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the substance comes from nourishment, and this is food and drink, and in the food is bread, and in the drink is water sweetened with wine, and the Word of God, as has been set forth in the first parts, who is both God and Word, was mingled with human nature and having come to be in our body, He did not innovate some other constitution for His nature, but through the customary and appropriate means He gave permanence to His own body, maintaining its substance by food and drink, and the food was bread. Therefore, just as in our case, as has often been said, one who sees the bread in a way sees the human body, because by becoming in this that becomes this, so also there the God-receiving body, having accepted the nourishment of the bread, was in a certain sense the same with it, the nourishment, as has been said, being transformed into the nature of the body. For what is common to all was acknowledged also in that flesh, that that body too was maintained by bread, and the body by the indwelling of God the Word was transformed to divine dignity. Well, therefore, do we now also believe that the bread consecrated by the Word of God is transformed into the body of God the Word. For that body was also bread in its potentiality, but it was sanctified by the indwelling of the Word who tabernacled in the flesh. Therefore, just as the bread transformed in that body was changed to a divine power, through the same means the same thing happens now. For there the grace of the Word made holy the body whose constitution was from bread, and which was in a sense also itself bread; and here in the same way the bread, as the Apostle says, is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer, not by the process of eating becoming the body of the Word, but being immediately transformed into the body by the Word, as was said by the Word that This is my body. And since all flesh is nourished also by liquid; for without its conjunction, the earthy part in us would not remain in life; just as by solid and firm food we support the solid part of the body, in the same way also we make the addition to the liquid from a kindred nature, which, having come into us, is turned into blood by the power of alteration, and especially if through wine it receives the power for the transformation into heat. Since, therefore, that God-receiving flesh also accepted this part for its own constitution, and the God who was manifested for this reason mingled himself with a perishable nature, so that by the communion of the Godhead the human might be deified with it, for this cause he implants himself in all who have believed in the economy of grace through the flesh, whose constitution is from wine and bread, commingling himself with the bodies of believers, so that by the union with the immortal man also might become a partaker of incorruption. And these things He gives, having by the power of the blessing transelemented the nature of the things that appear to that.

38 I think nothing is lacking in what has been said concerning the questions about the mystery, except for the account concerning faith, which we shall set forth briefly also in the present treatise. But for those seeking a more perfect account, we have already set it forth in other labors, having unfolded the account with precision through the diligence possible for us, in which we both contended combatively against our opponents and considered for ourselves the questions presented to us. But in the present discourse we thought it good to say this much about faith, as much as the voice of the Gospel contains, that the one being born according to the spiritual regeneration should know from whom he is born and what kind of creature he becomes; for only this kind of birth has the power to become whatever it may choose.

39 For the other things that are born exist by the impulse of those who beget them, but the spiritual birth depends on the power of the one being born. Since, therefore, the danger is in this, in not missing what is advantageous, since the choice lies before everyone with power, I say it is good for the one toward his own birth

