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he tore Samuel's, and what did he suffer? God tore his kingdom and gave it to David the most gentle. Jezebel persecuted Elijah, and the dogs bathed in her blood. Herod killed John and, becoming eaten by worms, expired. And now the blessed Germanus, who shone in life and word, was struck and became an exile, and many other bishops and fathers, whose names we do not know. Is this not robbery? The Lord, when the scribes and the Pharisees approached him temptingly, that they might trap him in his words, and asked him if "it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar," to whom he replied: "Bring me a coin." And when they brought it, he said: "Whose image does it have?" And when they said "Caesar's," he says: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." We obey you, O emperor, in the matters of life, in tributes, taxes, transactions, in which our affairs have been entrusted to you; but in the ecclesiastical order we have the shepherds who have spoken the word to us and have shaped the ecclesiastical legislation. We do not move the ancient boundaries which our fathers have set, but we hold fast to the traditions as we have received them; for if we begin to tear down the edifice of the church even in a small way, little by little the whole will be destroyed. You revile matter and call it dishonorable. So do the Manicheans, but the divine scripture proclaims it good; for it says: "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." I, therefore, confess that matter is a creation of God and is good, but you, if you say it is evil, either you do not confess it is from God or you make God the cause of evils. See, then, what the divine scripture says about matter, which you call dishonorable. "And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: Take from among yourselves an offering to the Lord, everyone who is willing in his heart, they shall bring the first fruits to the Lord: gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, scarlet twice dyed, and spun fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and skins dyed blue, and acacia wood, and oil for anointing, and the incense of the composition, and sardius stones, and stones for the engraving, for the ephod and for the robe; and every wise-hearted person among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded, the tabernacle." Behold, even the matter which according to you is dishonorable is honored. For what is more common than goats' hair and colors? Or are not the scarlet and the purple and the blue colors? Behold, even works of human hands and a likeness of cherubim; and the whole tabernacle itself was an image. "For see," says God to Moses, "you shall make all things according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain." And yet it was venerated all around by all of Israel. And what of the cherubim? Were they not before the face of the people? And the ark and the lampstand and the table and the golden jar and the rod, at which the people looked and venerated? I do not venerate matter, but I venerate the creator of matter, who became matter for my sake and took up his dwelling in matter and through matter worked my salvation. "For the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." And it is clear to all that flesh is matter and a creature. Therefore, I revere matter and I treat it with respect and venerate it, through which my salvation has come, but I revere it not as God, but as full of divine energy and grace. Is not the wood of the cross, thrice-blessed and thrice-happy, matter? Is not the revered and holy mountain, the place of the skull, matter? Is not the life-giving rock, the holy tomb, the source of our resurrection, matter? Is not the ink and the parchments of the gospels matter? Is not the life-giving table that supplies us with the bread of life matter? Is not the gold and the silver, from which crosses and holy panels and chalices are made, matter? And before all these things, is not the body of my Lord

