Ch.15. The honor due to the Saints and their relics.

τῶν ἁγίων καὶ τῆς τῶν λειψάνων αὐτῶν τιμῆς

To the saints honour must be paid as friends of Christ, as sons and heirs of God: in the words of John the theologian and evangelist, As many as received Him, to them gave He power to became sons of God (Jn 1. 12 . So that they are no longer servants, but sons: and if sons, also heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Gal. 4. 7: Rom. 8. 17): and the Lord in the holy Gospels says to His apostles, Ye are My friends (Jn 15. 14). Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth (Jn. 15). And further, if the Creator and Lord of all things is called also King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Apoc. 14. 16) and God of Gods, surely also the saints are gods and lords and kings. For of these God is and is called God and Lord and King. For I am the God of Abraham, He said to Moses, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob (Ex. 2. 6). And God made Moses a god to Pharaoh (Ex. 7. 1).

Τιμητέον τοὺς ἁγίους ὡς φίλους Χριστοῦ͵ ὡς τέκνα καὶ κληρονόμους θεοῦ͵ ὥς φησιν ὁ θεολόγος εὐαγγελιστής· Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν͵ ἔδω κεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι. Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δοῦλοι͵ ἀλλ΄ υἱοί· εἰ δὲ υἱοί͵ καὶ κληρονόμοι͵ κληρονόμοι μὲν θεοῦ͵ συγκληρονόμοι δὲ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς εὐαγγελίοις τοῖς ἀποστόλοις φησίν· Ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε. Οὐκέτι ὑμᾶς καλῶ δούλους· ὁ γὰρ δοῦλος οὐκ οἶδε͵ τί ποιεῖ αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυριευόντων καὶ θεὸς θεῶν ὁ δημιουργὸς τῶν ἁπάντων καὶ κύριος λέγεται͵ πάντως οἱ ἅγιοι θεοί τε καὶ κύριοι καὶ βασιλεῖς. Τούτων θεὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ κύριος καὶ βασιλεύς ἐστι καὶ λέγεται. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι͵ φησὶ τῷ Μωσεῖ͵ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Καὶ θεὸν Φαραὼ τὸν Μωσῆν ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν.

Now I mean gods and kings and lords not in nature, but as rulers and masters of their passions, and as preserving a truthful likeness to the divine image according to which they were made (for the image of a king is also called king), and as being united to God of their own free-will and receiving Him as an indweller and becoming by grace through participation with Him what He is Himself by nature.

Θεοὺς δὲ λέγω καὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ κυρίους οὐ φύσει͵ ἀλλ΄ ὡς τῶν παθῶν βασιλεύσαντας καὶ κυριεύσαντας καὶ τὴν τῆς θείας εἰκόνος ὁμοίωσιν͵ καθ΄ ἣν καὶ γεγένηνται͵ ἀπαραχά ρακτον φυλάξαντας (βασιλεὺς γὰρ λέγεται καὶ ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰκών) καὶ ἑνωθέντας θεῷ κατὰ προαίρεσιν καὶ τοῦτον δεξαμένους ἔνοικον καὶ τῇ τούτου μεθέξει γεγονότας χάριτι͵ ὅπερ αὐτός ἐστι φύσει.

Surely, then, the worshippers and friends and sons of God are to be held in honour? For the honour shewn to the most thoughtful of fellow-servants is a proof of good feeling towards the common Master (Basil, Orat. in 40 Martyr).

Πῶς οὖν οὐ τιμητέον τοὺς θεράποντας καὶ φίλους καὶ υἱοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ χρηματίσαν τας; Ἡ γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς εὐγνώμονας τῶν ὁμοδούλων τιμὴ ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει τῆς πρὸς τὸν κοινὸν δεσπότην εὐνοίας.

