,

151

in the mystery a difference of flesh and of divinity. But if in Christ there exists a difference of flesh and of divinity according to nature after the union—for divinity and flesh are never the same in essence—the union of those things which came together has in no way occurred for the generation of one nature, but for one hypostasis, in which we find no difference in Christ in any way whatsoever; for the Word is the same as His own flesh according to the hypostasis. For in whatever way Christ has a difference, He cannot be one in every way; but in whatever way He admits of absolutely no difference at all, in every way the one is always piously maintained of Him, both in being and in word.

Therefore, since every difference, insofar as it is a difference, certainly has an underlying quantity of the things that differ—for without quantity there could never be difference, and quantity does not admit of declaration without number—we would rightly employ number only for the declaration of the difference of the natures from which Christ is after the union, signifying that the natures are preserved unchangeable after the union, but not dividing by number the union of those things that have run together into one hypostasis. And we declare that we believe this, by not introducing number in any way to the principle of the hypostasis; for where no difference at all is observed, neither is quantity introduced; and that which has no introduced quantity does not admit of the number that declares difference. Therefore we confess Christ to be composite according to the hypostasis, in which identity and the in every way monadic is observed, but not according to nature, in which the difference and that which is not in every way monadic is observed, so that we may both preserve the identity and the monadic (14Γ_234> of the hypostasis and confess the difference of the natures that have run together to one hypostasis. This is what the wondrous Zechariah saw flying in the shape of a sickle; for the Word of God reaps out all wickedness and ignorance.

“Its length,” he says, “is twenty cubits and its breadth ten cubits.” As God and Word, then, Christ(4) is naturally broadened to ten cubits—I mean the active and divine commandments—in the manner of providence, according to progression; for the word of God is broadened into a decade of commandments, through which, having legislated both the activity of what is necessary and the inactivity of what is not, it has encompassed every movement of the free will of those under its providence. But as the same one(5) having become flesh and having been perfectly incarnate is lengthened to twenty cubits because of the synthesis upon the senses of the elements for the generation of a body; for there are five senses and there happen to be four elements, from which by combination the nature of men is constituted; and five put together with four clearly makes the number twenty. And Scripture has called the manner of the economy “length” both because of the height and because the mystery of the divine incarnation is beyond all nature.

And “flying” both because it has nothing earthly(6) and because of the quick and swift-moving, and, to speak concisely, the abbreviated nature of the word, which describes the whole salvation of men only in the heart of those being saved, being contained(7) by faith alone and a good conscience. For nothing is faster than believing and nothing is easier than confessing through the mouth the grace of that which has been believed; for the one declares the animate love of the believer towards the one who made him, and the other the God-loving (14Γ_236> disposition towards his neighbor. But love and a genuine disposition, that is, faith and a good conscience, are manifestly the work of an unseen movement according to the heart, in no way needing external matter for its generation; “For a shortened word,” it says, “will the Lord make upon the earth.”

This is the curse, which God the Father(8) sent forth upon the face of all the earth, the true curse of the true curse. For since the disobedience of Adam became a curse through the transgression, not allowing for the generation of fruits

151

μυστηρίῳ διαφορὰν σαρκὸς καὶ θεότητος. Εἰ δὲ σαρκὸς ἐν Χριστῷ καὶ θεότητος μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν ὑπάρχει κατὰ φύσιν διαφορά οὐ γὰρ ταὐτὸν κατ᾽ οὐσίαν ποτὲ θεότης καὶ σάρξ, πρὸς φύσεως μιᾶς γένεσιν ἡ τῶν συνελθόντων οὐδαμῶς γέγονεν ἕνωσις, ἀλλὰ πρὸς μίαν ὑπόστασιν, καθ᾽ ἣν οὐδεμίαν ἐν Χριστῷ καθ᾽ οἱονδήποτε τρόπον εὑρίσκομεν διαφοράν· ταὐτὸν γὰρ τῇ οἰκείᾳ σαρκὶ κατὰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ὁ Λόγος. Καθ' ὅ γὰρ ἂν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔχει διαφοράν, ἓν εἶναι κατὰ πάντα τρόπον οὐ δύναται· καθ' ὅ δὲ τὴν οἱανοῦν παντελῶς οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται διαφοράν, κατὰ πάντα τρόπον τὸ ἓν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ διαπαντὸς εὐσεβῶς ἔχει καὶ ὂν καὶ λεγόμενον.

