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by insulting the one through the other, they deny both, Judaizing obliquely and subverting the mystery of the economy. For if Christ is not depicted according to our nature, he is uncircumscribable as if outside a body; for everything corporeal is circumscribed. and where is it that the Word became flesh? or how could the meaning of the incarnation be understood, if Christ remained uncircumscribable, that is, unable to be depicted with a character like ours, after his embodiment just as before his embodiment? for there must be a difference between two things of different natures, such as water and fire, matter and immateriality, composition and simplicity, and all things that are opposite to one another; so, therefore, also of incorporeality and embodiment, which is distinguished by the circumscribable and the uncircumscribable, according to which Christ is the mediator of God and men, bearing the properties of both incorruptibly in one hypostasis. and the immaterial became material, the simple composite, the fleshless enfleshed, the dissimilar and un-iconic became like us in all things. but if he is not depicted, there is not yet a difference, not yet a coming together of opposites by divine good pleasure and power; for this reason there is no incarnation, and he who says, 'God was revealed in the flesh' and 'he himself likewise partook of flesh and blood' is a liar. Thus it is concluded from their dogmas that the iconoclasts Judaize and have appeared as forerunners of the Antichrist. May we flee their impiety, O father, as we would Judaism, not losing heart in the face of sufferings nor again at the long duration of the heresy, imitating the saints who through long-suffering and many passions inherited the divine promises. You will surely forgive me, O sacred head, for what I have discussed, doing what was commanded; but you will also pray for me to pass through this life in remission of sins and without stumbling in word or deed. 158 {1To Peter of Nicaea}1 Your Holiness commands me to write, and to do so with love; for what reason, I ask, most holy one, and for what cause? Is it that you wish in every way to draw me to love, a gift which God has granted to you above many, to create friendships and because of this to be loved in return? I yield to the fatherly command as a most lowly son. but what word from me, an insignificant person, can benefit one who benefits many, especially now as you are suffering in deed for the sake of truth and preferring nothing above it? you have shone like a sun in the heretical night-battle, you have been raised up as a pillar in the church, supporting those who are shaken. I beseech you, O Peter, namesake of Peter the great, may the present earthquake of impiety find you an unshaken rock of piety, so that we too who are easily overthrown may be supported in you. complete the double courses of the confession, not without sweat, to be sure; for in this also are the crowns. if those who drive chariots on earth are crowned for completing the race in seven laps, what wonder is it if Christ, the true prize-giver, lengthens the times for those who run towards the goal above, as he has been accustomed to do of old? it seems to me, an ignorant man, that it is in order to test the perseverance of those who run and to restrain, or even punish, the madness of their persecutors. This much from me to you, by way of encouragement, O blessed one; but for me the sending of your sacred prayers will suffice, even if I should fail to receive a letter. 159 {1To Macarius the hegumen}1 It is a joy for me to converse by letter with any pious person, but how much more so with such a great father, whose love is strong in me and whose prayer is as welcome as rain on the grass? for indeed, my most holy one, I need always to share in your supplications because I am imperfect and easily overthrown, so that I might escape both the unseen persecution and the seen one. of which you see what manner of tumults, what torments, which perhaps do not shed blood perceptibly, out of spite, so that those who suffer might not seem to be martyrs (although God judges matters not by their opinion, but by the vote of truth), but which by gradual bruising and affliction work a shedding of blood