These are made treasuries and pure habitations of God: For I will dwell in them, said God, and walk in them, and I will be their God (Levit. 26. 12: 2 Cor. 6. 16). The divine Scripture likewise saith that the souls of the just are in God’s hand (Wisd. 3. 1) and death cannot lay hold of them. For death is rather the sleep of the saints than their death. For they travailed in this life and shall to the end (Ps. 40. 9, 10), and Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. 116. 15). What then, is more precious than to be in the hand of God? For God is Life and Light, and those who are in God’s hand are in life and light.

Οὗτοι ταμιεῖα θεοῦ καὶ καθαρὰ γεγόνασι καταγώγια· Ἐνοικήσω γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς͵ ὁ θεός φησι͵ καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν θεός. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ψυχαὶ δικαίων ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ͵ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἅψηται αὐτῶν βάσα νος͵ φησὶν ἡ θεία γραφή· ὁ θάνατος γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων ὕπνος μᾶλλόν ἐστι ἢ θάνατος. Ἐκοπίασαν γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ζήσονται εἰς τέλος͵ καί· Τίμιος ἐναντίον κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ. Τί οὖν τιμιώτερον τοῦ ἐν χειρὶ εἶναι θεοῦ; Ζωὴ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς καὶ φῶς καὶ οἱ ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ ὄν τες ἐν ζωῇ καὶ φωτὶ ὑπάρχουσιν.

Further, that God dwelt even in their bodies noetically (dia ton noun), the Apostle tells us, saying, Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you? (1 Cor. 2. 16), and The Lord is that Spirit (2 Cor. 3. 17), and If any one destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy (2 Cor. 3. 17). Surely, then, we must ascribe honour to the living temples of God, the living tabernacles of God. These while they lived stood with confidence before God.

Ὅτι δὲ διὰ τοῦ νοῦ τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτῶν ἐνῴκησεν ὁ θεός͵ φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος· Οὐκ οἴδατε͵ ὅτι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος ἐν ὑμῖν πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐστίν; Ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστι͵ καί· Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει͵ φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός. Πῶς οὖν οὐ τιμητέον τοὺς ἐμψύχους ναοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ͵ τὰ ἔμψυχα τοῦ θεοῦ σκηνώματα; Οὗτοι ζῶντες ἐν παρρησίᾳ τῷ θεῷ παρεστήκασι.

The Master Christ made the remains of the saints to be fountains of salvation to us, pouring forth manifold blessings and abounding in oil of sweet fragrance: and let no one disbelieve this (Aster., Hom. in SS. Mart.). For if water burst in the desert from the steep and solid rock at God’s will (Ex. 17. 6) and from the jaw-bone of an ass to quench Samson’s thirst (Judg. 15. 17), is it incredible that fragrant oil should burst forth from the martyrs’ remains? By no means, at least to those who know the power of God and the honour which He accords His saints.

Πηγὰς ἡμῖν σωτηρίους ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς τὰ τῶν ἁγίων παρέσχετο λείψανα πολυτρόπως τὰς εὐεργεσίας πηγάζοντα͵ μύρον εὐωδίας βρύοντα. Καὶ μηδεὶς ἀπιστείτω. Εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἀκροτόμου πέτρας ὕδωρ ἐν ἐρήμῳ͵ ἐπή γασε βουλομένου θεοῦ καὶ ἐκ σιαγόνος ὄνου τῷ Σαμψὼν διψῶντι͵ ἐκ μαρτυρικῶν λειψάνων μύρον εὐῶδες ἀναβλύζειν ἄπιστον; Οὐδαμῶς͵ τοῖς γε εἰδόσι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων παρ΄ αὐτοῦ τιμήν.

