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stretching out and encompassing all the things in between. Since there is one entrance into life for all men, from where was it necessary that the one entering to us should be introduced into life? From heaven, says perhaps the one who scoffs at the manner of human generation as shameful and inglorious. But the human was not in heaven, nor did any disease of evil prevail in the super-cosmic life. But the one mixing himself with man made the mingling for the purpose of help. Where, therefore, evil was not, nor was human life lived, how does someone seek for man to be embraced by God from there, or rather not a man, but some image and likeness of a man? For what correction of our nature would have occurred, if, when the earthly creature had become sick, some other celestial being had received the divine intermingling? For it is not possible for the one who is sick to be healed, unless the ailing part specifically receives the cure. If, therefore, the ailing thing was on earth, but the divine power did not touch the ailing thing, looking to its own propriety, the divine power's engagement with things that have no communion with us was useless to man. For what is unseemly is equal in the case of the Godhead, if indeed it is at all permissible to conceive of anything as unseemly besides evil. Nevertheless, for the one who small-mindedly judges the divine majesty in this, in not accepting communion with the properties of our nature, the ingloriousness is in no way more consoled by the Divine being conformed to a heavenly body than to an earthly one. For from the highest and unapproachable, according to the height of its nature, all creation is equally distant below, and the universe is subject to it in like manner. For that which is wholly unapproachable is not approachable to one and unapproachable to another, but is equally exalted above all beings. Therefore neither is the earth further from its dignity, nor is heaven nearer, nor do the things that dwell in each of the elements differ at all from one another in this respect, as though some could touch the unapproachable nature, while others are separated from it, or else we might suppose that the power which rules the universe does not extend equally through all things, but is more abundant in some, and more deficient in others, and by the difference of less and more and greater and lesser, the Divine would consequently be revealed as composite, not being consistent with itself, if indeed it were supposed to be far from us by the principle of nature, but neighboring some other and becoming easily graspable from its nearness. But the true account concerning the high dignity looks neither down nor up by way of comparison; for all things are equally subject to the power that presides over the universe, so that, if they should think the earthly nature unworthy of union with the Divine, no other would be found that has worthiness. But if all things are equally wanting in worthiness, one thing is fitting for God: to benefit the one in need. Since, therefore, where the disease was, there we confess the healing power visited, what have we believed that is outside a conception worthy of God?

28 But they mock our nature, and they bruit about the manner of our birth, and by these things they think to make the mystery ridiculous, as if it were unseemly for God to take hold of communion with human life through such an entrance. But it has already been said concerning this in the preceding arguments, that only evil is shameful by its own nature, and whatever is related to evil. But the sequence of nature, ordained by divine will and law, is far from the slander of evil, or else the accusation against nature would return upon the Creator, if anything concerning it were slandered as shameful and unseemly. If, therefore, the Divine is separated from evil alone, and nature is not evil, and the mystery says that God came to be in man, not in evil, and the entrance of man into life is one, through which the one being born is brought into life, what other manner of entrance into life do they legislate for God, who judge it reasonable that nature, having grown weak in evil, should be visited by the divine power, but with respect to the visitation's

