PART II

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I CRAVE your indulgence, my readers (despotai mou), and ask you to receive the true statement of one who is an unprofitable servant, the least of all, in the Church of God. I have not been moved to speak by motives of vainglory, God is my witness, but by zeal for the truth. In this alone is my hope of salvation, and with it I trust and pray to go out to meet Christ our Lord, asking that it may be an expiation for my sins. The man who received five talents from his lord, brought other five which he had gained, and the man with two, other two. The man who received one, and buried it, gave it back without interest, and being pronounced a wicked servant, was banished into external darkness. (Mt. 25.20 ff)

2,1 Δότε συγγνώμην αἰτοῦντι͵ δεσπόται μου͵ καὶ δέξασθε πληροφορίας λόγον παρ΄ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἀχρείου καὶ ἐλαχίστου δούλου τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλη σίας. Οὐ γὰρ δόξης ἕνεκεν ἢ φανητιασμοῦ πρὸς τὸ λέγειν ὥρμησαθεὸς μάρτυς͵ ἀλλὰ ζήλῳ ἀληθεί ας· αὐτὸν γὰρ μόνον ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας κέκτημαι καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ ὑπαντῆσαι τῷ δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ ἐλπίζω καὶ εὔχομαι τοῦτον αὐτῷ προσφέρων͵ τῶν ἀτόπως μοι πεπλημμελημένων γενέσθαι ἐξίλασμα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὰ πέντε τάλαντα παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου λαβὼν ἕτερα πέντε κερδήσας προσήγαγε͵ καὶ ὁ τὰ δύο ἰσάριθμα δύο· ὁ δὲ τὸ ἓν εἰληφὼς κατορύξας καὶ ἄκαρπον τοῦτο προσαγαγὼν πονηρὸς δοῦλος ἀκούσας εἰς τὸ ἐξώτερον κατακέκριται σκότος.

Lest I should suffer in the same way, I obey God’s commands, and with the talent of eloquence, which is His gift, I put before the wise among you a treasure table, so that when the Lord comes He may find me rich in souls, a faithful servant, whom He may take into that ineffable joy of His, which is my desire. Give me listening ears and willing hearts. Receive my treatise, and ponder well the force of the arguments.

Ὅπερ ἐγὼ μὴ παθεῖν ὑφορώμενος τῷ δεσποτικῷ ὑπείκω προστάγματι καὶ τὸ δεδομένον μοι παρ΄ αὐτοῦ τοῦ λόγου τάλαν τον ὑμῖν παρατίθημι τοῖς φρονίμοις τραπεζίταις͵ ὅπως ἐλθὼν ὁ κύριός μου εὕροι πολυπλασιαζόμενον καὶ τόκον καρποφοροῦν ψυχῶν καὶ δοῦλον πιστὸν εὑρὼν εἰσαγάγῃ με εἰς τὴν πεποθημένην μοι γλυκυ τάτην χαρὰν αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ δότε μοι οὖς ἀκροάσεως καὶ τὰς τραπέζας τῶν καρδιῶν ἀναπετάσαντες δέξα σθέ μου τὸν λόγον καὶ εἰλικρινῶς διακρίνατε τῶν λεγομένων τὴν δύναμιν.

This is the second part of my work on images. Certain children of the Church have urged me to do it because the first part was not sufficiently clear to all. Be indulgent with me on this account, for my obedience.

Δεύτερον δὲ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον περὶ εἰκόνων συνέταξα· τινὲς γὰρ τῶν τέκνων τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὑπέθεντό μοι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι διὰ τὸ μὴ πάνυ εὐδιάγνωστον τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸν πρῶτον εἶναι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ σύγγνωτέ μοι ὑπακοὴν ἐκπληρώ σαντι.