In the law every one who touches a dead body was considered impure (Num. 19. 11), but these are not dead. For from the time when He that is Himself life and the Author of life was reckoned among the dead, we do not call those dead who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and in faith on Him. For how could a dead body work miracles? How, therefore, are demons driven off by them, diseases dispelled, sick persons made well, the blind restored to sight, lepers purified, temptations and troubles overcome, and how does every good gift from the Father of lights (Jas. 1. 17) come down through them to those who pray with sure faith? How much labour would you not undergo to find a patron to introduce you to a mortal king and speak to him on your behalf? Are not those, then, worthy of honour who are the patrons of the whole race, and make intercession to God for us? Yea, verily, we ought to give honour to them by raising temples to God in their name, bringing them fruit-offerings, honouring their memories and taking spiritual delight in them, in order that the joy of those who call on us may be ours, that in our attempts at worship we may not on the contrary cause them offence. For those who worship God will take pleasure in those things whereby God is worshipped, while His shield-bearers will be wrath at those things wherewith God is wroth. In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephes. 5. 19), in contrition and in pity for the needy, let us believers (πρστοί. Var., πίστει in I Ki. 1) worship the saints, as God also is most worshipped in such wise. Let us raise monuments to them and visible images, and let us ourselves become, through imitation of their virtues, living monuments and images of them. Let us give honour to her who bore God as being strictly and truly the Mother of God. Let us honour also the prophet John as forerunner and baptist, as apostle and martyr, For among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist (Mt. 11. 11), as saith the Lord, and he became the first to proclaim the Kingdom. Let us honour the apostles as the Lord’s brothers, who saw Him face to face and ministered to His passion, for whom God the Father did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8. 29), first apostles, second prophets (1 Cor. 12. 24), third pastors end teachers (Eph. 14. 11). Let us also honour the martyrs of the Lord chosen out of every class, as soldiers of Christ who have drunk His cup and were then baptized with the baptism of His life-bringing death, to be partakers of His passion and glory: of whom the leader is Stephen, the first deacon of Christ and apostle and first martyr. Also let us honour our holy fathers, the God-possessed ascetics, whose struggle was the longer and more toilsome one of the conscience: who wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth, of whom the world was not worthy (Hebr. 11. 37, 38). Let us honour those who were prophets before grace, the patriarchs anti just men who foretold the Lord’s coming. Let us carefully review the life of these men, and let us emulate their faith (Hebr. 13. 7) and love and hope and zeal and way of life, and endurance of sufferings and patience even to blood, in order that we may be sharers with them in their crowns of glory.