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ἡ ὑπόστασις ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς γίνεται, αὕτη δὲ βρῶσις καὶ πόσις ἐστίν, ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ βρώσει ἄρτος, ἐν δὲ τῇ πόσει τὸ ὕδωρ ἐφηδυσμένον τῷ οἴνῳ, ὁ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, καθὼς ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις διῄρηται, ὁ καὶ θεὸς ὢν καὶ λόγος, τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ συνανεκράθη φύσει καὶ ἐν τῷ σώματι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ γενόμενος οὐκ ἄλλην τινὰ παρεκαινο τόμησε τῇ φύσει τὴν σύστασιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν συνήθων τε καὶ καταλλήλων ἔδωκε τῷ καθ' ἑαυτὸν σώματι τὴν διαμονήν, βρώσει καὶ πόσει περικρατῶν τὴν ὑπόστασιν, ἡ δὲ βρῶσις ἄρτος ἦν· ὥσπερ τοίνυν ἐφ' ἡμῶν, καθὼς ἤδη πολλάκις εἴρηται, ὁ τὸν ἄρτον ἰδὼν τρόπον τινὰ τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον βλέπει, ὅτι ἐν τούτῳ ἐκεῖνο γινόμενον τοῦτο γίνεται, οὕτω κἀκεῖ τὸ θεοδόχον σῶμα τὴν τροφὴν τοῦ ἄρτου παραδεξάμενον λόγῳ τινὶ ταὐτὸν ἦν ἐκείνῳ, τῆς τροφῆς, καθὼς εἴρηται, πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν μεθισταμένης· τὸ γὰρ πάντων ἴδιον καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνης τῆς σαρκὸς ὡμολογήθη, ὅτι ἄρτῳ κἀκεῖνο τὸ σῶμα διεκρατεῖτο, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τῇ ἐνοικήσει τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου πρὸς τὴν θεικὴν ἀξίαν μετεποιήθη. καλῶς οὖν καὶ νῦν τὸν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁγιαζόμενον ἄρτον εἰς σῶμα τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου μετα ποιεῖσθαι πιστεύομεν. καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ σῶμα ἄρτος τῇ δυνάμει ἦν, ἡγιάσθη δὲ τῇ ἐπισκηνώσει τοῦ λόγου τοῦ σκηνώσαντος ἐν τῇ σαρκί. οὐκοῦν ὅθεν ὁ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ σώματι μεταποιηθεὶς ἄρτος εἰς θείαν μετέστη δύναμιν, διὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ νῦν τὸ ἴσον γίνεται. ἐκεῖ τε γὰρ ἡ τοῦ λόγου χάρις ἅγιον ἐποίει τὸ σῶμα ᾧ ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου ἡ σύστασις ἦν, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ καὶ αὐτὸ ἄρτος ἦν· ἐν ταῦθά τε ὡσαύτως ὁ ἄρτος, καθώς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ἁγιάζεται διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως, οὐ διὰ βρώσεως προιὼν εἰς τὸ σῶμα γενέσθαι τοῦ λόγου, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς πρὸς τὸ σῶμα διὰ τοῦ λόγου μεταποιούμενος, καθὼς εἴρηται ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου ὅτι Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου. πάσης δὲ σαρκὸς καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑγροῦ τρεφομένης· οὐ γὰρ ἂν δίχα τῆς πρὸς τοῦτο συζυγίας τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν γεῶδες ἐν τῷ ζῇν διαμένοι· ὥσπερ διὰ τῆς στερρᾶς τε καὶ ἀντιτύπου τροφῆς τὸ στερρὸν τοῦ σώματος ὑποστηρίζομεν, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ τῷ ὑγρῷ τὴν προσθήκην ἐκ τῆς ὁμογενοῦς ποιούμεθα φύσεως, ὅπερ ἐν ἡμῖν γενόμενον διὰ τῆς ἀλλοιωτικῆς δυνάμεως ἐξαιματοῦται καὶ μάλιστά γε εἰ διὰ τοῦ οἴνου λάβοι τὴν δύναμιν πρὸς τὴν εἰς τὸ θερμὸν μεταποίησιν. ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἡ θεοδόχος ἐκείνη σὰρξ πρὸς τὴν σύστασιν ἑαυτῆς παρεδέξατο, ὁ δὲ φανερωθεὶς θεὸς διὰ τοῦτο κατέμιξεν ἑαυτὸν τῇ ἐπικήρῳ φύσει, ἵνα τῇ τῆς θεότητος κοινωνίᾳ συναποθεωθῇ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, τούτου χάριν πᾶσι τοῖς πεπιστευκόσι τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῆς χάριτος ἑαυτὸν ἐνσπείρει διὰ τῆς σαρκός, ἧς ἡ σύστασις ἐξ οἴνου τε καὶ ἄρτου ἐστί, τοῖς σώμασι τῶν πεπιστευκότων κατα κιρνάμενος, ὡς ἂν τῇ πρὸς τὸ ἀθάνατον ἑνώσει καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀφθαρσίας μέτοχος γένοιτο. ταῦτα δὲ δίδωσι τῇ τῆς εὐλογίας δυνάμει πρὸς ἐκεῖνο μεταστοι χειώσας τῶν φαινομένων τὴν φύσιν.

38 Οὐδὲν οἶμαι τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐνδεῖν τῶν περὶ τὸ μυστήριον ζητουμένων, πλὴν τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν λόγου, ὃν δι' ὀλίγου μὲν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς παρούσης ἐκθησόμεθα πραγματείας. τοῖς δὲ τὸν τελεώτερον ἐπιζητοῦσι λόγον ἤδη προεξεθέμεθα ἐν ἑτέροις πόνοις, διὰ τῆς δυνατῆς ἡμῖν σπουδῆς ἐν ἀκριβείᾳ τὸν λόγον ἁπλώσαντες, ἐν οἷς πρός τε τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀγωνιστικῶς συνεπλάκημεν καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς περὶ τῶν προσφερομένων ἡμῖν ζητημάτων ἐπε σκεψάμεθα. τῷ δὲ παρόντι λόγῳ τοσοῦτον εἰπεῖν περὶ τῆς πίστεως καλῶς ἔχειν ᾠήθημεν ὅσον ἡ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου περιέχει φωνή, τὸ τὸν γεννώμενον κατὰ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀναγέννησιν εἰδέναι παρὰ τίνος γεννᾶται καὶ ποῖον γίνεται ζῷον· μόνον γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ τῆς γεννήσεως εἶδος κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἔχει, ὅ τι περ ἂν ἕληται, τοῦτο γενέσθαι.

39 Τὰ μὲν γὰρ λοιπὰ τῶν τικτομένων τῇ ὁρμῇ τῶν ἀπογεννώντων ὑφίσταται, ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸς τόκος τῆς ἐξουσίας ἤρτηται τοῦ τικτομένου. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ὁ κίνδυνος, ἐν τῷ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τοῦ συμφέροντος, κατ' ἐξουσίαν προκειμένης παντὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως, καλῶς ἔχειν φημὶ τὸν πρὸς τὴν γέννησιν τὴν ἰδίαν