The wicked serpent of old, Beloved, I mean the devil, is wont to wage war in many ways against man, who is made after God’s image, and to work his destruction through opposition. In the very beginning he inspired man with the hope and desire of becoming a god, and through that desire he dragged man down to share the death of the brute creation. He has enticed man also by shameful and brutal pleasures. What a contrast between becoming a god and feeling brutal lust. And again, he led man into infidelity, as the royal (theopatÅ�r) David says: “The fool said in his heart there is no God.” (Ps. 14.1) At one time he has brought man to worship too many gods, at another not even the true God, sometimes demons, and again, the heavens and the earth, the sun and moon and stars, and the rest of creation, wild beasts and reptiles. It is as bad to refuse due honour where honour is due, as to give it where it is not due. Again, he has taught some to call the uncreated god evil, and has deceived others by making them recognise God, who is good by nature, as the author of evil. Some he has deceived by the misconception of one nature and one substance of the Godhead; some he has induced to honour three natures and three substances; some one substance in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity; some two natures and two substances.

2,2=3,1.4 Ἔθος ἐστὶν τῷ πονηρῷ καὶ ἀρχεκάκῳ ὄφει͵ τῷ διαβόλῳ φημί͵ πολυτρόπως πολεμεῖν τῷ κατ΄ εἰκόνα θεοῦ πλαστουργηθέντι ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τὸν αὐτοῦ κατεργάζεσθαι θάνατον. Εὐθὺς μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν θεώσεως αὐτῷ ἔσπειρε καὶ δι΄ αὐτῆς εἰς τὸν τῶν ἀλόγων κατήγαγε θάνατον͵ οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰσχραῖς καὶ ἀλόγοις ἡδοναῖς πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐδελέασε. Πόσον δὲ τὸ διάμετρον θεώσεως καὶ ἀλόγου ἐπιθυμίας. Ποτὲ μὲν εἰς ἀθεότητα ἤγαγε͵ καθώς φησιν ὁ θεοπάτωρ Δαυίδ· Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι θεός͵ ποτὲ δὲ εἰς πολυθεΐαν· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν μηδὲ τῷ φύσει προσκυνεῖν θεῷ ἔπεισε͵ ποτὲ δὲ δαίμοσιν͵ ἔτι δὲ οὐρανῷ τε καὶ γῇ͵ ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ καὶ ἀστράσι καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ κτίσει μέχρι κνωδάλων καὶ ἑρπετῶν προσκυνεῖν παρεσκεύασεν. Ὁμοίως γάρ ἐστι χαλε πὸν καὶ τὸ τοῖς τιμίοις τὴν ὀφειλομένην μὴ προσάγειν τιμὴν καὶ τοῖς ἀτίμοις τὴν μὴ προσήκουσαν προσάπτειν δόξαν. Πάλιν τινὰς μὲν συνάναρχον τῷ θεῷ τὴν κακίαν λέγειν ἐδίδαξε͵ τινὰς δὲ αἴτιον τῆς κακίας τὸν φύσει ἀγαθὸν θεὸν ὁμολογεῖν ἐξηπάτησε. Καὶ οὓς μὲν μίαν φύσιν καὶ μίαν ὑπόστασιν τῆς θεότητος ἀφρόνως λέγειν ἐπλάνησεν͵ οὓς δὲ τρεῖς φύσεις καὶ τρεῖς ὑπο στάσεις ἀθέσμως σέβειν ἐνόθευσε. Καὶ τισὶ μὲν μίαν ὑπόστασιν καὶ μίαν φύσιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἑνὸς τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος͵ τισὶ δὲ δύο φύσεις καὶ δύο ὑποστάσεις τοῦ αὐτοῦ δοξάζειν ὑπέθετο.

But the truth, taking a middle course, sweeps away these misconceptions and teaches us to acknowledge one God, one nature in three persons (upostasesi) the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Evil is not a being, but an accident, a certain conception, word, or deed against the law of God, taking its origin in this conception, speech, or doing, and ending with it. The truth proclaims also that in Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, there are two natures and one person.

Ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια μέσην ὁδὸν βαδίζουσα πάντα ταῦτα ἀπαρνεῖται τὰ ἄτοπα καὶ δι δάσκει ἕνα θεὸν ὁμολογεῖν͵ μίαν φύσιν ἐν τρισὶν ὑπο στάσεσι͵ πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι. Τὴν δὲ κακί αν οὐκ οὐσίαν͵ ἀλλὰ συμβε βηκός φησιν͵ ἔννοιάν τινα καὶ λόγον καὶ πρᾶξιν παρὰ τὸν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ͵ ἐν τῷ ἐννο εῖσθαι καὶ λέγεσθαι καὶ πράτ τεσθαι τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔχουσαν καὶ ἅμα τῷ παύσασθαι ἀφα νιζομένην. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸν ἕνα τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος͵ τὸν Χριστόν͵ δύο φύσεις κηρύττει καὶ μίαν ὑπόστασιν.

Now, the devil, the enemy of the truth and of man’s salvation, in suggesting that images of corruptible man and of birds and beasts and reptiles, should be made and worshipped as gods, has often led astray not only heathens but the children of Israel. (Rom. 1.23) In these days he is eager to trouble the peace of Christ’s Church through false and lying tongues, using divine words in favour of what is evil, and striving to disguise his wicked intent, and drawing the unstable away from true and patristic custom. Some have risen up and said that it was wrong to represent and set forth publicly for adoration the saving wounds of Christ, and the combats of the saints against the devil. Who with a knowledge of divine things and a spiritual sense does not perceive in this a deception of the devil? He is unwilling that his shame should be known and that the glory of God and of His saints should be published.

^2,4=3,1 Ἀλλ΄ ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρὸς καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων πολέμιος ὅ ποτε δαιμόνων καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώ πων καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ κνωδάλων καὶ ἑρπετῶν εἰκόνας ποιεῖν καὶ ταύταις ὡς θεοῖς προσκυνεῖν οὐ μόνον τὰ ἔθνη͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ πολλάκις πλανήσας νῦν εἰρήνην ἔχουσαν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίαν συνταράξαι σπουδάζει διὰ χειλέων ἀδίκων καὶ γλώσσης δολίας λόγοις θείοις τὴν κακίαν παραρτύων καὶ ταύτης τὸ ἄσχημον καὶ σκοτεινὸν εἶδος ἐπικαλύπτειν πειρώμενος καὶ τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀστηρί κτων σαλεύειν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθοῦς καὶ πατροπαραδότου συνηθεί ας· ^2,4=3,2 ἀνέστησαν γάρ τινες λέγοντες͵ ὡς οὐ δεῖ εἰ κονίζειν καὶ προτιθέναι εἰς θεωρίαν καὶ δόξαν καὶ θαῦμα καὶ ζῆλον τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σωτήρια θαύματά τε καὶ πάθη καὶ τὰς τῶν ἁγίων ἀνδραγαθίας κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου. Καὶ τίς ἔχων γνῶσιν θείαν καὶ σύνεσιν πνευματικὴν οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκει͵ ὅτι ὑποβολὴ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν; Οὐ θέλει γὰρ τὴν ἧτταν καὶ τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτοῦ δημοσιεύεσθαι οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἀνάγραπτον γίνεσθαι.

If we made an image of the invisible God, we should in truth do wrong. For it is impossible to make a statue of one who is without body, invisible, boundless, and formless. Again, if we made statues of men, and held them to be gods, worshipping them as such, we should be most impious. But we do neither. For in making the image of God, who became incarnate and visible on earth, a man amongst men through His unspeakable goodness, taking upon Him shape and form and flesh, we are not misled. We long to see what He was like. As the divine apostle says, “We see now in a glass, darkly.” (I Cor. 13.12) The image, too, is a dark glass, according to the denseness of our bodies. The mind, in much travail, cannot rid itself of bodily things. Shame upon you, wicked devil, for grudging us the sight of our Lord’s likeness and our sanctification through it. You would not have us gaze at His saving sufferings nor wonder at His condescension, neither contemplate His miracles nor praise His almighty power. You grudge the saints the honour God gives to them. You would not have us see their glory put on record, nor allow us to become imitators of their fortitude and faith. We will not obey your suggestions, wicked and man-hating devil. Listen to me, people of all nations, men, women, and children, all of you who bear the Christian name: If any one preach to you something contrary to what the Catholic Church has received from the holy apostles and fathers and councils, and has kept down to the present day, do not heed him. Do not receive the serpent’s counsel, as Eve did, to whom it was death. If an angel or an emperor teaches you anything contrary to what you have received, shut your ears. I have refrained so far from saying, as the holy apostle said, “Let him be anathema,” (Gal. 1.8) in the hope of amendment.