Ἐν τῷ νόμῳ πᾶς ὁ νεκροῦ ἁπτόμενος ἀκάθαρτος ἐχρημάτιζεν͵ ἀλλ΄ οὐχ οὗτοι νεκροί. Ἀφ΄ οὗ γὰρ ἡ αὐτοζωή͵ ὁ τῆς ζωῆς αἴτιος͵ ἐν νεκροῖς ἐλογίσθη͵ τοὺς ἐπ΄ ἐλπίδι ἀναστάσεως καὶ τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν πίστει κοιμη  θέντας οὐ νεκροὺς προσαγορεύομεν. Νεκρὸν γὰρ σῶμα πῶς θαυματουρ γεῖν δύναται; Πῶς οὖν δι΄ αὐτῶν δαίμονες ἀπελαύνονται͵ ἀσθενεῖς θερα πεύονται͵ τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέπουσι͵ λεπροὶ καθαίρονται͵ πειρασμοὶ καὶ ἀνίαι λύονται͵ πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν φώτων δι΄ αὐτῶν τοῖς ἀδιστάκτῳ πίστει αἰτοῦσι κάτεισι; Πόσα ἂν ἔκαμες͵ ἵνα προστάτην εὕρῃς θνητῷ σε βασιλεῖ προσάγοντα καὶ ὑπὲρ σοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενον; Τοὺς οὖν προστάτας τοῦ γένους παντὸς τοὺς τῷ θεῷ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὰς ἐντεύξεις ποιουμένους οὐ τιμητέον; Ναὶ μὴν τιμητέον͵ ναοὺς ἐγείροντας τῷ θεῷ ἐπὶ τῷ τούτων ὀνόματι͵ καρποφορίας προσά γοντας͵ τὰς τούτων μνήμας γεραίροντας καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς εὐφραινομένους πνευματικῶς͵ ἵνα οἰκεία τῶν συγκαλούντων ἡ εὐφροσύνη γένηται͵ ἵνα μὴ θεραπεύειν πειρώμενοι τοὔμπαλιν αὐτοὺς παροργίσωμεν. Οἷς μὲν γὰρ θεὸς θεραπεύεται͵ καὶ οἱ τούτου θεράποντες εὐφρανθήσονται· οἷς δὲ προσοχθίζει θεός͵ καὶ οἱ τούτου προσοχθιοῦσιν ὑπασπισταί. Ἐν ψαλ μοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς καὶ κατανύξει καὶ τῶν δεομένων ἐλέῳ τοὺς ἁγίους πιστοὶ θεραπεύσωμεν͵ οἷς μάλιστα καὶ θεὸς θεραπεύεται. Στήλας αὐτοῖς ἐγείρωμεν ὁρωμένας τε εἰκόνας καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔμψυχοι στῆλαι καὶ εἰκόνες αὐτῶν τῇ τῶν ἀρετῶν μιμήσει γενώμεθα. Τὴν θεοτόκον ὡς κυρίως καὶ ἀληθῶς θεοῦ μητέρα τιμήσωμεν· τὸν προφήτην Ἰωάννην ὡς πρόδρομον καὶ βαπτιστὴν ἀπόστολόν τε καὶ μάρτυρα (οὔτε γὰρ ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν μείζων Ἰωάννου ἐγήγερται͵ ὡς ὁ κύριος ἔφησε͵ καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτὸς πρῶτος κῆρυξ γεγένηται)· τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὡς ἀδελφοὺς τοῦ κυρίου καὶ αὐτόπτας καὶ ὑπηρέτας τῶν αὐτοῦ παθημάτων͵ οὓς προγνοὺς καὶ προώρισε συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ· πρῶτον ἀποστόλους͵ δεύτε ρον προφήτας͵ τρίτον ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους· τούς τε τοῦ κυρίου μάρτυρας ἐκ παντὸς τάγματος ἐκλελεγμένους ὡς στρατιώτας Χριστοῦ καὶ τὸ αὐτοῦ πεπωκότας ποτήριον τό τε τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ αὐτοῦ θανάτου βαπτισθέντας βάπτισμα ὡς κοινωνοὺς τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς δόξης͵ ὧν ταξίαρχος ὁ πρωτοδιάκονος Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ πρω τομάρτυς Στέφανος· καὶ τοὺς ὁσίους πατέρας ἡμῶν τοὺς θεοφόρους ἀσκη τὰς τοὺς τὸ χρονιώτερον καὶ ἐπιπονώτερον μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεως διαθλήσαντας͵ οἱ περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς͵ ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν͵ ὑστερού μενοι͵ θλιβόμενοι͵ κακοχούμενοι͵ ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς͵ ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος· τοὺς πρὸ τῆς χάριτος προφήτας͵ πατριάρχας͵ δικαίους τοὺς προκατηγγελκότας τὴν τοῦ κυρίου παρουσίαν. Τούτων πάντων ἀναθεωροῦντες τὴν πολι τείαν ζηλώσωμεν τὴν πίστιν͵ τὴν ἀγάπην͵ τὴν ἐλπίδα͵ τὸν ζῆλον͵ τὸν βίον͵ τὴν καρτερίαν τῶν παθημάτων͵ τὴν ὑπομονὴν μέχρις αἵματος͵ ἵνα καὶ τῶν τῆς δόξης στεφάνων αὐτοῖς κοινωνήσωμεν.

Ch.16. Concerning Images.

