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De creatione hominis sermo primus

HOMILY I ON THE CREATION OF MAN AND ON "IN OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS"

I have come to pay off an old debt, the repayment of which I postponed not from an unkindness of will but from weakness of body, a most necessary debt owed to your hearing. For it would be unjust for us, having been taught about beasts and swimming and flying creatures and cattle, and about heaven and the things in heaven, and about the earth and the things on the earth, not also to be enlightened by the divinely-inspired 3 scripture concerning our own creation. For just as our eyes, seeing what is outside, do not see themselves, unless they happen to touch something smooth and solid, and from there vision, being reflected as if from a returning tide, makes them see what is behind them, so also our mind does not see itself otherwise, unless it delves into the scriptures. For the light reflected here becomes the cause of being seen for each of us, since we are unintelligent of ourselves and unobservant of the constitution of what we are and what we are, being ignorant. For we are most neglectful of ourselves, we who do not have knowledge of the things at hand and of the smallest things within us. Many treatises concerning our human body have expended all their 4 effort, and if you approach medicine, you will find how many things it relates to us concerning the use of our parts , how many hidden passages it has discovered concerning our inner constitution in anatomical operations, pierced through in the unseen into one conspiracy from the body; channels of breath, conduits of blood, the drawing in of respiration, the dwelling-place of the hearth of heat upon the heart, the constant motion of the pericardial spirit. Countless things have been philosophized among them, of which none of us is experienced, because we devote no leisure to this part of the examination, nor does each one know himself, who he is. We are more ready to know heaven than ourselves. So do not despise the wonder in you; for you are small, 5 as you think, but the word, when it comes, will find you great. For this reason the wise David, knowing how to examine himself accurately, says, "Your knowledge was made wonderful from me." I wonderfully discovered the knowledge concerning you. From where? From me. Your knowledge was made wonderful from me; and having understood the art in me, with how much wisdom my body was constructed, from this small creation I perceived the great creator. Let us make man in our image and likeness. It was shown formerly in passing, and it was shown sufficiently whose word it is and to whom the word is addressed. The church has the proofs concerning these things, or rather, it has faith, which is surer than proof.

Let us make man. Learn yourself, beginning from this. This voice is not yet recorded concerning any other of the created things. Light came to be, and a simple command 6. God said, "Let there be light." Heaven, and heaven without counsel; luminaries, and he did not deliberate at all concerning the luminaries; the sea and boundless oceans, and by a command it was brought into being. All kinds of fish, being commanded, came to be, beasts and cattle, swimming and flying creatures; He spoke, and it was done. Here man is not yet, and there is a council concerning man. He did not say as concerning the others, "Let man be made." Learn the preciousness of yourself. He did not cast out your generation with a command, but there is a council in God how the precious animal is to be brought into life. Let us make: the wise one deliberates, the artisan considers. Is something lacking in his art and from his care he wishes it perfected and complete and

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De creatione hominis sermo primus

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Α ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥ ΓΕΝΕΣΕΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΚΑΤ' ΕΙΚΟΝΑ ΚΑΙ