2,5=3,2 Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου εἰκόνα ἐποιοῦμεν͵ ὄντως ἡμαρτάνομεν· ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὸ ἀσώματον καὶ ἀσχη μάτιστον καὶ ἀόρατον καὶ ἀπερίγραπτον εἰκονισθῆναι. Καὶ πάλιν· εἰ ἐποιοῦμεν εἰκόνας ἀνθρώπων καὶ ταύτας θεοὺς ἡγούμεθα καὶ ὡς θεοῖς ἐλατρεύομεν͵ ὄντως ἠσεβοῦμεν. Ἀλλ΄ οὐδὲν τούτων ποιοῦμεν. Θεοῦ γὰρ σαρκωθέντος καὶ ὀφθέντος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς σαρκὶ καὶ ἀνθρώποις συναναστραφέντος δι΄ ἄφατον ἀγαθότητα καὶ φύσιν καὶ πάχος καὶ σχῆμα καὶ χρῶμα σαρκὸς ἀναλαβόντος τὴν εἰκόνα ποιοῦντες οὐ σφαλ λόμεθα· ποθοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἰδεῖν τὸν χαρακτῆρα· ὡς γάρ φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· Ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι νῦν βλέπομεν. Καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν δὲ ἔσοπτρόν ἐστι καὶ αἴνιγμα ἁρμόζον τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν παχύτητι· πολλὰ γὰρ κάμνων ὁ νοῦς οὐ δύναται ἐκβῆναι τὰ σωματικά͵ φησὶν ὁ θεῖος Γρηγόριος. 2,6=3,3 Ὢ ἀπὸ σοῦ͵ φθονερὲ διάβολε͵ φθονεῖς ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν τὸ τοῦ δεσπότου ἡμῶν ὁμοίωμα καὶ δι΄ αὐτοῦ ἁγια σθῆναι καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτοῦ τὰ σωτήρια πάθη καὶ θαυμάζειν αὐτοῦ τὴν συγκατάβασιν καὶ θεωρεῖν αὐτοῦ τὰ θαύματα καὶ ἐπιγινώσκειν καὶ δοξάζειν αὐτοῦ τὴν τῆς θεότητος δύναμιν. Φθονεῖς τοῖς ἁγίοις τῆς παρὰ θεοῦ δεδομένης αὐτοῖς τιμῆς. Οὐ θέλεις ὁρᾶν ἡμᾶς τὴν αὐτῶν δόξαν ἀνάγραπτον καὶ ζηλωτὰς γενέσθαι τῆς αὐτῶν ἀνδρείας καὶ πίστεως. Οὐ φέρεις τὴν ἐκ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς πίστεως προσγενομένην ἡμῖν σωματικήν τε καὶ ψυχικὴν ὠφέλειαν. Οὐ πειθόμεθά σοι͵ δαῖ μον φθονερὲ καὶ μισάνθρωπε. Ἀκούσατε͵ λαοί͵ φυλαί͵ γλῶσσαι͵ ἄνδρες͵ γυναῖκες͵ παῖδες͵ πρεσβύται͵ νεανίσκοι καὶ νήπια͵ τὸ ἔθνος τῶν χριστιανῶν τὸ ἅγιον· Εἴ τις εὐαγγελίζεται ὑμᾶς͵ παρ΄ ὃ παρέλαβεν ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων πατέρων τε καὶ συνόδων καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν διεφύλαξε͵ μὴ ἀκούσητε αὐτοῦ μηδὲ δέξησθε τὴν συμ βουλὴν τοῦ ὄφεως͵ ὡς ἐδέξατο Εὔα καὶ ἐτρύγησε θάνατον. Κἂν ἄγγελος͵ κἂν βασιλεὺς εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμᾶς͵ παρ΄ ὃ παρελάβετε͵ κλείσατε τὰς ἀκοάς· ὀκνῶ γὰρ τέως εἰπεῖν͵ ὡς ἔφη ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· Ἀνάθεμα ἔστω͵ ἐκδεχόμενος τὴν διόρθωσιν.

