Oration XLV. The Second Oration on Easter.

 I.  I will stand upon my watch, saith the venerable Habakkuk and I will take my post beside him today on the authority and observation which was give

 II.  The Lord’s Passover, the Passover, and again I say the Passover to the honour of the Trinity.  This is to us a Feast of feasts and a Solemnity of

 III.  God always was and always is, and always will be or rather, God always Is.

 IV.  And when Infinity is considered from two points of view, beginning and end (for that which is beyond these and not limited by them is Infinity),

 V.  But since this movement of Self-contemplation alone could not satisfy Goodness, but Good must be poured out and go forth beyond Itself, to multipl

 VI.  Thus then and for these reasons, He gave being to the world of thought, as far as I can reason on these matters, and estimate great things in my

 VII.  Mind then and sense, thus distinguished from each other, had remained within their own boundaries, and bore in themselves the magnificence of th

 VIII.  This being He placed in paradise—whatever that paradise may have been (having honoured him with the gift of free will, in order that good might

 IX.  And having first been chastened by many means because his sins were many, whose root of evil sprang up through divers causes and sundry times, by

 X.  But perhaps some one of those who are too impetuous and festive may say, “What has all this to do with us?  Spur on your horse to the goal talk t

 XI.  But before our time the Holy Apostle declared that the Law was but a shadow of things to come, which are conceived by thought.  And God too, who

 XII.  But we, standing midway between those whose minds are utterly dense on the one side, and on the other those who are very contemplative and exalt

 XIII.  Thus then and for this cause the written Law came in, gathering us into Christ and this is the account of the Sacrifices as I account for them

 XIV.  What more?  The First Month is introduced, or rather the beginning of months, whether it was so among the Hebrews from the beginning, or was mad

 XV.  Then comes the Sacred Night, the Anniversary of the confused darkness of the present life, into which the primæval darkness is dissolved, and all

 XVI.  Well, let them lament we will feed on the Lamb toward evening—for Christ’s Passion was in the completion of the ages because too He communicat

 XVII.  Nor would it be right for us to pass over the manner of this eating either, for the Law does not do so, but carries its mystical labour even to

 XVIII.  And let the loins of the unreasoning animals be unbound and loose, for they have not the gift of reason which can overcome pleasure (it is not

 XIX.  And as to shoes , let him who is about to touch the Holy Land which the feet of God have trodden, put them off, as Moses did upon the Mount, the

 XX.  What sayest thou?  Thus it hath pleased Him that thou shouldest come forth out of Egypt, the iron furnace that thou shouldest leave behind the i

 XXI.  If you are a Rachel or a Leah, a patriarchal and great soul, steal whatever idols of your father you can find not, however, that you may keep t

 XXII.   Now we are to examine another fact and dogma, neglected by most people, but in my judgment well worth enquiring into.  To Whom was that Blood

 XXIII.  Now we will partake of a Passover which is still typical though it is plainer than the old one.  For that is ever new which is now becoming k

 XXIV.  If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up the Cross and follow.  If you are crucified with Him as a robber, penitent

 XXV.  And if He ascend up into Heaven, ascend with Him.  Be one of those angels who escort Him, or one of those who receive Him.  Bid the gates be lif

 XXVI.   To this what will those cavillers say, those bitter reasoners about Godhead, those detractors of all things that are praiseworthy, those darke

 XXVII.  He was sent, but sent according to His Manhood (for He was of two Natures), since He was hungry and thirsty and weary, and was distressed and

 XXVIII.  It is now needful for us to sum up our discourse as follows:  We were created that we might be made happy.  We were made happy when we were c

 XXIX.  Many indeed are the miracles of that time:  God crucified the sun darkened and again rekindled for it was fitting that the creatures should s

 XXX.  But, O Pascha, great and holy and purifier of all the world—for I will speak to thee as to a living person—O Word of God and Light and Life and

