raised Him to that honor; He did not pass over one step, and a second, and a third. Oh! He did not say simply, Above, but, Far above. For God is above the powers that are above. So He raised Him there, Him who is from us, from the lowest goal He brought Him to the highest authority, after which there is no other honor. Of all principality, He says; not of one and not of another, but, Of all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, if there be anything in heaven, He has become higher than all. This is about Him who was raised from the dead; which is worthy to be marveled at. For it is in no way about God the Word. For what gnats are to men, this all creation is to God. And why do I say, gnats? If all men shall be counted as spittle, and were counted as the turning of a balance, consider the invisible powers as gnats. Therefore He did not speak thus about God the Word, but about Him who is from us; this is truly great and wonderful. For from the lowest parts of the earth He raised Him. If all the nations are as a drop, how great a part of the drop is one man? But this man He made higher than all, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. There are then names of certain powers that are obscure to us, and not known. And He has put all things under His feet. He did not simply make Him higher, as being preferred to them, nor by way of comparison, but as presiding over slaves. Oh, truly the things are awesome! 62.26 All created power has become the slave of a man through the indwelling God the Word. For it is possible for some to be above without having subjects, but by being preferred; but here it is not so, but He has put all things under His feet; and He did not simply subject them, but with the uttermost subjection, after which there is no other. For this reason He said: Under His feet. And gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church. Oh, to what a height again He has raised the Church! As if drawing it up by some machine, He raised it to a great height, and set it on that throne. For where the head is, there also is the body; for the head and the body are not separated by anything in between; for if they were separated, it would not be a body, it would not be a head. Over all things, He says. What is, Over all things? Either Christ, who is over all things visible and intelligible; or over all things

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ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ πάντα γενέσθαι καὶ συνδραμεῖν. 62.25 βʹ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ πιστεῦσαι, οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ πάλιν λέγοντος· Ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε! Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοῦτο δυσκολώτερον; Ὥστε ἀπὸ τούτου τὸ πᾶν κατασκευάζει. Πολλῷ γάρ ἐστι λογισμοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις δυσκολώτερον προαίρεσιν πεῖσαι τοῦ φύσιν ἐργάσασθαι. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς οὕτω βούλεται ἑκόντας ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι ἀγαθούς. Οὕτως εἰκότως εἶπε· Τὸ ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας. Ὅτε γὰρ προφῆται οὐδὲν ἤνυσαν, ὅτε ἄγγελοι καὶ ἀρχάγγελοι, ὅτε πᾶσα κτίσις ἡ ὁρατὴ, καὶ ἀόρατος, ὁρατὴ μὲν εἰς μέσον προκειμένη, καὶ μὴ ἰσχύουσα χειραγωγῆσαι, ἀόρατος δὲ πολλὴ, ᾠκονόμησε τὴν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν τότε, δεικνὺς ὅτι θείας ἔχρῃζε τὸ πρᾶγμα δυνάμεως. Πλοῦτον δόξης. Τουτέστι, ἄφατον δόξαν. Ποῖος γὰρ λόγος τὴν δόξαν ἐκείνην παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται, ἧς οἱ ἅγιοι τότε μεθέξουσιν; Οὐδείς· ἀλλὰ χάριτος ὄντως δεῖ πρὸς τὸ τὴν διάνοιαν μαθεῖν καὶ ὅλως ἀκτῖνα μικρὰν γοῦν τινα δέξασθαι. Τινὰ μὲν γὰρ ᾔδεσαν καὶ πρότερον, ἐβούλετο δὲ νῦν πλέον αὐτοὺς μαθεῖν καὶ σαφέστερον γνῶναι. Ὁρᾷς ὅσα εἰργάσατο; Ἤγειρε τὸν Χριστόν· μικρὸν τοῦτο; Ἀλλ' ὅρα καὶ πάλιν· Ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ· ἄρα τίς λόγος τοῦτο παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται; Τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, τὸν τῶν ἰχθύων ἀφωνότερον, τὸν παίγνιον τῶν δαιμόνων γενόμενον, εἰς ὕψος εὐθέως ἀνήγαγεν. Ὄντως ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. Καὶ θέα ποῦ ἀνήγαγεν· Ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις πάσης κτιστῆς φύσεως ἀνώτερον ἐποίησεν, ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας. Ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς, φησίν. Ὄντως πνεύματος χρεία, διανοίας σοφῆς ἐν τῇ ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ· ὄντως ἀποκαλύψεως χρεία. Ἐννόησον ὅσον ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπου καὶ Θεοῦ φύσεως τὸ μέσον· ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς εὐτελείας εἰς ἐκείνην αὐτὸν ἀνήγαγε τὴν τιμήν· οὐχ ἕνα βαθμὸν ὑπερέβη καὶ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον. Βαβαί! οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἄνω, ἀλλ', Ὑπεράνω. Τῶν γὰρ ἄνω δυνάμεων ἀνώτερός ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Ὥστε ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ἀνήγαγε, τὸν ἐξ ἡμῶν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐσχάτης νύσσης εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην ἤγαγεν ἀρχὴν, μεθ' ἣν οὐκ ἔστιν ἑτέρα τιμή. Πάσης ἀρχῆς, φησίν· οὐ τῆς μὲν, τῆς δὲ οὒ, ἀλλὰ, Πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος, καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου, εἴ τί ἐστιν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, πάντων ἀνώτερος γέγονε. Τοῦτο περὶ τοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθέντος· ὅπερ ἄξιον θαυμάσαι. Περὶ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου οὐδαμῶς. Ὅπερ γάρ εἰσι κώνωπες πρὸς ἀνθρώπους, τοῦτο πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τί λέγω, κώνωπες; εἰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι ὡς σίελος λογισθήσονται, καὶ ὡς ῥοπὴ ζυγοῦ ἐλογίσθησαν, θὲς τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις ὡς κώνωπας. Οὐ τοίνυν περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου οὕτως εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ ἐξ ἡμῶν· τοῦτο μέγα ὄντως καὶ θαυμαστόν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν κατωτάτων τῆς γῆς αὐτὸν ἀνήγαγεν. Εἰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ὡς σταγὼν, εἷς ἄνθρωπος πόσον ἄρα μέρος τῆς σταγόνος; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτον πάντων ἀνώτερον ἐποίησεν, οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. Ἄρα ἐστὶ δυνάμεών τινων ὀνόματα ἡμῖν ἄσημα, καὶ οὐ γνωριζόμενα. Καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀνώτερον ἐποίησεν, ὡς προτιμᾶσθαι αὐτῶν, οὐδὲ κατὰ σύγκρισιν, ἀλλ' ὡς δούλων προκαθῆσθαι. Βαβαὶ, φρικτὰ ὄντως τὰ πράγματα! 62.26 ἀνθρώπου γέγονε δούλη πᾶσα ἡ κτιστὴ δύναμις διὰ τὸν ἐνοικοῦντα Θεὸν Λόγον. Ἔστι γάρ τινα ἐπάνω εἶναι οὐκ ἔχοντα ὑπακούοντας, ἀλλὰ προτιμώμενον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὑπέταξεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποταγὴν, καὶ μεθ' ἣν ἑτέρα οὐκ ἔστι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν· Ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας. Καὶ αὐτὸν ἔδωκε κεφαλὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Βαβαὶ, ποῦ πάλιν καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀνήγαγεν! Ὥσπερ διά τινος ἕλκων μηχανῆς, εἰς ὕψος αὐτὴν ἀνήγαγε μέγα, καὶ αὐτὴν ἐκάθισεν εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν θρόνον. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἡ κεφαλὴ, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸ σῶμα· οὐδενὶ γὰρ μέσῳ διείργεται ἡ κεφαλὴ, καὶ τὸ σῶμα· εἰ γὰρ διείργετο, οὐκ ἂν εἴη σῶμα, οὐκ ἂν εἴη κεφαλή. Ὑπὲρ πάντα, φησί. Τί ἐστιν, Ὑπὲρ πάντα; Ἢ τὸν ὄντα ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ὁρώμενα καὶ τὰ νοούμενα Χριστόν· ἢ ὑπὲρ πάντα