Οὐκοῦν, ἐπειδὴ πᾶσα μὲν διαφορά, καθ' ὅ διαφορά, πάντως ὑποκείμενον ἔχει ποσὸν τῶν διαφερόντωνποσοῦ γὰρ χωρὶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη ποτὲ διαφορά, τὸ δὲ ποσὸν ἀριθμοῦ χωρὶς οὐ δέχεται δήλωσιν, καλῶς ἂν πρὸς μόνην τὴν δήλωσιν τῆς διαφορᾶς τῶν ἐξ ὧν ἐστι φύσεων ὁ Χριστὸς μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν τὸν ἀριθμὸν παραλαμβάνομεν, σημαίνοντες ἀτρέπτους σῴζεσθαι τὰς φύσεις μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ διαιροῦντες τῷ ἀριθμῷ τῶν εἰς ὑπόστασιν μίαν συνδεδραμηκότων τὴν ἕνωσιν. Καὶ δηλοῦμεν τοῦτο φρονοῦντες, τῷ τῆς ὑποστάσεως λόγῳ καθοτιοῦν ἀριθμὸν οὐκ ἐπάγοντες· ᾧ γὰρ οὐκ ἐπιθεωρεῖται διαφορὰ παντελῶς, οὐδὲ ποσὸν συνεισάγεται· τὸ δὲ ποσὸν οὐκ ἔχον συνεισαγόμενον, οὔτε τὸν δηλωτικὸν τῆς διαφορᾶς ἀριθμὸν ἐπιδέχεται. Σύνθετον οὖν κατὰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν, καθ᾽ ἣν ἡ ταυτότης καὶ τὸ πάντῃ θεωρεῖται μοναδικόν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κατὰ φύσιν, τὸν Χριστὸν ὁμολογοῦμεν, καθ᾽ ἣν ἡ διαφορὰ θεωρεῖται καὶ τὸ μὴ πάντῃ μοναδικόν, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ταὐτὸν καὶ μοναδικὸν (14Γ_234> φυλάξωμεν τῆς ὑποστάσεως καὶ τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν πρὸς ὑπόστασιν μίαν συνδραμουσῶν ὁμολογήσωμεν φύσεων. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὃν εἶδε σχήματι δρεπάνου πετόμενον ὁ θαυμαστὸς Ζαχαρίας· ἐκθεριστικὸς γὰρ πάσης κακίας τε καὶ ἀγνωσίας ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος.

«Μῆκος αὐτοῦ», φησίν, «πήχεων εἴκοσι καὶ πλάτος αὐτοῦ πήχεων δέκα». Ὡς μὲν οὖν Θεὸς καὶ Λόγος ὁ Χριστὸς(4) εἰς δέκα πήχεις, τὰς ἐμπράκτους λέγω καὶ θείας ἐντολάς, τῷ τῆς προνοίας τρόπῳ κατὰ πρόοδον πλατύνεσθαι πέφυκεν· εἰς δεκάδα γὰρ ἐντολῶν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ πλατύνεται λόγος, δι᾽ ὧν, τήν τε τῶν δεόντων ἐνέργειαν καὶ τῶν οὐ δεόντων τὴν ἀργίαν νομοθετήσας, πᾶσαν περιέσχε τῶν προνοουμένων τῆς αὐθαιρέτου γνώμης τὴν κίνησιν. Ὡς δὲ γενόμενος σὰρξ ὁ αὐτὸς(5) καὶ τελείως ἐνανθρωπήσας εἰς εἴκοσι πήχεις μηκύνεται διὰ τὴν ἐπ᾽ αἰσθήσεσι τῶν στοιχείων πρὸς γένεσιν σώματος σύνθεσιν· πέντε γὰρ αἱ αἰσθήσεις ὑπάρχουσι καὶ τέσσαρα τυγχάνει τὰ στοιχεῖα, ἐξ ὧν κατὰ σύνοδον ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνέστηκε φύσις· πέντε δὲ ἐπὶ τέσσαρα συντιθέμενα ποιεῖ τὸν εἴκοσι σαφῶς ἀριθμόν. Μῆκος δὲ τὸν τῆς οἰκονομίας ἡ Γραφὴ προσηγόρευσε τρόπον διά τε τὸ ὕψος καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν εἶναι φύσιν τὸ μυστήριον τῆς θείας ἐνανθρωπήσεως.

Πετόμενον δὲ διά τε τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν ἐπίγειον(6) διά τε τὸ ταχὺ καὶ ὀξυκίνητον καί, συνελόντα φάναι, συντετμημένον τοῦ λόγου καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν μόνῃ περιγράφον τῇ καρδίᾳ τῶν σῳζομένων κατὰ μόνην τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν συνεχομένην(7). Οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦ πιστεύειν ταχύτερον καὶ τοῦ διὰ στόματος ὁμολογεῖν τοῦ πιστευθέντος τὴν χάριν ἐστὶν εὐκολώτερον· τὸ μὲν γὰρ δηλοῖ τὴν ἔμψυχον πρὸς τὸν πεποιηκότα τοῦ πεπιστευκότος ἀγάπην, τὸ δὲ τὴν θεοφιλῆ (14Γ_236> πρὸς τὸν πλησίον διάθεσιν. Ἀγάπη δὲ καὶ γνησία διάθεσις, ἤγουν πίστις καὶ ἀγαθὴ συνείδησις, ἔργον προδήλως τοῦ κατὰ καρδίαν ἀφανοῦς ὑπάρχει κινήματος, τῆς ἐκτὸς ὕλης πρὸς γένεσιν παντελῶς οὐ δεόμενον· «Λόγον γὰρ συντετμημένον», φησίν, «ποιήσει Κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς».

Οὗτός ἐστιν ἡ ἀρά, ἣν ἐξέπεμψεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατήρ(8), ἡ ὄντως ἀρὰ τῆς ἀρᾶς τῆς ἀληθινῆς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ γέγονεν ἀρὰ διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως ἡ παρακοὴ τοῦ Ἀδάμ, μὴ συγχωρήσασα πρὸς γένεσιν καρπῶν