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Ad patrem

ORATION 12.

To his own father, when he committed to him the care of the Church of Nazianzus.

I. I opened my mouth, and drew in the Spirit, and I give all that is mine, and myself to the Spirit, both action, and word, and inaction, and silence; only let Him possess me, and lead me, and move my hand, and mind, and tongue, to what is needful and what He wills; and lead me away again from what I must avoid, and what is better left undone. I am a divine instrument, a rational instrument, an instrument tuned and struck by a good artist, the Spirit. Yesterday He worked silence; I was philosophizing on not speaking. Today He strikes my mind; I will sound forth the word, and philosophize on speaking. And I am not so talkative as to desire to speak, while being moved to silence; nor so silent and ignorant as to set a watch on my lips in a time for speech; but I both close and open my door to the Mind, and to the Word, and to the Spirit, to the one connaturality and divinity.

II. I will speak, then, since this I am bidden, and I will speak both to this good shepherd, and to you, the holy flock, what seems to me best both for me to say, and for you to hear today. Why is it that you needed a fellow-shepherd? For from you the discourse will begin, O dear and honored head to me, and worthy of that Aaron, upon whom that spiritual and priestly ointment drips down to the beard and clothing. Why is it that, being still able to support and guide many, and indeed guiding them in the strength of the Spirit, you place a staff and a support under your spiritual works? Or knowing and hearing this, that even after that great Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar the sons of Aa 35.845 ron were anointed? For I will willingly pass over Nadab and Abihu, for fear of blasphemy; and Moses, while still living, appoints Joshua in his place as lawgiver and general, for those hurrying to the land of promise? And indeed, the example of Aaron and Hur supporting the hands of Moses on the mountain, that Amalek might be overcome by the cross, foreshadowed and prefigured from afar, I think I will willingly pass over, as not very suitable or fitting for us; for Moses did not choose these as fellow-lawgivers, but as helpers in prayer, and supports for the weariness of his hands.

III. But with you, what suffers? What is weary? The body? I am ready to support it; but I have both supported it, and been supported, like that Jacob, by a father's blessings. But the spirit? Who is stronger, and more fervent, and now especially, inasmuch as the things of the flesh decline and withdraw, like that which obstructs and opposes the light, and hinders its brightness? For these are generally wont to war against and be set against each other; and the body to be in good condition, when the soul is weary, but the soul to flourish and look upward, when pleasures decline and wither away together with the body. But in other respects too I have admired your old-fashioned and noble character, how you did not even fear this, though it is very much of the present times, lest the spirit be thought a pretext for you, and we appear to the many to be taking these things in a carnal sense, while pretending it is in a spiritual one. Since the matter is great and sovereign, and has a wonderful enjoyment, as the many have made it to be considered; even if one presides over and leads a flock narrower than this one, and bringing more troubles than pleasures. This indeed, whether of your simplicity

1

Ad patrem

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΒʹ.

Εἰς τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ, ἡνίκ' ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτὸν φροντίζειν τῆς Ναζιανζοῦ Ἐκκλησίας.

Αʹ. Τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα, καὶ εἵλκυσα Πνεῦμα, καὶ δίδωμι τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ πάντα, καὶ ἐμαυτὸν τῷ Πνεύ ματι, καὶ πρᾶξιν, καὶ λόγον, καὶ ἀπραξίαν, καὶ σιω πήν· μόνον ἐχέτω με, καὶ ἀγέτω, καὶ κινείτω καὶ χεῖρα, καὶ νοῦν, καὶ γλῶσσαν, ἐφ' ἃ δεῖ καὶ βούλε ται· καὶ ἀπαγέτω πάλιν ἀφ' ὧν δεῖ, καὶ ὧν ἄμεινον. Ὄργανόν εἰμι θεῖον, ὄργανον λογικὸν, ὄργανον καλῷ τεχνίτῃ τῷ Πνεύματι ἁρμοζόμενον καὶ κρουόμενον. Χθὲς ἐνήργει τὴν σιωπήν; τὸ μὴ λέγειν ἐφιλοσόφουν. Σήμερον κρούει τὸν νοῦν; ἠχήσω τὸν λόγον, καὶ φιλοσοφήσω τὸ φθέγγεσθαι. Καὶ οὔτε λά λος οὕτως εἰμὶ, ὡς λέγειν ἐπιθυμεῖν, τὸ σιωπᾷν ἐνεργούμενος· οὔτε σιωπηλὸς οὕτω καὶ ἀμαθὴς, ὡς ἐν καιρῷ λόγου τιθέναι φυλακὴν τοῖς χείλεσιν· ἀλλὰ καὶ κλείω καὶ ἀνοίγω τὴν ἐμὴν θύραν Νῷ, καὶ Λόγῳ, καὶ Πνεύματι, τῇ μιᾷ συμφυΐᾳ τε καὶ θεότητι.