But say those who do not enter into the mind of Scripture, God said, through Moses the law-giver: “Thou shalt not make to thyself the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath”; (Ex. 20.4) and through the prophet David: “Let them be all confounded that adore graven things, and that glory in their idols,” (Ps. 97.7) and many similar passages. Whatever they have quoted from Holy Scripture and the fathers is to the same intent.

2,7=3,4 Ἀλλὰ λέγουσιν οἱ μὴ ἐρευνῶντες τὸν νοῦν τῆς γραφῆς͵ ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ Μωσέως τοῦ νομοθέτου· Οὐ ποιήσεις πᾶν ὁμοίωμα͵ ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ. καὶ διὰ Δαυὶδ τοῦ προφήτου· Αἰσχυνθήτωσαν πάντες οἱ προσκυνοῦντες τοῖς γλυπτοῖς οἱ ἐγκαυχώμενοι ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν͵ καὶ τοιαῦτα πολλὰ ἕτερα. Ὅσα γὰρ ἂν ἐκ τῆς θείας γραφῆς καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων προενέγκωσι͵ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐννοίας εἰσί.

Now, what shall we say to these things? What, if not that which God spoke to the Jews, “Search the Scriptures.” (Jn. 5.39)

2,7=3,4.40 Τί οὖν ἡμεῖς φαμεν πρὸς ταῦτα; Τί ἄλλο εἰ μὴ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις εἰρημένον ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς;

It is good to examine the Scriptures, but let your mind be enlightened from the search. It is impossible, Beloved, that God should not speak truth. (Heb. 6.18) There is one God, one Lawgiver of the old and new dispensation, who “spoke of old in many ways to the patriarchs through the prophets, and in these latter times through His only begotten Son.” (Heb. 1.1) Apply your mind with discernment. It is not I who am speaking. The Holy Ghost declared by the holy apostle St Paul that God spoke of old in many different ways to the patriarchs through the prophets. Note, in many different ways. A skilful doctor does not invariably prescribe for all alike, but for each according to his state, taking into consideration climate and complaint, season and age, giving one remedy to a child, another to a grown man, according to his age; one thing to a weak patient, another to a strong; and to each sufferer the right thing for his state and malady: one thing in the summer, another in the winter, another in the spring or autumn, and in each place according to its requirements. So in the same way the good Physician of souls prescribed for those who were still children and inclined to the sickness of idolatry, holding idols to be gods, and worshipping them as such, neglecting the worship of God, and preferring the creature to His glory. He charged them not to do this.

Καλὴ γὰρ ἡ τῶν γραφῶν ἔρευνα. Ἀλλ΄ ἐνταῦθα νουνεχῶς προσέχετε. Ἀδύνατον͵ ὦ ἀγαπητοί͵ θεὸν ψεύσασθαι· εἷς γάρ ἐστι θεός͵ εἷς νομοδότης παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης ὁ πάλαι λαλήσας πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις καὶ ἐπ΄ ἐσχάτων τῶν χρόνων ἐν τῷ μονογενεῖ αὐτοῦ υἱῷ. Προσέχετε τοίνυν μετὰ ἀκριβείας. Οὐκ ἐμὸς ὁ λόγος ἐστί. Τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ Παύλου τοῦ ἁγίου ἀποστόλου ἀπεφήνατο· Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. Ὅρα͵ ὅτι πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεός. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπιστήμων ἰατρὸς οὐ τὸ αὐτὸ εἶδος πᾶσι δίδωσιν πάντοτε͵ ἀλλ΄ ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἐπιτήδειον παρέχει καὶ πρόσφορον φάρμακον διακρίνων καὶ χώραν καὶ νόσον καὶ ὥραν τουτέστι καιρὸν καὶ ἕξιν καὶ ἡλικίαν· καὶ τῷ μὲν νηπίῳ ἕτερον͵ τῷ δὲ τελείῳ κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἕτερον· ἄλλο τῷ ἀσθενεῖ καὶ ἄλλο τῷ ὑγιαίνοντι͵ καὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀσθενούν των οὐ τὸ αὐτό͵ ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἕξιν καὶ τὴν νόσον· καὶ ἄλλο τῷ θέρει καὶ τῷ χειμῶνι ἕτερον͵ μετοπώρῳ τε καὶ ἔαρι͵ καὶ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τόπῳ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου ἐπιτηδειότητα. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἄριστος τῶν ψυχῶν ἰατρὸς τοῖς ἔτι νηπίοις καὶ ἀρρω στοῦσι τὴν πρὸς εἰδωλολατρείαν νόσον καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα θεοὺς ἡγουμένοις καὶ ὡς θεοῖς αὐτοῖς προσκυνοῦσι καὶ ἀθετοῦσιν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ προσκύνησιν καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ δόξαν τῇ κτίσει προσάγουσιν ἀπηγόρευσε τοῦ ποιεῖν εἰκόνας

