[Several Demonstrations Concerning the Resurrection, Concerning the Sibyl, and What the Stoics Say Concerning the Bird Called the Phoenix. ]

VII. For the Almighty God Himself will raise us up through our Lord Jesus Christ, according to His infallible promise, and grant us a resurrection with all those that have slept from the beginning of the world; and we shall then be such as we now are in our present form, without any defect or corruption. For we shall rise incorruptible: whether we die at sea, or are scattered on the earth, or are torn to pieces by wild beasts and birds, He will raise us by His own power; for the whole world is held together by the hand of God. Now He says: “An hair of your head shall not perish.”  20  Luke xxi. 18. Wherefore He exhorts us, saying: “In your patience possess ye your souls.”  21  Luke xxi. 19. But as concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the recompense of reward for the martyrs, Gabriel speaks to Daniel: “And many of them that sleep shall arise out of the dust of the earth, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that understand shall shine as the sun, and as the firmament, and as the stars.”  22  Dan. xii. 2, 3. Therefore the most holy Gabriel foretold that the saints should shine like the stars: for His sacred name did witness to them, that they might understand the truth. Nor is a resurrection only declared for the martyrs, but for all men, righteous and unrighteous, godly and ungodly, that every one may receive according to his desert. For God, says the Scripture, “will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.”  23  Eccles. xii. 14. This resurrection was not believed by the Jews, when of old they said, “Our bones are withered, and we are gone.”  24  Ezek. xxxvii. 11, etc. To whom God answered, and said: “Behold, I open your graves, and will bring you out of them; and I will put my Spirit into you, and ye shall live: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it.” And He says by Isaiah: “The dead shall rise, and those that are in the graves shall be raised up. And those that rest in the earth shall rejoice, for the dew which is from Thee shall be healing to them.”  25  Isa. xxvi. 19. There are indeed many and various things said concerning the resurrection, and concerning the continuance of the righteous in glory, and concerning the punishment of the ungodly, their fall, rejection, condemnation, shame, “eternal fire, and endless worm.”  26  Isa. lxvi. 24. Now that, if it had pleased Him that all men should be immortal, it was in His power, He showed in the examples of Enoch and Elijah, while He did not suffer them to have any experience of death. Or if it had pleased Him in every generation to raise those that died, that this also He was able to do He hath made manifest both by Himself and by others; as when He raised the widow’s son  27  1 Kings xvii. by Elijah, and the Shunammite’s son  28  2 Kings iv. by Elisha. But we are persuaded that death is not a retribution of punishment, because even the saints have undergone it; nay, even the Lord of the saints, Jesus Christ, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead. Upon this account, therefore, according to the ancient practice, for those who live in the great city, after the combats He brings a dissolution for a while, that, when He raises up every one, He may either reject him or crown him. For He that made the body of Adam out of the earth will raise up the bodies of the rest, and that of the first man, after their dissolution, (to pay what is owing to the rational nature of man; we mean the continuance in being through all ages. He, therefore, who brings on the dissolution, will Himself procure the resurrection. And He that said, “The Lord took dust from the ground, and formed man, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul,”  29  Gen. ii. 7. added after the disobedience, “Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return;”  30  Gen. iii. 19. the same promised us a resurrection afterwards.  