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among perceptible created things the Word was seen united to his assumed nature as a creature. But by assuming the creature and concealing it or leading it up to the height, to his own glory beyond reason, he was immediately hidden. This they said was the disappearance of the Master, (105) but certainly according to their own perception: for the creator of all things, being uncontainable by all, and as God filling all things, how else could he be hidden? Will you say that the Master moved from one place and went to another place, to be hidden from the eyes of the holy Apostles? Away with it, lest you fall into blasphemy out of ignorance! But hear the energies of love, if you wish, and you will learn how love is greater than all things! Than what all things? Do you not hear the Apostle crying out? love is greater than speaking with the tongues of angels and of all men, than having all faith, so as to move mountains, than knowing all knowledge, and the depth of the mysteries, than giving away all wealth and becoming poor himself, than even giving up the body to be burned for Christ. And it is so much greater, because without it these things, whether one or even all -

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αἰσθητῶν κτιστῶν ὁ Λόγος ἑωρᾶτο συνημμένος τῷ προσλήμματι ὡς κτίσμα. Προσλαμβάνων δέ τό κτίσμα καί ἐγκρύπτων ἤ ἀνάγων εἰς τό ὕψος, εἰς τήν δόξαν τήν οἰκείαν ὑπέρ λόγον ἀπεκρύπτετο εὐθέως. Υοῦτο ἔλεγον ἐκεῖνοι ἀφαντοῦσθαι τόν ∆εσπότην, (105) τό καθ᾿ ἑαυτούς δέ πάντως˙ ὁ γάρ κτίστης τῶν ἁπάντων ὤν ἀχώρητος τοῖς πᾶσιν, ὡς Θεός πάντα πληρῶν δέ, πῶς ἄν ἄλλως γε κρυβείη; Μεταστήσεις ἀπό τόπου τόν ∆εσπότην καί πρός ἄλλον τόπον δώσεις γεγονέναι ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν κρυβῆναι τῶν ἁγίων Ἀποστόλων; Ἄπαγε, μή ἐξ ἀγνοίας περιπέσῃς βλασφημίᾳ! Ἄκουε δέ τῆς ἀγάπης, εἰ βούλει, τάς ἐνεργείας, καί μαθήσῃ, πῶς ὑπάρχει μείζων πάντων ἡ ἀγάπη! Ποίων πάντων; Οὐκ ἀκούεις βοῶντος τοῦ Ἀποστόλου; Τοῦ λαλεῖν ἀγγέλων γλώσσαις καί ἁπάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ τήν πίστιν πᾶσαν ἔχειν, ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάνειν, τοῦ εἰδέναι πᾶσαν γνῶσιν, βάθος τε τῶν μυστηρίων, τοῦ σκορπίσαι πάντα πλοῦτον καί πτωχόν αὐτόν γενέσθαι, τοῦ καί τό σῶμα εἰς καῦσιν ὑπέρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκδοῦναι μείζων ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη. Καί τοσούτῳ μείζων πέλει, ὅτι δίχα ταύτης ταῦτα εἴτε ἕν εἴτε καί πάντα -