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suffered, was crucified, and having first indicated the nature capable of suffering, they thus added suffering to their statements. {ΕΡΑΝ.} The fathers said that the Son of God, the Light from Light, the one from the substance of the Father, suffered and was crucified. {ΟΡΘ.} I have often said that the one person accepts both the divine and the human things. For this very reason the thrice-blessed fathers, having taught how 228 one must believe in the Father, and moving on to the person of the Son, did not say immediately, 'and in the Son of God;' and yet it was very logical, having spoken about God the Father, to place the Son’s title immediately thereafter; but they wished to hand down to us the account of both the theology and the economy together, so that the person of the divinity might not be thought to be one, and the person of the humanity another. For this very reason, to what they had said about the Father they added that one must believe also in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But God the Word was called Christ after the incarnation. This name, therefore, accepts all things, both those that are properties of the divinity and those that are properties of the humanity. Nevertheless, we recognize which things belong to this nature, and which to that nature; and it is easy to learn this from the symbol of faith itself. For to what, tell me, do you apply 'of the substance of the Father'? To the divinity or to the nature formed from the seed of David? {ΕΡΑΝ.} Clearly to the divinity. {ΟΡΘ.} And 'true God from true God,' whose property do you say it is? The divinity’s or the humanity’s? {ΕΡΑΝ.} The divinity’s. {ΟΡΘ.} Therefore, it is not the flesh, nor indeed the soul, that is consubstantial with the Father; for these are created; but the divinity, which created all things? {ΕΡΑΝ.} True. {ΟΡΘ.} So therefore, when hearing of suffering and the cross, one must recognize the nature that received the suffering, and not attribute it to the impassible nature, but to that nature which was assumed for this very purpose. For that the admirable fathers confessed the divine nature to be impassible, and applied the suffering to the flesh, the conclusion of the creed bears witness; and it is as follows: "But those who say, 'There was a time when he was not,' and 'Before he was begotten he was not,' and that 'He came into being from nothing,' or those who profess that the Son of God is of a different hypostasis or substance, or is mutable or alterable, these the holy catholic and apostolic church anathematizes." See, therefore, what a punishment they threatened for those who attribute suffering to the divine nature. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Their argument here is about change and alteration. {ΟΡΘ.} But what else is suffering than change and alteration? For if, being impassible before the incarnation, he suffered after the incarnation, he surely suffered by undergoing a change 229; and if, being immortal before the incarnation, he tasted death, according to your argument, after the incarnation, he was certainly altered, having become mortal from being immortal. But such arguments, and indeed their authors, the all-praised fathers drive from the sacred precincts, and cut off as rotten members from the healthy body. For this reason, we exhort you to fear the punishment and to hate the blasphemy. And I will show you that the holy fathers held these same opinions, which we have discussed, in their own writings; some of whom participated in that wondrous assembly, some shone in the churches after them, and some long and long ago enlightened the world. But neither the difference of times, nor the diversity of languages has damaged their harmony, but they are like a lyre having many and different strings, yet sending forth one perfectly harmonious sound. {ΕΡΑΝ.} You will bring me a lovely and much-desired hearing; for such teaching is indisputable and very beneficial. {ΟΡΘ.} Open your ears, therefore, and receive the streams from the spiritual springs. Of Saint Ignatius, bishop of Antioch and martyr. From the letter to the Smyrnaeans. Of the Eucharist and prayer