It is impossible to make an image of God, who is a pure spirit, invisible, boundless, having neither form nor circumscription. How can we make an image of what is invisible? “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (Jn. 1.18) And again, “No one shall see My face and live, saith the Lord.” (Ex. 33.20)

. Θεοῦ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ ἀσωμάτου καὶ ἀοράτου καὶ ἀύλου καὶ μήτε σχῆμα μήτε περιγραφὴν μήτε κατάληψιν ἔχοντος ἀδύνατον ποιεῖν εἰκόνα· πῶς γὰρ τὸ μὴ ὁραθὲν εἰκονισθήσεται; Θεὸν δὲ οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς ὁ ὢν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ πατρός͵ αὐτὸς ἐξηγήσατο. καὶ οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸ πρόσωπόν μου καὶ ζήσεται͵ ἔφη ὁ θεός.

That they did worship idols there is no doubt from what the Scripture says about the going out of the children of Israel, when Moses went up to Mount Sinai, and persevered in prayer to God. Whilst receiving the law, the ungrateful people rose against Aaron, the priest of God, saying: “Make us gods who may go before us. For as to Moses, we know not what has befallen him.” (Ex. 32.1 ff) Then, when they had looked over the trinkets of their wives, and brought them together, they ate and drank, and were inebriated with wine and madness, and began to make merry, saying in their foolishness, “These are thy gods, O Israel.” Do you see that they made gods of idols who were demons, and that they worshipped the creature instead of the Creator? As the holy apostle says: “They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things, and served the creature rather than the Creator.” (Rom. 1.23, 25) On this account God forbade them to make any graven image, as Moses says in Deuteronomy:

2,8=3,5 Ὅτι δὲ τοῖς εἰδώλοις ὡς θεοῖς προσεκύνουν͵ ἄκουε͵ τί φησιν ἡ γραφὴ ἐν τῇ ἐξόδῳ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ͵ ὅτε ἀνῆλθε Μωσῆς εἰς τὸ ὄρος Σινᾶ καὶ ἐχρόνισε προσεδρεύων τῷ θεῷ λαβεῖν τὸν νόμον͵ ὅτε ἐπανέστη ὁ ἀγνώμων λαὸς Ἀαρὼν τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ θεράποντι λέγοντες· Ποίησον ἡμῖν θεούς͵ οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος ὁ Μωσῆς͵ οὐκ οἴδαμεν͵ τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ. Εἶτα͵ ὅτε περι είλοντο τὸν κόσμον τῶν γυναικῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐχώνευσαν͵ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ ἐμεθύσθησαν ὑπό τε τοῦ οἴνου καὶ τῆς πλάνης καὶ ἤρξαντο παίζειν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγοντες· Οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου͵ Ἰσραήλ. Ὁρᾷς͵ ὅτι θεοὺς εἶχον τὰ εἴδωλα· οὐ γὰρ ἐποίησαν Διὸς εἴδωλον ἢ τοῦδε ἢ τοῦδε͵ ἀλλ΄͵ ὡς ἔτυχεν͵ ἔδωκαν τὸν χρυσὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ποιῆσαι εἴδωλον͵ ὅπερ ἂν τύχῃ͵ καὶ ἀνῆλθεν ἐκτύπωμα βουκράνου. Ὥστε αὐτὰ τὰ χωνευτὰ θεοὺς εἶχον καὶ τούτοις ὡς θεοῖς προσεκύνουν͵ ἅτινα δαιμόνων ἦσαν κατοικητήρια. Καὶ ὅτι τῇ κτίσει ἐλάτρευον παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα͵ φησὶ καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· Οἵτινες ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. Τούτου χάριν ἀπηγόρευσεν ὁ θεὸς ποιεῖν πᾶν ὁμοίωμα͵ καθὼς Μωσῆς ἐν τῷ Δευτερο νομίῳ φησί·