89 Περὶ εἰκόνων

But since some (Cf. Petavius, Theol. Dogm. 25. ch. 12) find fault with us for worshipping and honouring the image of our Saviour and that of our Lady, and those, too, of the rest of the saints and servants of Christ, let them remember that in the beginning God created man after His own image (Gen. 1. 26). On what grounds, then, do we shew reverence to each other unless because we are made after God’s image? For as Basil, that much-versed expounder of divine things, says, the honour given to the image passes over to the prototype (Basil, De Spir. Sancto, ch. 18). Now a prototype is that which is imaged, from which the derivative is obtained. Why was it that the Mosaic people honoured on all hands the tabernacle (Ex. 23. 10) which bore an image and type of heavenly things, or rather of the whole creation? God indeed said to Moses, Look that thou make them after their pattern which was shewed thee in the mount (Ex. 25. 40: Heb. 8. 5). The Cherubim, too, which o’ershadow the mercy seat, are they not the work of men’s hands (Ex. 25. 18)? What, further, is the celebrated temple at Jerusalem? Is it not hand-made and fashioned by the skill of men (1 Kings 8)?

Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες ἡμῖν καταμέμφονται προσκυνοῦσί τε καὶ τιμῶσι τήν τε τοῦ σωτῆρος καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν εἰκόνα͵ ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἁγίων καὶ θεραπόντων Χριστοῦ͵ ἀκουέτωσαν͵ ὡς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατ΄ οἰκείαν εἰκόνα ἐποίησε. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἀλλήλους προσκυνοῦμεν͵ εἰ μὴ ὡς κατ΄ εἰκόνα θεοῦ πεποιημένους; Ὡς γάρ φησιν ὁ θεοφόρος καὶ πολὺς τὰ θεῖα Βασίλειος͵ ἡ τῆς εἰκόνος τιμὴ ἐπὶ τὸ πρω τότυπον διαβαίνει· πρωτότυπον δέ ἐστι τὸ εἰκονιζόμενον͵ ἐξ οὗ τὸ παράγωγον γίνεται. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ Μωσαϊκὸς λαὸς τῇ σκηνῇ κυκλόθεν προσεκύνει εἰκόνα καὶ τύπον φερούσῃ τῶν ἐπουρανίων͵ μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς ὅλης κτίσεως; Φησὶ γοῦν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Μωσεῖ· Ὅρα͵ ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Καὶ τὰ Χερουβὶμ δὲ τὰ σκιάζοντα τὸ ἱλαστήριον οὐχὶ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων; Τί δὲ ὁ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις περιώνυμος ναός; Οὐχὶ χειροποίητος καὶ ἀνθρώπων τέχνῃ κατεσκευασμέ νος;

Moreover the divine Scripture blames those who worship graven images, but also those who sacrifice to demons. The Greeks sacrificed and the Jews also sacrificed: but the Greeks to demons and the Jews to God. And the sacrifice of the Greeks was rejected and condemned, but the sacrifice of the just was very acceptable to God. For Noah sacrificed, and God smelled a sweet savour (Gen. 8. 21), receiving the fragrance of the right choice and good-will towards Him. And so the graven images of the Greeks, since they were images of deities, were rejected and forbidden.

δὲ θεία γραφὴ κατηγορεῖ τῶν προσκυνούντων τοῖς γλυπτοῖς͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν θυόντων τοῖς δαιμονίοις. Ἔθυον μὲν καὶ Ἕλληνες͵ ἔθυον δὲ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι· ἀλλ΄ Ἕλληνες μὲν δαίμοσιν͵ Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ τῷ θεῷ. Καὶ ἀπόβλη τος μὲν ἡ τῶν Ἑλλήνων θυσία ἦν καὶ κατάκριτος͵ ἡ δὲ τῶν δικαίων τῷ θεῷ εὐαπόδεκτος. Ἔθυσε γὰρ Νῶε͵ καὶ ὠσφράνθη ὁ θεὸς ὀσμὴν εὐω δίας͵ τῆς ἀγαθῆς προαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας τὸ εὐῶδες ἀποδεχόμενος. Οὕτω τὰ μὲν τῶν Ἑλλήνων γλυπτά͵ ἐπεὶ δαιμόνων ἦσαν ἐξεικονίσματα ἀπόβλητά τε καὶ ἀπηγορευμένα τυγχάνουσι.