31  The part within parentheses is not in one of the V. mss. ) For says He: “All that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.”  32  John v. 25. Besides these arguments, we believe there is to be a resurrection also from the resurrection of our Lord. For it is He that raised Lazarus, when he had been in the grave four days,  33  John xi. and Jairus’ daughter,  34  Mark v. and the widow’s son.  35  Luke vii. It is He that raised Himself by the command of the Father in the space of three days, who is the pledge of our resurrection. For says He: “I am the resurrection and the life.”  36  John xi. 25. Now He that brought Jonas  37  Jonah ii. in the space of three days, alive and unhurt, out of the belly of the whale, and the three children out of the furnace of Babylon, and Daniel out of the mouth of the lions,  38  Dan. iii., vi does not want power to raise us up also. But if the Gentiles laugh at us, and disbelieve our Scriptures, let at least their own prophetess Sibylla  39  [Compare pp. 256, 257, supra.] oblige them to believe, who says thus to them in express words:—

If, therefore, this prophetess confesses the resurrection, and does not deny the restoration of all things, and distinguishes the godly from the ungodly, it is in vain for them to deny our doctrine. Nay, indeed, they say they can show a resemblance of the resurrection, while they do not themselves believe the things they declare: for they say that there is a bird single in its kind which affords a copious demonstration of the resurrection, which they say is without a mate, and the only one in the creation. They call it a phœnix, and relate that every five hundred years it comes into Egypt, to that which is called the altar of the sun, and brings with it a great quantity of cinnamon, and cassia, and balsam-wood, and standing towards the east, as they say, and praying to the sun, of its own accord is burnt, and becomes dust; but that a worm arises again out of those ashes, and that when the same is warmed it is formed into a new-born phoenix; and when it is able to fly, it goes to Arabia, which is beyond the Egyptian countries. If, therefore, as even themselves say, a resurrection is exhibited by the means of an irrational bird, wherefore do they vainly disparage our accounts, when we profess that He who by His power brings that into being which was not in being before, is able to restore this body, and raise it up again after its dissolution? For on account of this full assurance of hope we undergo stripes, and persecutions, and deaths. Otherwise we should to no purpose undergo such things if we had not a full assurance of these promises, whereof we profess ourselves to be the preachers. As, therefore, we believe Moses when he says, “In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth;”  41  Gen. i. 1. and we know that He did not want matter, but by His will alone brought those things into being which Christ was commanded to make; we mean the heaven, the earth, the sea, the light, the night, the day, the luminaries, the stars, the fowls, the fishes, and four-footed beasts, the creeping things, the plants, and the herbs; so also will He raise all men up by His will, as not wanting any assistance. For it is the work of the same power to create the world and to raise the dead. And then He made man, who was not a man before, of different parts, giving to him a soul