XX.  What sayest thou?  Thus it hath pleased Him that thou shouldest come forth52    ἐξελθεῖν c. acc. loci; a very rare use, but found in classical authors. out of Egypt, the iron furnace; that thou shouldest leave behind the idolatry of that country, and be led by Moses and his lawgiving and martial rule.  I give thee a piece of advice which is not my own, or rather which is very much my own, if thou consider the matter spiritually.  Borrow from the Egyptians vessels of gold and silver;53    Exod. xi. 2. with these take thy journey; supply thyself for the road with the goods of strangers, or rather with thine own.  There is money owing to thee, the wages of thy bondage and of thy brickmaking; be clever on thy side too in asking retribution; be an honest robber.  Thou didst suffer wrong there whilst thou wast fighting with the clay (that is, this troublesome and filthy body) and wast building cities foreign and unsafe, whose memorial perishes with a cry.54    Ps. ix. 6.  What then?  Dost thou come out for nothing and without wages?  But why wilt thou leave to the Egyptians and to the powers of thine adversaries that which they have gained by wickedness, and will spend with yet greater wickedness?  It does not belong to them:  they have ravished it, and have sacrilegiously taken it as plunder from Him who saith, The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,55    Hag. ii. 8. and I give it to whom I will.  Yesterday it was theirs, for it was permitted to be so; to-day the Master takes it and gives it to thee,56    Matt. xx. 14. that thou mayest make a good and saving use of it.  Let us make to ourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness,57    Luke xvi. 9. that when we fail, they may receive us in the time of judgment.

Κʹ. Τί φῄς; Οὕτω ταῦτα ἔδοξεν, Αἴγυπτον ἐξελθεῖν, τὴν σιδηρᾶν κάμινον, καταλιπεῖν σε τὴν ἐκεῖσε πολυθεΐαν, καὶ ὑπὸ Μωϋσέως ἀχθῆναι, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου νομοθεσίας καὶ στρατηγίας; Εἰσηγοῦμαι τι καὶ τῶν οὐκ ἐμῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ λίαν ἐμῶν, ἂν πνευματικῶς θεωρῇς. Χρῆσαι παρ' Αἰγυπτίων σκεύη χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ: μετὰ τούτων ὅδευσον: ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐφοδιάσθητι, μᾶλλον δὲ τῶν σῶν: χρεωστεῖταί σοι μισθὸς τῆς δουλείας καὶ τῆς πλινθείας: σόφισαί τι καὶ σὺ περὶ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν: καλῶς ἀποστέρησον. Ἔστω, τεταλαιπώρηκας ἐνταῦθα, τῷ πηλῷ μαχόμενος, τῷ μοχθηρῷ τούτῳ καὶ ῥυπαρῷ σώματι, καὶ πόλεις οἰκοδομῶν ἀλλοτρίας καὶ σφαλερὰς, ὧν ἀπολεῖται τὸ μνημόσυνον μετ' ἤχου. Τί δαί; προῖκα ἐξέρχῃ καὶ ἀμισθί; Τί δαί; καταλείψεις Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ ταῖς ἀντικειμέναις δυνάμεσιν, ἃ κακῶς ἐκτήσαντο, καὶ χεῖρον δαπανήσουσιν; Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκείνων: ἐσύλησαν, ἥρπασαν τοῦ εἰπόντος: Ἐμόν ἐστι τὸ ἀργύριον, καὶ ἐμόν ἐστι τὸ χρυσίον, καὶ δώσω αὐτὸ ᾧ βούλομαι. Χθὲς ἦν ἐκείνων: συνεχωρεῖτο γάρ. Σήμερον σοὶ προσάγει καὶ δίδωσιν ὁ Δεσπότης, καλῶς χρησομένῳ καὶ σωτηρίως. Κτησώμεθα ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵν' ὅταν ἐκλίπωμεν, ἀντιλάβωμεν ἐν καιρῷ κρίσεως.