Βʹ. Φθέγξομαι μὲν οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο κελεύομαι, φθέγξομαι δὲ πρός τε τὸν ἀγαθὸν τοῦτον ποιμένα, καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν ποίμνην ὑμᾶς, ἅ μοι δοκεῖ βέλτιον εἶναι, ἐμέ τε εἰπεῖν, καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀκοῦσαι σήμερον. Τί ὅτι τοῦ συμποιμαίνοντος ἐδεήθης; Ἀπὸ σοῦ γὰρ ὁ λόγος ἄρξεται, ὦ φίλη καὶ τιμία μοι κεφαλὴ, καὶ τῆς Ἀαρὼν ἐκείνης ἀξία, καθ' ἧς στάζει τὸ πνευμα τικόν τε καὶ ἱερατικὸν ἐκεῖνο μύρον ἄχρι πώγωνος καὶ ἐνδύματος. Τί ὅτι, πολλοὺς στηρίζειν ἔτι καὶ χειραγωγεῖν δυνάμενος, καὶ μέντοι καὶ χειραγω γῶν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ τοῦ Πνεύματος, βακτηρίαν ὑποβάλλῃ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἔργοις καὶ ἔρεισμα; Ἢ τοῦτο εἰδὼς καὶ ἀκούων, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ Ἀαρὼν ἐκείνου τοῦ πάνυ ἐχρίσθησαν Ἐλεάζαρ καὶ Ἰθάμαρ οἱ υἱοὶ Ἀα 35.845 ρών; τὸν γὰρ Ναδὰβ καὶ Ἀβιοὺδ ἐκὼν ὑπερβήσομαι, δέει τῆς βλασφημίας· καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἀνθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀναδείκνυσιν ἔτι ζῶν ἀντὶ νομοθέτου καὶ στρατηγοῦ, τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐπειγομένοις; Καὶ τὸ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Ἀαρὼν καὶ τοῦ Ὢρ ὑποστηριζόντων τὰς χεῖρας Μωϋσέως ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους, ἵν' ὁ Ἀμαλὴκ καταπολεμηθῇ τῷ σταυρῷ, πόῤῥωθεν σκιαγραφουμένῳ καὶ τυπουμένῳ, δοκῶ μοι παρήσειν ἑκὼν, ὡς οὐ σφόδρα οἰκεῖον ἡμῖν καὶ πρόσφορον· οὐ γὰρ συννομοθέτας ᾑρεῖτο τούτους Μωϋσῆς, ἀλλ' εὐχῆς βοηθοὺς, καὶ καμάτου χειρῶν ἐρείσματα.

Γʹ. Σοὶ δὲ τί πάσχει; τί κάμνει; Τὸ σῶμα; Ὑπο στηρίζειν ἕτοιμος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπεστήριξα, καὶ ἐστηρίχθην, ὡς ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἐκεῖνος, πατρικαῖς εὐλο γίαις. Ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα; Τίς ἰσχυρότερος, καὶ θερμότερος, καὶ νῦν μάλιστα, ὅσῳ τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑποβαίνει καὶ ὑπεξίσταται, ὥσπερ φωτὶ, τὸ ἀν τιφράττον καὶ ἀντικείμενον, καὶ κωλύον τὴν λαμπη δόνα; Φιλεῖ γὰρ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἀντιπολεμεῖν ταῦτα ἀλ λήλοις καὶ ἀντικαθέζεσθαι· καὶ σῶμα μὲν εὐ εκτεῖν, καμνούσης ψυχῆς, ψυχὴν δὲ θάλλειν καὶ ἄνω βλέπειν, τῶν ἡδονῶν ὑποβαινουσῶν καὶ συναπο μαραινομένων τῷ σώματι. Σοῦ δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ἐθαύ μασα τὸ ἀρχαϊκὸν καὶ γενναῖον, πῶς οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἔδεισας, σφόδρα τῶν νῦν ὑπάρχον καιρῶν, μή σοι τὸ πνεῦμα πρόφασις νομισθῇ, καὶ σαρκικῶς ταῦτα λαμβάνειν δοκῶμεν τοῖς πολλοῖς, πνευματι κῶς προσποιούμενοι. Ἐπειδὴ μέγα τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ τυραννικὸν, καὶ θαυμασίαν οἵαν ἔχον ἀπόλαυσιν, οἱ πολλοὶ νομίζεσθαι πεποιήκασιν· κἂν ἔτι στενοτέρας τις ἢ κατὰ ταύτην προστατῇ καὶ ἐξηγῆται ποί μνης, καὶ πλέον φερούσης τῶν ἡδέων τὰ μοχθηρά. Τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τῆς σῆς εἴτε ἁπλότητος