made out of nothing. But now He will restore the bodies, which have been dissolved, to the souls that are still in being: for the rising again belongs to things laid down, not to things which have no being. He therefore that made the original bodies out of nothing, and fashioned various  forms of them, will also again revive and raise up those that are dead. For He that formed man in the womb out of a little seed, and created in him a soul which was not in being before,—as He Himself somewhere speaks to Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee;”  42  Jer. i. 5. and elsewhere, “I am the Lord who established the heaven, and laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the spirit of man in him,”  43  Zech. xii. 1. —will also raise up all men, as being His workmanship; as also the divine Scripture testifies that God said to Christ, His only-begotten, “Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness. And God made man: after the image of God made He him; male and female made He them.”  44  Gen. i. 26, 27. And the most divine and patient Job, of whom the Scripture says that it is written, that “he was to rise again with those whom the Lord raises up,”  45  In fin. Job in LXX. speaks to God thus: “Hast not Thou milked me like milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. Having these things within me, I know that Thou canst do all things, and that nothing is impossible with Thee.”  46  Job x. 10. Wherefore also  47  The words from “Wherefore also” to “possible with God” are omitted in one V. ms., and noticed as spurious in the other. our Saviour and Master Jesus Christ says, that “what is impossible with men is possible with God.”  48  Luke xviii. 27. And David, the beloved of God, says: “Thine hands have made me, and fashioned me.”  49  Ps. cxix. 73. And again: “Thou knowest my frame.”  50  Ps. ciii. 14. And afterward: “Thou hast fashioned me, and laid Thine hand upon me. The knowledge of Thee is declared to be too wonderful for me; it is very great, I cannot attain unto it.”  51  Ps. cxxxix. 5, 6. “Thine eyes did see my substance, being yet imperfect; and all men shall be written in Thy book.”  52  Ps. cxxxix. 16. Nay, and Isaiah says in his prayer to Him: “We are the clay, and Thou art the framer of us.”  53  Isa. lxiv. 8. If, therefore, man be His workmanship, made by Christ, by Him most certainly will he after he is dead be raised again, with intention either of being crowned for his good actions or punished for his transgressions. But if He, being the legislator, judges with righteousness; as He punishes the ungodly, so does He do good to and saves the faithful. And those saints who for His sake have been slain by men, “some of them He will make light as the stars, and make others bright as the luminaries,”  54  Dan. xii. 3. as Gabriel said to Daniel. All we of the faithful, therefore, who are the disciples of Christ, believe His promises. For He that has promised it cannot lie; as says the blessed prophet David: “The Lord is faithful in all His words, and holy in all His works.”  55  Ps. cxlv. 17. For He that framed for Himself a body out of a virgin, is also the Former of other men. And He that raised Himself from the dead, will also raise again all that are laid down. He who raises wheat out of the ground with many stalks from one grain, He who makes the tree that is cut down send forth fresh branches, He that made Aaron’s dry rod put forth buds,  56  Num. xvii. 8 will raise us up in glory; He that raised Him up that had the palsy whole,  57  Matt. ix. 2, etc. and healed him that had the withered hand,  58  Mark iii. 1, etc. He that supplied a defective part to him that was born blind from clay and spittle,  