ΚΑΘ' ΟΜΟΙΩΣΙΝ Παλαιοῦ χρέους ἔκτισιν ἀποπληρώσων ἥκω, οὗ τὴν ἀπόδοσιν ἀνεβαλόμην οὐκ ἀγνωμοσύνῃ προαιρέσεως ἀλλ' ἀσθενείᾳ σώματος, χρέος ἀναγκαιότατον καὶ ὀφειλόμενον ὑμῶν τῇ ἀκροάσει. καὶ γὰρ ἂν εἴη ἄδικον τὰ περὶ θηρίων καὶ νηκτῶν καὶ πτηνῶν καὶ κτηνῶν, οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ τῶν κατ' οὐρανόν, περί τε γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ διδαχθέντας ἡμᾶς μὴ καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας γενέσεως ἐκ τῆς θεοπνεύστου 3 γραφῆς φωτισθῆναι. ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν τὰ ἔξω βλέποντες ἑαυτοὺς οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, ἐὰν μή που λείου τινὸς ἅψωνται καὶ στερεοῦ κἀκεῖθεν ἀνακλασθεῖσα ἡ ὄψις ὥσπερ ἀπὸ παλιρροίας ὁρᾶν αὐτοὺς ποιήσῃ τὰ ἑαυτῶν κατόπιν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἡμέτερος ἄλλως ἑαυτὸν οὐ βλέπει, ἐὰν μὴ ταῖς γραφαῖς ἐγκύψῃ. τὸ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα φῶς ἀνακλώμενον τοῦ καθορᾶσθαι ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν αἴτιον γίνεται, ἐπεὶ ἀσύνετοί ἐσμεν ἑαυτῶν καὶ ἀπερίοπτοι τῆς κατασκευῆς ὅπερ ἐσμὲν καὶ τί ἐσμεν ἀγνοοῦντες. ἀμελέστατα γὰρ ἑαυτῶν διακείμεθα οἱ τῶν προχείρων τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῶν μικροτάτων τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν γνῶσιν οὐκ ἔχοντες. πολλαὶ πραγματεῖαι περὶ τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἡμέτερον τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τὴν πᾶσαν ἑαυτῶν σπουδὴν 4 κατηνάλωσαν, κἂν ἰατρικὴν ἐπέλθῃς, εὑρήσεις πόσα περὶ τῆς χρείας τῶν ἡμετέρων <μορίων> ἡμῖν διηγεῖται, πόσας περὶ τῆς ἔνδοθεν ἡμῶν κατασκευῆς ἐν ταῖς ἀνατομικαῖς ἐγχειρήσεσιν ἐξεῦρε κεκρυμμένας ὁδοὺς συντετρημένας ἐν τῷ ἀφανεῖ εἰς μίαν σύμπνοιαν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος· ὀχετοὺς πνεύματος, ὑδραγωγίας αἵματος, ἀναπνοῆς ὁλκήν, οἴκησιν ἑστίας τοῦ θερμοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας, κίνησιν διαρκῆ τοῦ περικαρδίου πνεύματος. μυρία παρ' ἐκείνοις πεφιλοσόφηται, ὧν οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἔμπειρος τῷ μηδεμίαν σχολὴν ἀπονεῖμαι τῷ μέρει τούτῳ τῆς ἐξετάσεως μηδὲ γνῶναι ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος ὅστις ἐστίν. εὔκολοί ἐσμεν γνῶναι οὐρανὸν μᾶλλον ἢ ἑαυτούς. ὥστε μὴ καταφρόνει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ θαύματος· μικρὸς γὰρ εἶ, 5 ὡς νομίζεις, μέγαν δὲ ἐπερχόμενος ὁ λόγος εὑρήσει σε. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ σοφὸς ∆αβὶδ εἰδὼς ἑαυτὸν ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσαι Ἐθαυμαστώθη, φησίν, ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ. τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν περὶ σοῦ θαυμαστῶς ἐξεῦρον. πόθεν; Ἐξ ἐμοῦ. Ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ· καὶ τὴν τέχνην τὴν ἐν ἐμοί, ὅσῃ σοφίᾳ κατεσκευάσθη μου τὸ σῶμα, κατανοήσας ἐκ τοῦ μικροῦ τούτου κατασκευάσματος τὸν μέγαν δημιουργὸν ἐνενόησα. Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ ὁμοίωσιν. ἐδείχθη πρώην ἐν παραδρομῇ καὶ ἀρκούντως ἐδείχθη τίνος ὁ λόγος καὶ πρὸς τίνα ὁ λόγος. ἔχει ἡ ἐκκλησία τὰς περὶ τούτων ἀποδείξεις, μᾶλλον δὲ ἔχει πίστιν ἀποδείξεως βεβαιοτέραν.

Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον. κατάμαθε σεαυτὸν ἐντεῦθεν ἀρξάμενος. οὔπω περὶ ἄλλου τῶν κατασκευασμάτων αὕτη ἡ φωνὴ ἀνάγραπτος. φῶς ἐγένετο, καὶ ἁπλοῦν πρόσταγμα 6. Εἶπεν ὁ θεός Γενηθήτω φῶς. οὐρανός, καὶ ἄνευ βουλῆς οὐρανός· φωστῆρες, καὶ οὐδὲν προεβουλεύσατο περὶ τῶν φωστήρων· θάλασσα καὶ πελάγη ἄπειρα, καὶ προσταγῇ παρήχθη εἰς τὸ εἶναι. ἰχθύων γένη παντοδαπὰ κελευσθέντα ἐγένετο, θηρία καὶ κτήνη, νηκτὰ καὶ πτηνά· Εἶπε καὶ ἐγένετο. ἐνταῦθα οὔπω ἄνθρωπος, καὶ βουλὴ περὶ ἀνθρώπου. οὐκ εἶπεν ὡς περὶ τῶν ἄλλων· γενηθήτω ἄνθρωπος. κατά μαθε σεαυτοῦ τὸ τίμιον. οὐ προσέρριψέ σου τὴν γένεσιν προστάγματι, ἀλλὰ βουλευτήριον ἐν τῷ θεῷ πῶς μέλλει τὸ τίμιον ζῷον εἰς τὸν βίον παράγεσθαι. Ποιήσωμεν· ὁ σοφὸς βουλεύεται, ὁ τεχνίτης ἐνθυμεῖται. ἆρά τι λείπει αὐτοῦ τῇ τέχνῃ καὶ ἐκ τῆς μερίμνης βούλεται ἀπηρτισμένον καὶ τέλειον καὶ