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τοῦ Σαμουὴλ ἔσχισε, καὶ τί πέπονθεν; Ἔσχισε τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς καὶ δέδωκεν αὐτὴν ∆αυὶδ τῷ πρᾳοτάτῳ. Τὸν Ἡλίαν Ἰεζάβελ ἐδίωξε, καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐλούσαντο ἐν τῷ αὐτῆς αἵματι. Ἡρῴδης ἀνεῖλε τὸν Ἰωάννην καὶ σκωληκόβροτος γενόμενος ἐξέψυξε. Καὶ νῦν ὁ μακάριος Γερμανὸς ὁ βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἐξαστράπτων ἐρραπίσθη καὶ ἐξόριστος γέγονε, καὶ ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι ἐπίσκοποι καὶ πατέρες, ὧν οὐκ οἴδαμεν τὰ ὀνόματα. Οὐ λῃστρικὸν τοῦτο; Ὁ κύριος, ὅτε πειραστικῶς αὐτῷ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι προσῄεσαν, ἵνα παγιδεύσωσιν αὐτὸν λόγῳ, καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτόν, εἰ «ἔξεστι δοῦναι κῆνσον καίσαρι», πρὸς οὓς ἀπεκρίνατο· «Ἀγάγετέ μοι νόμισμα.» Τῶν δὲ ἀγαγόντων ἔφη· «Τίνος ἔχει τὴν εἰκόνα;» Τῶν δὲ φησάντων «καίσαρος» λέγει· «Ἀπόδοτε τὰ τοῦ καίσαρος καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ.» Ὑπείκομέν σοι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον πράγμασι, φόροις, τέλεσι, δοσοληψίαις, ἐν οἷς σοι τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐγκεχείρισται· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐκκλησιαστικῇ καταστάσει ἔχομεν τοὺς ποιμένας τοὺς λαλήσαντας ἡμῖν τὸν λόγον καὶ τυπώσαντας τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν θεσμοθεσίαν. Οὐ μεταίρομεν ὅρια αἰώνια, ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ κατέχομεν τὰς παραδόσεις, καθὼς παρελάβομεν· εἰ γὰρ ἀρξόμεθα τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἐν μικρῷ καθαιρεῖν, κατὰ μικρὸν τὸ πᾶν καταλυθήσεται. Κακίζεις τὴν ὕλην καὶ ἄτιμον ἀποκαλεῖς. Τοῦτο καὶ Μανιχαῖοι, ἀλλ' ἡ θεία γραφὴ καλὴν ταύτην ἀνακηρύττει· φησὶ γάρ· «Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησε, καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν.» Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καὶ θεοῦ ποίημα τὴν ὕλην καὶ καλὴν ταύτην ὁμολογῶ, σὺ δέ, εἰ κακὴν ταύτην λέγεις, ἢ οὐκ ἐκ θεοῦ ταύτην ὁμολογεῖς ἢ τῶν κακῶν αἴτιον ποιεῖς τὸν θεόν. Ὅρα οὖν, τί φησιν ἡ θεία γραφὴ περὶ τῆς ὕλης, ἣν σὺ ἄτιμον ἀποκαλεῖς. «Καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς πρὸς πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα, ὃ συνέταξε κύριος λέγων· Λάβετε παρ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀφαίρεμα τῷ κυρίῳ, πᾶς ὁ καταδεχόμενος τῇ καρδίᾳ, οἴσουσι τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῷ κυρίῳ χρυσίον, ἀργύριον, χαλκόν, ὑάκινθον, πορφύραν, κόκκινον διπλοῦν διανενησμένον καὶ βύσσον κεκλωσμένην καὶ τρίχας αἰγείας καὶ δέρματα κριῶν ἠρυθροδανωμένα καὶ δέρματα ὑακίνθινα καὶ ξύλα ἄσηπτα καὶ ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως καὶ τὸ θυμίαμα τῆς συνθέσεως καὶ λίθους σαρδίους καὶ λίθους εἰς τὴν γλυφήν, εἰς τὴν ἐπωμίδα καὶ τὸν ποδήρη· καὶ πᾶς σοφὸς καρδίᾳ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐλθὼν ἐργαζέσθω πάντα, ὅσα συνέταξε κύριος, τὴν σκηνήν.» Ἰδοὺ δὴ καὶ ἡ ὕλη τιμᾶται ἡ καθ' ὑμᾶς ἄτιμος. Τί γὰρ τριχῶν αἰγείων εὐτελέστερον καὶ χρωμάτων; Ἢ οὐ χρώματα τὸ κόκκινον καὶ ἡ πορφύρα καὶ ἡ ὑάκινθος; Ἰδοὺ δὴ καὶ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὁμοίωμα χερουβίμ· καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ σκηνὴ ἅπασα εἰκὼν ἦν. «Ὅρα γάρ», φησὶν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Μωσῇ, «ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει.» Καὶ ὅμως κυκλόθεν προσεκυνεῖτο ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Τί δὲ τὰ χερουβίμ; Οὐ κατενώπιον ἦσαν τοῦ λαοῦ; Καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς καὶ ἡ λυχνία καὶ ἡ τράπεζα καὶ ἡ στάμνος ἡ χρυσῆ καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος, πρὸς ἃ βλέπων ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνει; Οὐ προσκυνῶ τῇ ὕλῃ, προσκυνῶ δὲ τὸν τῆς ὕλης δημιουργόν, τὸν ὕλην δι' ἐμὲ γενόμενον καὶ ἐν ὕλῃ τὴν κατοίκησιν θέμενον καὶ δι' ὕλης τὴν σωτηρίαν μου ἐργασάμενον. «Ὁ γὰρ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν.» Πᾶσι δὲ δῆλον, ὅτι ἡ σὰρξ ὕλη καὶ κτίσμα ἐστίν. Σέβω οὖν τὴν ὕλην καὶ δι' αἰδοῦς ἄγω καὶ προσκυνῶ, δι' ἧς ἡ σωτηρία μου γέγονε, σέβω δὲ οὐχ ὡς θεόν, ἀλλ' ὡς θείας ἐνεργείας καὶ χάριτος ἔμπλεων. Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ξύλον τὸ τρισόλβιόν τε καὶ τρισμακάριστον; Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη τὸ ὄρος τὸ σεπτὸν καὶ ἅγιον, ὁ τοῦ κρανίου τόπος; Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη ἡ ζωηφόρος πέτρα, ὁ τάφος ὁ ἅγιος, ἡ πηγὴ τῆς ἡμῶν ἀναστάσεως; Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη τὸ μέλαν καὶ τὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων δέρματα; Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη ἡ ζωοποιὸς τράπεζα ἡ τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῖν τῆς ζωῆς χορηγοῦσα; Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη ὁ χρυσός τε καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος, ἐξ ὧν σταυροί τε καὶ πίνακες ἅγιοι κατασκευάζονται καὶ ποτήρια; Ἦ οὐχ ὕλη πρὸ τούτων ἁπάντων τὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου σῶμα