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παθόντα, σταυρωθέντα, καὶ τὴν δεκτικὴν τοῦ πάθους προδείξαντες φύσιν, οὕτω τὸ πάθος τοῖς λόγοις προσέθεσαν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οἱ πατέρες τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ φωτὸς φῶς, τὸν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός, ἔφασαν παθεῖν τε καὶ σταυρωθῆναι. {ΟΡΘ.} Πολλάκις ἔφην, ὡς καὶ τὰ θεῖα καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπεια τὸ ἓν δέχεται πρόσωπον. ∆ιάτοι τοῦτο καὶ οἱ τρισμακάριοι πατέρες, ὅπως 228 δεῖ πιστεύειν εἰς τὸν πατέρα διδάξαντες, καὶ εἰς τὸ τοῦ υἱοῦ πρόσωπον μεταβάντες, οὐκ εἶπον εὐθύς, καὶ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ· καίτοι λίαν ἀκόλουθον ἦν, τὰ περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς εἰρηκότας, εὐθὺς καὶ τὴν τοῦ υἱοῦ θεῖναι προσηγορίαν· ἀλλ' ἠβουλήθησαν ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸν τῆς θεολογίας καὶ τὸν τῆς οἰκονομίας ἡμῖν παραδοῦναι λόγον, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλο μὲν τὸ τῆς θεότητος, ἄλλο δὲ τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος πρόσωπον νομισθῇ. Τούτου δὴ χάριν τοῖς περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς εἰρημένοις ἐπήγαγον, ὡς χρὴ πιστεύειν καὶ εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. Χριστὸς δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν ὁ θεὸς λόγος ἐκλήθη. Τοῦτο τοίνυν τὸ ὄνομα πάντα δέχεται, καὶ ὅσα τῆς θεότητος, καὶ ὅσα τῆς ἀνθρω πότητος ἴδια. Ἐπιγινώσκομεν δὲ ὅμως, τίνα μὲν ταύτης, τίνα δὲ ἐκείνης τῆς φύσεως· καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συμβόλου τῆς πίστεως καταμαθεῖν εὐπετές. Τίνι γάρ, εἰπέ μοι, προσαρμόττεις τό, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός; τῇ θεότητι ἢ τῇ ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αβὶδ διαπλασ θείσῃ φύσει; {ΕΡΑΝ.} ∆ῆλον ὡς τῇ θεότητι. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸ δέ, θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, τίνος ἴδιον εἶναι φής; τῆς θεότητος ἢ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Τῆς θεότητος. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν καὶ τῷ πατρὶ ὁμοούσιος οὐχ ἡ σάρξ, οὐδέ γε ἡ ψυχή· κτισταὶ γὰρ αὗται· ἀλλ' ἡ θεότης, ἡ τὰ πάντα τεκτηναμένη; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀληθές. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὕτω δὴ οὖν χρὴ πάθος ἀκούοντας καὶ σταυρὸν ἐπιγινώσκειν τὴν φύσιν τὴν δεξαμένην τὸ πάθος, καὶ μὴ τῇ ἀπαθεῖ προσάπτειν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνῃ, ἣ τούτου γε ἕνεκα προσελήφθη. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἀξιάγαστοι πατέρες ἀπαθῆ τὴν θείαν ὡμολόγησαν φύσιν, τῇ δὲ σαρκὶ τὸ πάθος προσήρμοσαν, μαρτυρεῖ τὸ τῆς πίστεως τέλος· ἔχει δὲ οὕτως· "Τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας, Ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν, καὶ ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐγένετο, ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρας τινὸς ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας φάσκοντας εἶναι ἢ τρεπτὸν ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ ἁγία καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία." Ὅρα δὲ οὖν ὁποίαν ἠπείλησαν τιμωρίαν τοῖς τὸ πάθος τῇ φύσει τῇ θείᾳ προσάπτουσιν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Περὶ τροπῆς αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἀλλοιώσεως. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸ δὲ πάθος τί ἕτερόν ἐστι ἢ τροπὴ καὶ ἀλλοίωσις; Εἰ γὰρ ἀπαθὴς πρὸ τῆς σαρκώσεως ὢν μετὰ τὴν σάρκωσιν ἔπαθε, τροπὴν 229 δήπουθεν ὑπομείνας ἔπαθε· καὶ εἰ ἀθάνατος πρὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ὢν ἐγεύσατο θανάτου, κατὰ τὸν ὑμέτερον λόγον, μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώ πησιν, ἠλλοιώθη πάντως θνητὸς ἐξ ἀθανάτου γενόμενος. Ἀλλὰ τοὺς τοιούσδε λόγους καὶ μὴν δὴ καὶ τοὺς τούτων πατέρας τῶν ἱερῶν οἱ πανεύφημοι πατέρες ἐξελαύνουσι περιβόλων, καὶ ὡς σεσηπότα μέλη τοῦ ὑγιαίνοντος ἀποκόπτουσι σώματος. Οὗ δὴ χάριν σε παρακαλοῦμεν δεῖσαι τὴν τιμωρίαν, καὶ μισῆσαι τὴν βλασφημίαν. ∆είξω δέ σοι καὶ ἐν ἰδίοις συγγράμμασι ταῦτα τοὺς ἁγίους πατέρας πεφρονηκότας ἃ διεξέλθωμεν· ὧν ἔνιοι μὲν τῆς θαυμασίας ἐκείνης ὁμηγύρεως ἐκοινώνη σαν, τινὲς δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις διέπρεψαν, τινὲς δὲ πάλαι καὶ πρόπαλαι τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐφώτισαν. Ἀλλ' οὔτε τὸ διάφορον τῶν καιρῶν, οὔτε τὸ ἑτερόγλωττον τῶν φωνῶν τὴν συμφωνίαν ἐπή μανεν, ἀλλ' ἐοίκασι λύρᾳ πολλὰς μὲν ἐχούσῃ καὶ διαφόρους χορδάς, μίαν δὲ ἠχὴν παναρμόνιον ἀφιείσῃ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἐρασμίαν ἐμοὶ καὶ τριπόθητον προσοίσεις ἀκρόασιν· ἀναμφίλεκτος γὰρ ἡ τοιαύτη διδασκαλία καὶ λίαν ἐστὶν ὀνησιφόρος. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀναπέτασον τοίνυν τὰς ἀκοάς, καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν κρου νῶν ὑποδέχου τὰ νάματα. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰγνατίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας καὶ μάρτυρος. Ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Σμυρναίους ἐπιστολῆς. Εὐχαριστίας καὶ προσευχῆς