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τείνασα καὶ τὰ διὰ μέσου τούτων πάντα διαλαβοῦσα. μιᾶς δὲ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τῆς εἰς τὴν ζωὴν οὔσης παρό δου, πόθεν ἔδει τὸν εἰσιόντα πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰσοικισθῆναι τῷ βίῳ; ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, φησὶ τυχὸν ὁ διαπτύων ὡς αἰσχρόν τε καὶ ἄδοξον τὸ εἶδος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης γενέσεως. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν ἐν οὐρανῷ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, οὐδέ τις ἐν τῇ ὑπερ κοσμίῳ ζωῇ κακίας νόσος ἐπεχωρίαζεν. ὁ δὲ τῷ ἀν θρώπῳ καταμιγνύμενος τῷ σκοπῷ τῆς ὠφελείας ἐποιεῖτο τὴν συνανάκρασιν. ἔνθα τοίνυν τὸ κακὸν οὐκ ἦν, οὐδὲ ὁ ἀνθρώπινος ἐπολιτεύετο βίος, πῶς ἐπιζητεῖ τις ἐκεῖθεν τῷ θεῷ περιπλακῆναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχὶ ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπου τι εἴδωλον καὶ ὁμοίωμα; τίς δ' ἂν ἐγένετο τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν ἡ διόρθωσις, εἰ τοῦ ἐπιγείου ζῴου νενοσηκότος ἕτερόν τι τῶν οὐρανίων τὴν θείαν ἐπιμιξίαν ἐδέξατο; οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ θεραπευθῆναι τὸν κάμνοντα, μὴ τοῦ πονοῦντος μέρους ἰδιαζόντως δεξα μένου τὴν ἴασιν. εἰ οὖν τὸ μὲν κάμνον ἐπὶ γῆς ἦν, ἡ δὲ θεία δύναμις τοῦ κάμνοντος μὴ ἐφήψατο, πρὸς τὸ ἑαυ τῆς βλέπουσα πρέπον, ἄχρηστος ἦν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἡ περὶ τὰ μηδὲν ἡμῖν ἐπικοινωνοῦντα τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἀσχο λία. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀπρεπὲς ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος ἴσον, εἴπερ ὅλως θεμιτόν ἐστιν ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν κακίαν ἀπρεπὲς ἐννοεῖν. πλὴν τῷ μικροψύχως ἐν τούτῳ κρίνοντι τὴν θείαν μεγαλειότητα, ἐν τῷ μὴ δέξασθαι τῶν τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν ἰδιωμάτων τὴν κοινωνίαν, οὐδὲν μᾶλλον παραμυ θεῖται τὸ ἄδοξον οὐρανίῳ σώματι ἢ ἐπιγείῳ συσχημα τισθῆναι τὸ θεῖον. τοῦ γὰρ ὑψίστου καὶ ἀπροσίτου κατὰ τὸ ὕψος τῆς φύσεως ἡ κτίσις πᾶσα κατὰ τὸ ἴσον ἐπὶ τὸ κάτω ἀφέστηκε, καὶ ὁμοτίμως αὐτῷ τὸ πᾶν ὑποβέβηκε. τὸ γὰρ καθ' ὅλου ἀπρόσιτον οὔ τινι μέν ἐστι προσιτόν, τῷ δὲ ἀπροσπέλαστον, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἴσης πάντων τῶν ὄντων ὑπερανέστηκεν. οὔτε οὖν ἡ γῆ πορρωτέρω τῆς ἀξίας ἐστίν, οὔτε ὁ οὐρανὸς πλησιαίτερος, οὔτε τὰ ἐν ἑκατέρῳ τῶν στοιχείων ἐνδιαιτώμενα διαφέρει τι ἀλλήλων ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ, ὡς τὰ μὲν ἐφάπτεσθαι τῆς ἀπροσίτου φύ σεως, τὰ δὲ ἀποκρίνεσθαι, ἢ οὕτω γ' ἂν μὴ διὰ πάντων ἐπ' ἴσης διήκειν τὴν τὸ πᾶν ἐπικρατοῦσαν δύναμιν ὑπο νοήσαιμεν, ἀλλ' ἔν τισι πλεονάζουσαν, ἐν ἑτέροις ἐνδε εστέραν εἶναι, καὶ τῇ πρὸς τὸ ἔλαττόν τε καὶ πλέον καὶ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον διαφορᾷ σύνθετον ἐκ τοῦ ἀκολούθου τὸ θεῖον ἀναφανήσεται, αὐτὸ πρὸς ἑαυτὸ μὴ συμβαῖνον, εἴπερ ἡμῶν πόρρωθεν ὑπονοοῖτο εἶναι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς φύσεως, ἑτέρῳ δέ τινι γειτνιῶν καὶ εὔληπτον ἐκ τοῦ σύνεγγυς γίγνοιτο. ἀλλ' ὁ ἀληθὴς λόγος ἐπὶ τῆς ὑψη λῆς ἀξίας οὔτε κάτω βλέπει διὰ συγκρίσεως, οὔτε ἄνω· πάντα γὰρ κατὰ τὸ ἴσον τὴν τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιστατοῦσαν δύναμιν ὑποβέβηκεν, ὥστε, εἰ τὴν ἐπίγειον φύσιν ἀνα ξίαν τῆς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον οἰήσονται συμπλοκῆς, οὐδ' ἂν ἄλλη τις εὑρεθείη τὸ ἄξιον ἔχουσα. εἰ δὲ ἐπ' ἴσης πάντα τῆς ἀξίας ἀπολιμπάνεται, ἓν πρέπον ἐστὶ τῷ θεῷ τὸ εὐεργετεῖν τὸν δεόμενον. ὅπου τοίνυν ἦν ἡ νόσος, ἐκεῖ φοιτῆσαι τὴν ἰωμένην δύναμιν ὁμολογοῦντες, τί ἔξω τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ὑπολήψεως πεπιστεύκαμεν;

28 Ἀλλὰ κωμῳδοῦσι τὴν φύσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸν τῆς γεννήσεως τρόπον διαθρυλλοῦσι, καὶ οἴονται διὰ τού των ἐπιγέλαστον ποιεῖν τὸ μυστήριον, ὡς ἀπρεπὲς ὂν θεῷ διὰ τοιαύτης εἰσόδου τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου βίου κοινωνίας ἐφάψασθαι. ἀλλ' ἤδη περὶ τούτου καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται λόγοις, ὅτι μόνον αἰσχρὸν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ φύσει τὸ κακόν ἐστι καὶ εἴ τι πρὸς τὴν κακίαν οἰκείως ἔχει. ἡ δὲ τῆς φύσεως ἀκολουθία, θείῳ βουλή ματι καὶ νόμῳ διαταχθεῖσα, πόρρω τῆς κατὰ κακίαν ἐστὶ διαβολῆς, ἢ οὕτω γ' ἂν ἐπὶ τὸν δημιουργὸν ἡ κατη γορία τῆς φύσεως ἐπανίοι, εἴ τι τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν ὡς αἰσχρόν τε καὶ ἀπρεπὲς διαβάλλοιτο. εἰ οὖν μόνης κακίας τὸ θεῖον κεχώρισται, φύσις δὲ κακία οὐκ ἔστι, τὸ δὲ μυστήριον ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ γενέσθαι τὸν θεόν, οὐκ ἐν κακίᾳ λέγει, ἡ δὲ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τὸν βίον εἴσοδος μία ἐστί, δι' ἧς παράγεται ἐπὶ τὴν ζωὴν τὸ γεννώμενον, τίνα νομοθετοῦσιν ἕτερον τρόπον τῷ θεῷ τῆς εἰς τὸν βίον παρόδου οἱ ἐπισκεφθῆναι μὲν παρὰ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἀσθενήσασαν ἐν κακίᾳ τὴν φύσιν εὔλογον κρίνοντες, πρὸς δὲ τὸν τῆς ἐπισκέψεως