But besides this who can make an imitation of the invisible, incorporeal, uncircumscribed, formless God? Therefore to give form to the Deity is the height of folly and impiety. And hence it is that in the Old Testament the use of images was not common. But after God (Jn.1. 14; Tit. 3. 4) in His bowels of pity became in truth man for our salvation, not as He was seen by Abraham in the semblance of a man, nor as He was seen by the prophets, but in being truly man, and after He lived upon the earth and dwelt among men (Bar. 3. 38), worked miracles, suffered, was crucified, rose again and was taken back to Heaven, since all these things actually took place and were seen by men, they were written for the remembrance and instruction of us who were not alive at that time in order that though we saw not, we may still, hearing and believing, obtain the blessing of the Lord. But seeing that not every one has a knowledge of letters nor time for reading, the Fathers gave their sanction to depicting these events on images as being acts of great heroism, in order that they should form a concise memorial of them. Often, doubtless, when we have not the Lord’s passion in mind and see the image of Christ’s crucifixion, His saving passion is brought back to remembrance, and we fall down and worship not the material but that which is imaged: just as we do not worship the material of which the Gospels are made, nor the material of the Cross, but that which these typify. For wherein does the cross, that typifies the Lord, differ from a cross that does not do so? It is just the same also in the case of the Mother of the Lord. For the honour which we give to her is referred to Him Who was made of her incarnate. And similarly also the brave acts of holy men stir us up to be brave and to emulate and imitate their valour and to glorify God. For as we said, the honour that is given to the best of fellow-servants is a proof of good-will towards our common Lady, and the honour rendered to the image passes over to the prototype (Basil, in 40 Mart: also De Spir. Sancto, ch. 27).

Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τοῦ ἀοράτου καὶ ἀσωμάτου καὶ ἀπεριγράπτου καὶ ἀσχηματίστου θεοῦ τίς δύναται ποιήσασθαι μίμημα; Παραφροσύνης τοίνυν ἄκρας καὶ ἀσεβείας τὸ σχηματίζειν τὸ θεῖον. Ἐντεῦθεν ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ οὐκ ἦν τετριμμένη ἡ τῶν εἰκόνων χρῆσις. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ θεὸς διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους αὐτοῦ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτη ρίαν͵ οὐχ ὡς τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ὤφθη ἐν εἴδει ἀνθρώπου͵ οὐχ ὡς τοῖς προφή ταις͵ ἀλλὰ κατ΄ οὐσίαν ἀληθῶς γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος διέτριψέ τε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη͵ ἐθαυματούργησεν͵ ἔπαθεν͵ ἐσταυρώθη͵ ἀνέστη͵ ἀνελήφθη͵ καὶ πάντα ταῦτα κατὰ ἀλήθειαν γέγονε͵ καὶ ὡράθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων͵ ἐγράφη μὲν εἰς ὑπόμνησιν ἡμῶν καὶ δι δαχὴν τῶν τηνικαῦτα μὴ παρόντων͵ ἵνα μὴ ἑωρακότες͵ ἀκούσαντες δὲ καὶ πιστεύσαντες τύχωμεν τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ τοῦ κυρίου. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐ πάντες ἴσασι γράμματα οὐδὲ τῇ ἀναγνώσει σχολάζουσιν͵ οἱ πατέρες συνεῖδον ὥσπερ τινὰς ἀριστείας ἐν εἰκόσι ταῦτα γράφεσθαι εἰς ὑπόμνησιν σύντο μον. Ἀμέλει πολλάκις μὴ κατὰ νοῦν ἔχοντες τὸ τοῦ κυρίου πάθος͵ τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς Χριστοῦ σταυρώσεως ἰδόντες͵ τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους εἰς ἀνά μνησιν ἐλθόντες͵ πεσόντες προσκυνοῦμεν οὐ τῇ ὕλῃ͵ ἀλλὰ τῷ εἰκονιζομένῳ͵ ὥσπερ οὐ τῇ ὕλῃ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου οὐδὲ τῇ τοῦ σταυροῦ ὕλῃ προσκυνοῦ μεν͵ ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐκτυπώματι. Τί γὰρ διαφέρει σταυρὸς μὴ ἔχων τὸ τοῦ κυ ρίου ἐκτύπωμα τοῦ ἔχοντος; Ὡσαύτως καὶ τῆς θεομήτορος· ἡ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὴν τιμὴ εἰς τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς σαρκωθέντα ἀνάγεται. Ὁμοίως καὶ τὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀνδραγαθήματα ἐπαλείφοντα ἡμᾶς πρὸς ἀνδρείαν καὶ ζῆλον καὶ μίμησιν τῆς αὐτῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ δόξαν θεοῦ. Ὡς γὰρ ἔφημεν͵ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς εὐγνώμονας τῶν ὁμοδούλων τιμὴ ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει τῆς πρὸς τὸν κοινὸν δεσπότην εὐνοίας καὶ ἡ τῆς εἰκόνος τιμὴ πρὸς τὸ πρωτότυπον διαβαίνει.