59  John ix. 1, etc. will raise us up; He that satisfied five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, and caused a remainder of twelve baskets,  60  Matt. xiv. 17, etc. and out of water made wine,  61  John ii. 3, etc. and sent a piece of money out of a fish’s mouth  62  Matt. xvii. 24, etc. by me Peter to those that demanded tribute, will raise the dead. For we testify all these things concerning Him, and the prophets testify the other. We who have eaten and drunk with Him, and have been spectators of His wonderful works, and of His life, and of His conduct, and of His words, and of His sufferings, and of His death, and of His resurrection from the dead, and who associated with Him forty days after His resurrection,  63  Acts i. 3. and who received a command from Him to preach the Gospel to all the world, and to make disciples of all nations,  64  Matt. xxviii. 19. and to baptize them into His death by the authority of the God of the universe, who is His Father, and by the testimony of the Spirit, who is His Comforter,—we teach you all these things which He appointed us by His constitutions, before “He was received up in our sight into heaven,”  65  Acts i. 9. to Him that sent Him. And if you will believe, you shall be happy; but if you will not believe, we shall be found innocent, and clear from your incredulity.

[7] Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐγερεῖ ὁ παντοκράτωρ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀψευδῆ, καὶ ἀναστήσει ἡμᾶς σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀπ' αἰῶνος κοιμηθεῖσιν τοιούτους, ὁποῖοι ὑπάρχομεν ἐν τῇ νῦν μορφῇ, μηθὲν ἐλλειπὲς ἔχοντας ἢ τὴν φθοράν, ἐπείπερ ἄφθαρτοι ἀναστησόμεθα. Κἄν τε γὰρ ἐν πελάγει τελευτήσωμεν, κἂν ἐν γῇ διασπαρῶμεν, κἂν ὑπὸ θηρίων ἢ ὀρνέων διασπασθῶμεν, ἀναστήσει ἡμᾶς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει, ὅτι ὁ πᾶς κόσμος τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ συνέχεται χειρί: «Θρὶξ δέ, φησίν, ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ ἀπόληται.» Διὸ παραινεῖ λέγων: «Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.» Περὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως καὶ τῆς τῶν μαρτύρων μισθαποδοσίας λέγει Γαβριὴλ τῷ Δανιήλ: «Καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἐκ γῆς χώματος ἀναστήσονται, οἱ μὲν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον: καὶ οἱ συνιέντες ἐκλάμψουσιν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ὡς τὸ στερέωμα καὶ ὡς οἱ ἀστέρες.» Ὡς φωστῆρας τοίνυν τοὺς ἁγίους ἐκλάμψειν προεῖπεν ὁ ἅγιος Γαβριήλ: αὐτοῖς γὰρ τὸ συνιέναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐμαρτύρησεν καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτοῦ ὄνομα. Οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῖς μάρτυσιν ἐπήγγελται τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, δικαίοις τε καὶ ἀδίκοις, εὐσεβέσιν τε καὶ δυσσεβέσιν, ἵνα ἕκαστος τὰ πρὸς ἀξίαν τίσῃ. «Ἄξει γάρ, φησίν, ὁ Θεὸς σύμπαν τὸ ποίημα εἰς κρίσιν ἐν παντὶ παρεωραμένῳ, ἐὰν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐὰν πονηρόν.» Ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἀνάστασιν μὴ πιστεύοντες Ἰουδαῖοι τὸ παλαιὸν ἔλεγον: «Ξηρὰ γέγονεν τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν, διαπεφωνήκαμεν.» Οἷς ὁ Θεὸς ἀποκριθεὶς ἔφη: «Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀνοίγω τοὺς τάφους ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνάξω ὑμᾶς ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ δώσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ ζήσεσθε, καὶ γνώσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος λελάληκα καὶ ποιήσω.» Καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου φησίν: «Ἀναστήσονται οἱ νεκροί, καὶ ἐγερθήσονται οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις, καὶ εὐφρανθήσονται οἱ ἡσυχάζοντες ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ἡ δρόσος ἡ παρὰ σοῦ ἴαμα αὐτοῖς ἐστιν.» Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἕτερα περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως εἴρηται καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν δικαίων ἐν δόξῃ διαμονῆς καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀσεβῶν τιμωρίας, πτώσεως, ἀποστροφῆς, καταδίκης, ἀδοξίας, πυρὸς αἰωνίου καὶ σκώληκος ἀτελευτήτου. Καὶ ὅτι, εἰ ἐβούλετο πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ἀθανάτους, ἠδύνατο, ἔδειξεν τὸν Ἐνὼχ καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν μὴ ἐάσας θανάτου πεῖραν λαβεῖν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ κατὰ γενεὰν τοὺς τελευτῶντας ἀνιστᾶν ἤθελεν, καὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ δι' ἑτέρων ἔπεισεν, τὸν μὲν υἱὸν τῆς χήρας διὰ Ἠλίου ἀναστήσας καὶ τὸν τῆς Σωμανίτιδος διὰ Ἐλισσαίου. Πειθόμεθα δὲ μὴ μισθὸν τιμωρίας εἶναι τὸν θάνατον, ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸν καὶ ἅγιοι ὑπέστησαν ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ἁγίων Κύριος Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, ἡ ζωὴ τῶν πιστῶν καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν τέως ὡς ἂν ἐν μεγαλοπόλει πολιτευομένοις μετὰ τοὺς ἄθλους ἐπάγει πρὸς ὀλίγον τὴν διάλυσιν, ἵνα ἀναστήσας ἕκαστον ἢ ἀποκηρύξῃ ἢ στεφανώσῃ. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τὸ σῶμα ἐκ γῆς καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν κατασκευάσας, οὗτος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ τοῦ πρώτου μετὰ διάλυσιν τὸ σῶμα ἀναστήσει. «Ἀκούσονται γάρ, φησί, πάντες οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἀκούσαντες ζήσονται.» Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις πιστεύομεν γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀνάστασιν καὶ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἀναστάσεως: αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ καὶ Λάζαρον ἀναστήσας τετραήμερον καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα Ἰαείρου καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τῆς χήρας, καὶ ἑαυτὸν προστάγματι τοῦ Πατρὸς διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἀνεγείρας, ὁ ἀρραβὼν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμῶν. Ὁ τὸν Ἰωνᾶν διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ζῶντα καὶ ἀπαθῆ ἐξαγαγὼν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας ἐκ καμίνου Βαβυλωνίας καὶ τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐκ στόματος λεόντων, οὐκ ἀπορήσει δυνάμεως καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀνεγεῖραι. Εἰ δὲ χλευάζουσιν Ἕλληνες ἀπιστοῦντες ταῖς ἡμετέραις γραφαῖς, πιστωσάτω αὐτοὺς κἂν ἡ αὐτῶν προφῆτις Σίβυλλα, οὕτω πως αὐτοῖς λέγουσα κατὰ λέξιν: «Ἀλλ' ὁπότ' ἤδη πάντα τέφρα σποδόεσσα γένηται, Καὶ πῦρ κοιμίσῃ θεὸς ἄφθιτος, ὅσπερ ἀνῆψεν, Ὀστέα καὶ σποδιὴν αὐτὸς θεὸς ἔμπαλιν ἀνδρῶν Μορφώσει, στήσει δὲ βροτοὺς πάλιν, ὡς πάρος ἦσαν: Καὶ τότε δὴ κρίσις ἔσται, ἐφ' ᾗ δικάσει θεὸς αὐτός, Κρίνων ἔμπαλι κόσμον: ὅσοι δ' ὑπὸ δυσσεβίῃσιν Ἥμαρτον, τούσδ' αὖ πάλι γαῖα καλύψει: Ὅσσοι δ' εὐσεβέουσι, πάλιν ζήσοντ' ἐνὶ κόσμῳ, Πνεῦμα θεοῦ δόντος ζωήν θ' ἅμα καὶ χάριν αὐτοῖς Εὐσεβέσιν: πάντες δὲ τότ' εἰσόψονται ἑαυτούς.» Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὴ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὁμολογεῖ καὶ τὴν παλιγγενεσίαν οὐκ ἀρνεῖται, διακρίνει δὲ τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, μάτην ἄρα τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἀπιστοῦσιν. Καίτοι φασὶν καὶ εἰδικὴν δεικνύειν τὴν ἀνάστασιν, μὴ πιστεύοντες οἷς αὐτοὶ διηγοῦνται. Φασὶ γὰρ ὄρνεόν τι μονογενὲς ὑπάρχειν, πλουσίαν τῆς ἀναστάσεως παρέχον τὴν ἀπόδειξιν, ὃ λέγουσιν ἄζυγον ὑπάρχειν καὶ μόνον ἐν δημιουργίᾳ: φοίνικα δὲ αὐτὸ προσαγορεύουσιν, ὃ καὶ ἱστοροῦσιν κατὰ πεντακόσια ἔτη ἔρχεσθαι εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐπὶ τὸν λεγόμενον ἡλίου βωμόν, φέρον πλῆθος κινναμώμου κασσίας τε καὶ ξυλοβαλσάμου καὶ στὰν πρὸς ἀνατολάς, ὡς αὐτοί φασιν, τῷ ἡλίῳ προσευξάμενον αὐτομάτως φλεχθῆναι καὶ γενέσθαι κόνιν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς σποδοῦ σκώληκα ἀναφυῆναι, καὶ τοῦτον θερμανθέντα μορφωθῆναι εἰς ἀρτιγενῆ φοίνικα καὶ πτηνὸν γενόμενον ἐπ' Ἀραβίαν στείλασθαι, ἥπερ ἐστὶν περαιτέρω τοῦ αἰγυπτιακοῦ νομοῦ. Εἰ τοίνυν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοί φασιν, διὰ τοῦ ἀλόγου ὀρνέου δείκνυται ἡ ἀνάστασις, τί μάτην τὰ ἡμέτερα διαβάλλουσιν, ὅταν ὁμολογῶμεν, ὅτι ὁ δυνάμει τὸ μὴ ὂν εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγών, οὗτος ἰσχύει τοῦτο καὶ μετὰ τὴν διάλυσιν εἰς ἀνέγερσιν παραστῆσαι; Διὰ γὰρ ταύτην τὴν πληροφορίαν καὶ μάστιγας καὶ διωγμοὺς καὶ θανάτους ὑπομένομεν, ἐπεὶ μάτην τὰ τοιαῦτα κατεδεξάμεθα μὴ τούτων ἔχοντες τὴν πληροφορίαν, ὧν κήρυκες ἐπαγγελλόμεθα εἶναι. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπείσθημεν Μωϋσῇ εἰπόντι, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ γινώσκομεν, ὅτι οὐχ ὕλης ἦν ἐνδεής, ἀλλὰ βουλήσει μόνῃ, ἃ προσετάγη Χριστός, ταῦτα καὶ παρήγαγεν, λέγομεν δὴ οὐρανόν, γῆν, θάλασσαν, φῶς, νύκτα, ἡμέραν, φωστῆρας, ἄστρα, πετεινά, νηκτά, τετράποδα, ἑρπετά, φυτά, βοτάνας: τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ πάντας ἀναστήσει θελήματι, συνεργείας μὴ δεόμενος. Τῆς γὰρ αὐτῆς δυνάμεώς ἐστιν ἔργον τὸ δημιουργῆσαι κόσμον καὶ τὸ νεκροὺς ἀναστῆσαι: καὶ τότε μὲν μὴ ὄντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ διαφόρων ἐποίησεν, δοὺς αὐτῷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος, νῦν δὲ ταῖς οὔσαις ψυχαῖς τὰ διαλυθέντα σώματα ἀποτίσει. Κειμένων γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀνάστασις, οὐχὶ δὲ μὴ ὑπαρχόντων. Ὁ οὖν τὰ πρῶτα σώματα ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ποιήσας καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν διάφορα δημιουργήσας, οὗτος καὶ τοὺς θανόντας ζωοποιήσας ἀναστήσει. Ὁ γὰρ ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ μικροῦ σπέρματος μορφῶν καὶ ψυχὴν αὐτῷ οὐκ οὖσαν ἐνδημιουργῶν, καθὼς αὐτός πού φησιν τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ: «Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε.» Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ: «Ἐγὼ Κύριος στερεῶν οὐρανὸν καὶ θεμελιῶν γῆν καὶ πλάσσων πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπου ἐν αὐτῷ.» Αὐτὸς καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀναστήσει αὐτοῦ ὄντας ποιήματα, καθὼς καὶ ἡ θεία γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ λέγοντα τὸν Θεὸν τῷ μονογενεῖ Χριστῷ: «Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν: καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν: ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς.» Καὶ ὁ θειότατος καὶ καρτερικὸς Ἰώβ, περὶ οὗ φησιν ἡ γραφή, ὅτι γέγραπται αὐτὸν πάλιν ἀναστήσεσθαι μεθ' ὧν ὁ Κύριος ἀνίστησιν, οὗτός φησι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν: «Ἦ οὐχ ὥσπερ γάλα με ἤμελξας, ἔπηξας δέ με ἶσα τυρῷ; Δέρμα καὶ κρέας με ἐνέδυσας, ὀστέοις δὲ καὶ νεύροις με ἐνεῖρας, ζωὴν δὲ καὶ ἔλεος ἔθου παρ' ἐμοί, ἡ δὲ ἐπισκοπή σου ἐφύλαξέν μου τὸ πνεῦμα: ταῦτα ἔχων ἐν ἐμαυτῷ, οἶδα, ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν.» Λέγει δὲ καὶ ὁ θεοφιλὴς Δαυὶδ τῷ Θεῷ: «Αἱ χεῖρές σου ἐποίησάν με καὶ ἔπλασάν με.» Καὶ πάλιν: «Σὺ ἔγνως τὸ πλάσμα ἡμῶν.» Καὶ ἑξῆς: «Σὺ ἔπλασάς με καὶ ἔθηκας ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου: ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ, ἐκραταιώθη, οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν: τὸ ἀκατέργαστόν μου εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον σου πάντες γραφήσονται.» Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας λέγει προσευχόμενος αὐτῷ, ὅτι «Ἡμεῖς ὁ πηλὸς καὶ σὺ ὁ πλάστης ἡμῶν.» Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτοῦ δημιούργημα ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ Χριστοῦ γενόμενος, πάντως ὅτι καὶ θανὼν δι' αὐτοῦ ἀναστήσεται ἐπὶ τῷ ἢ στεφανωθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασιν ἢ κολασθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς πλημμελήμασιν. Εἰ δὲ δικαιοσύνῃ κρίνει ὡς νομοθέτης, ὥσπερ κολάζει τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, οὕτως εὐεργετῶν σῴζει τοὺς πιστοὺς καὶ τοὺς δι' αὐτὸν ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων σφαγέντας ἁγίους, τοὺς μὲν ὡς ἄστρα φαιδρύνων, τοὺς δὲ ὡς φωστῆρας λαμπρύνων, καθὼς ὁ Γαβριὴλ τῷ Δανιὴλ ἔλεγεν. Μαθηταὶ οὖν Χριστοῦ πάντες ὑπάρχοντες οἱ πιστοί, πιστεύωμεν αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις: ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος προφήτης Δαυὶδ ὅτι «Πιστὸς Κύριος ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅσιος ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ.» Ὁ γὰρ ἐκ παρθένου ἑαυτῷ κατασκευάσας σῶμα, οὗτος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων δημιουργός ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ ἑαυτὸν ἀναστήσας ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, αὐτὸς καὶ πάντας τοὺς κειμένους ἀναστήσει. Ὁ τὸν πυρὸν ἐξ ἑνὸς κόκκου πολύχουν ἐκ γῆς ἀνιστῶν, ὁ τὸ ἐκκοπὲν δένδρον εἰς ῥάδαμνον ἀναθάλλων, ὁ τὴν Ἀαρὼν ῥάβδον ξηρὰν οὖσαν ἐκφύσας εἰς βλαστόν, αὐτὸς καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐγερεῖ ἐν δόξῃ. Ὁ τὸν παραλυτικὸν σῶον ἀνεγείρας καὶ τὸν ἐξηραμμένην ἔχοντα τὴν χεῖρα ἰασάμενος καὶ τὸ λεῖπον μέρος ἐν τῷ ἐκ γενετῆς πηρῷ ἐκ γῆς καὶ σιέλου ἀποδούς, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀνεγερεῖ. Ὁ ἐκ πέντε ἄρτων καὶ δύο ἰχθύων πεντακισχιλίους κορέσας καὶ περισσεύσας δώδεκα κοφίνους, καὶ ἐξ ὕδατος οἶνον μεταποιήσας καὶ ἐκ στόματος ἰχθύος στατῆρα δι' ἐμοῦ Πέτρου τοῖς ἀπαιτοῦσι κῆνσον ἀποστείλας, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀνεγερεῖ. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα ἡμεῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυροῦμεν, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα οἷ προφῆται. Ἡμεῖς οἱ συμφαγόντες αὐτῷ καὶ συμπιόντες, καὶ θεαταὶ γενόμενοι τῶν αὐτοῦ τεραστίων καὶ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τῆς πολιτείας καὶ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῶν παθημάτων καὶ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναστάσεως, καὶ συναναστραφέντες αὐτῷ ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα μετὰ τὴν ἔγερσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαβόντες ἐντολὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ κηρῦξαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον καὶ μαθητεῦσαι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ βαπτίσαι εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ αὐθεντίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ὅς ἐστιν αὐτοῦ Πατήρ, καὶ μαρτυρίᾳ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι παράκλητος: διδάσκομεν ὑμᾶς ταῦτα πάντα, ἃ διαταξάμενος ἡμῖν ἀνελήφθη ἐπ' ὄψει ἡμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν πρὸς τὸν ἀποστείλαντα αὐτόν. Καὶ ἐὰν μὲν πιστεύσητε, μακάριοι γενήσεσθε: εἰ δὲ μὴ πιστεύσητε, ἀθῶοι ἡμεῖς εὑρεθησόμεθα καὶ καθαροὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας δυσπιστίας.