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καθυβρίζοντες διὰ θατέρου θάτερον ἀπαρνοῦνται, ἰουδαΐζοντες πλαγίως καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον ἀνασκευάζοντες. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ εἰκονίζεται Χριστὸς καθ' ἡμᾶς, ἔστιν ἀπερίγραπτος ὡς ἔξω σώματος· πᾶν γὰρ τὸ ἐνσώματον περιγραφόμενον. καὶ ποῦ ὅτι ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο; ἢ πῶς διαγνωσθείη ὁ τῆς σαρκώσεως λόγος, εἰ ὡς πρὶν σωματώσεως οὕτω καὶ μετὰ σωμάτωσιν ἀπερίγραπτος, ἤτοι ἀνεικόνιστος χαρακτῆρι τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς μεμένηκεν Χριστός; δεῖ γὰρ διαφορὰν εἶναι δυοῖν πραγμάτων ἑτεροφυῶν, οἷον ὕδατος καὶ πυρός, ὕλης καὶ ἀυλίας, συνθέσεως καὶ ἁπλότητος καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἐναντίας ἁπάντων ἀφεστηκότων ἀλλήλοις· οὕτω τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἀσωματότητος καὶ σωματώσεως, ἥτις ἐστὶ διαφορουμένη πρὸς τὸ περιγραπτὸν καὶ ἀπερίγραπτον, καθ' ἣν Χριστὸς μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, τοῖν δυοῖν τὰ ἰδιώματα ἐν μιᾷ ὑποστάσει ἀπαράφθαρτα φέρων. καὶ γέγονεν ὁ ἄυλος ἔνυλος, ὁ ἁπλοῦς σύνθετος, ὁ ἄσαρκος ἔνσαρκος, ὁ ἀνεμφερὴς καὶ ἀνεικόνιστος ὅμοιος ἡμῖν κατὰ πάντα. εἰ δὲ οὐκ εἰκονίζεται, οὔπω διαφορά, οὔπω σύνοδος τῶν ἐναντίων ἐκ θείας εὐδοκίας τε καὶ δυνάμεως· διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ σάρκωσις, ψεύδεται δὲ καὶ ὁ λέγων, θεὸς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ὅτι παραπλησίως ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτὸς μετέσχε σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος. Οὕτω συνῆκται τοῖς δόγμασιν ἰουδαΐζειν τοὺς εἰκονομάχους καὶ προδρόμους πεφηνέναι τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου. ὧν φύγοιμεν, ὦ πάτερ, τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἴσα ἰουδαϊσμοῦ, μὴ ἀτονοῦντες πρὸς τὰ πάθη μηδ' αὖ πρὸς τὸ μακροημερὲς τῆς αἱρέσεως, μιμούμενοι τοὺς ἁγίους, τοὺς διὰ μακροθυμίας καὶ πολλῶν παθημάτων κληρονομήσαντας τὰς θείας ἐπαγγελίας. συγγνωμονήσεις δέ μοι πάντως, ὦ ἱερὰ κεφαλή, ἐφ' οἷς διελέχθην, τὰ προστεταγμένα ποιοῦντι· ἀλλ' οὖν καὶ ὑπερεύξῃ ἐν ἀφέσει ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ ἀπτωσίᾳ λόγου καὶ ἔργου παρελθεῖν με τὸν τῇδε βίον. 158 {1Πέτρῳ Νικαίασ}1 Κελεύει με ἐπιστέλλειν ἡ ἁγιωσύνη σου καὶ ἔχειν τοῦτο ἐρασμίως· ὅτου χάριν πυνθάνομαι, ὁσιώτατε, καὶ δι' ἥν τινα αἰτίαν, ἢ πάντως ἐφέλκειν θέλων πρὸς ἀγάπην, ὅπερ σοι δῶρον θεὸς ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐχαρίσατο, δημιουργεῖν φιλίας καὶ διὰ τοῦτο στέργεσθαι ἀντιπεπονθότως; εἴκω τῷ πατρικῷ προστάγματι ὡς υἱὸς ἐλάχιστος. ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ παρ' ἐμοῦ λόγος τοῦ ἀσυφήλου, ὠνήσασθαι δυνάμενος τὸν πολλοὺς ὠφελοῦντα, μάλιστα τανῦν αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας πάσχοντα καὶ μηδὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς προκρίνοντα; ἥλιος ἔλαμψας ἐν τῇ αἱρετικῇ νυκτομαχίᾳ, στῦλος ἤγερσαι ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὑπερείδων τοὺς σαθρουμένους. ἀντιβολῶ, ὦ Πέτρου τοῦ μεγάλου συνώνυμε Πέτρε, πέτραν σε σχοίη ἀσάλευτον εὐσεβείας ὁ παρὼν σεισμὸς τῆς ἀσεβείας, ὡς ἂν καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ εὐκαταγώνιστοι ἐρηρείσμεθα ἐν σοί. διάνυε τοὺς διαύλους τῆς ὁμολογίας, οὐκ ἀνιδρωτὶ πάντως· ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ οἱ στέφανοι. εἰ ἐν ἑπτὰ περιόδοις τὸν δρόμον τελοῦντες οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς ἁρματηλατοῦντες καταστέφονται, τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ τοῖς τὴν ἄνω νύσσαν θέουσι μηκυνεῖ Χριστὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἀθλοθέτης, ὥσπερ εἴωθεν ἔκπαλαι, τοὺς χρόνους; ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τῷ ἀμαθεῖ, ἵνα καὶ τῶν τρεχόντων τὸ ἀνολίγωρον δοκιμάσῃ καὶ τῶν ἐλαυνόντων τὴν μανίαν ἐπίσχῃ, εἰ δ' οὖν κολάσῃ. Σοὶ μὲν τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ τοσαῦτα, παρεγγυοῦντι, ὦ μακάριε· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀρκέσειεν ἱερῶν εὐχῶν σου ἀποστολή, κἂν ἐπιστολῆς ἀποτύχοιμι. 159 {1Μακαρίῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Ἐμοὶ χαρὰ παντὶ μὲν ἄλλῳ ὁμιλεῖν διὰ γράμματος εὐσεβοῦντι, πόσῳ γε μᾶλλον πατρὶ τοιούτῳ καὶ τηλικούτῳ, οὗ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐν ἐμοὶ κραταιὰ καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ ἀσπαστὴ ὡς ὄμβρος ἐπ' ἄγρωστιν; καὶ γάρ, ὁσιώτατέ μου, χρῄζω σου τῶν ἱκεσιῶν μετέχειν ἀεὶ διὰ τὸ ἀκατάρτιστόν με εἶναι καὶ εὐκαταγώνιστον, ὡς ἂν διαδράσοιμι καὶ τὸν ἀόρατον διωγμὸν καὶ τὸν ὁρώμενον. οὗ ὁρᾷς οἷα τὰ τυρβάσματα, τὰ κολαστήρια, αἵματα μὲν τυχὸν οὐ κενοῦντα αἰσθητῶς φθόνῳ τοῦ μὴ δοκεῖν τοὺς πάσχοντας εἶναι μάρτυρας (εἰ καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῶν γνώμης, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῆς ἀληθείας ψήφῳ κρίνει θεὸς τὰ πράγματα), ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ μικρὸν δὲ ὑπωπιασμοῦ καὶ ἐκθλιμμοῦ αἱματεκχυσίαν ἐργαζόμενα