But this is an unwritten tradition (Cf. August., contr. Donatist., bk. 4), just as is also the worshipping towards the East and the worship of the Cross, and very many other similar things.

Ἔστι δὲ ἄγραφος ἡ παράδοσις ὥσπερ τὸ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς προσκυνεῖν͵ τὸ προσκυνεῖν σταυρὸν καὶ ἕτερα πλεῖστα τούτοις ὅμοια.

A certain tale (Evagr., Hist. 4., ch. 27), too, is told (Procop., De Bellis, 2. ch. 12), how that when Abgar was king over the city of the Edessenes, he sent a portrait painter to paint a likeness of the Lord, and when the painter could not paint because of the brightness that shone from His countenance, the Lord Himself put a garment over His own divine and life-giving face and impressed on it an image of Himself and sent this to Abgar, to satisfy thus his desire.

Φέρεται δὲ καί τις ἱστορία͵ ὡς ὁ κύριος τῷ Αὐγάρῳ τῆς Ἐδεσσηνῶν πόλεως βασιλεύοντι ζωγράφον ἀποστείλαντι τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ὁμοιο γραφῆσαι εἰκόνα μὴ δυνηθέντος τοῦ ζωγράφου διὰ τὴν ἀποστίλβουσαν τοῦ προσώπου λαμπρότητα αὐτὸς ἱμάτιον τῷ οἰκείῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ προσώπῳ ἐπιθεὶς ἐναπομάξασθαι τῷ ἱματίῳ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἀπεικόνισμα καὶ οὕτως ἀποστεῖλαι ποθοῦντι τῷ Αὐγάρῳ.

Moreover that the Apostles handed down much that was unwritten, Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, tells us in these words: Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught of us, whether by word or by epistle (2 Thess. 2. 15). And to the Corinthians he writes, Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the traditions as I have delivered them to you (1 Cor. 11. 2).”

Ὅτι δὲ καὶ πλεῖστα οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἀγράφως παραδεδώκασι͵ γράφει Παῦλος ὁ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος· Ἄρα οὖν͵ ἀδελφοί͵ στήκετε καὶ κρα τεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις ἡμῶν͵ ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι΄ ἐπιστο λῆς ἡμῶν͵ καὶ πρὸς Κορινθίους· Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς͵ ἀδελφοί͵ ὅτι πάντα μου μέμνησθε καί͵ καθὼς παρέδωκα ὑμῖν͵ τὰς παραδόσεις κατέχετε.