1,4 Οἶδα τὸν ἀψευ δῶς εἰπόντα· Κύριος ὁ θεός σου κύριος εἷς ἐστι͵ καὶ κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσ κυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις͵ καὶ οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι͵ καὶ οὐ ποιήσεις γλυπτὸν πᾶν ὁμοί ωμα͵ ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω͵ καὶ αἰσχυνθήτωσαν πάντες οἱ προσκυνοῦντες τοῖς γλυπ τοῖς͵ καὶ θεοί͵ οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐ ποίησαν͵ ἀπολέσθωσαν͵ καὶ ὅσα τοιουτοτρόπως πάλαι ὁ θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις ἐπ΄ ἐσχά των τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐλάλησεν ἡ μῖν ἐν τῷ μονογενεῖ αὐτοῦ υἱῷ͵ δι΄ οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν. Οἶδα τὸν εἰπόντα· Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή͵ ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε͵ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰη σοῦν Χριστόν. Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα θεόν͵ μίαν τῶν πάν των ἀρχήν͵ ἄναρχον͵ ἄκτιστον͵ ἀνώλεθρον καὶ ἀθάνατον͵ αἰ ώνιον καὶ ἀίδιον͵ ἀκατάληπ τον͵ ἀσώματον͵ ἀόρατον͵ ἀ περίγραπτον͵ ἀσχημάτιστον͵ μίαν ὑπερούσιον οὐσίαν͵ ὑ πέρθεον θεότητα͵ ἐν τρισὶν ὑποστάσεσι͵ πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι͵ καὶ τού τῳ μόνῳ λατρεύω καὶ τούτῳ μόνῳ προσάγω τὴν τῆς λα τρείας προσκύνησιν. Ἑνὶ θεῷ προσκυνῶ͵ μιᾷ θεότητι͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ τριάδι λατρεύω ὑποστάσεων͵ θεῷ πατρὶ καὶ θεῷ υἱῷ σεσαρκωμένῳ καὶ θεῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι͵ ἑνὶ θεῷ. Οὐ προσκυνῶ τῇ κτί σει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα͵ ἀλλὰ προσκυνῶ τὸν κτίστην κτι σθέντα τὸ κατ΄ ἐμὲ καὶ εἰς κτίσιν ἀταπεινώτως καὶ ἀκα θαιρέτως κατεληλυθότα͵ ἵνα τὴν ἐμὴν δοξάσῃ φύσιν καὶ θείας κοινωνὸν ἐπεργάσηται φύσεως. Συμπροσκυνῶ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ θεῷ τὴν ἁλουργί δα τοῦ σώματος οὐχ ὡς ἱμά τιον οὐδ΄ ὡς τέταρτον πρόσ ωπον (ἄπαγε) ἀλλ΄ ὡς ὁμό θεον χρηματίσασαν καὶ γενο μένην͵ ὅπερ τὸ χρῖσαν͵ ἀμε ταβλήτως· οὐ γὰρ θεότης ἡ φύσις γέγονε τῆς σαρκός͵ ἀλλ΄ ὥσπερ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἀ τρέπτως γέγονε μείνας͵ ὅ περ ἦν͵ οὕτω καὶ ἡ σὰρξ λόγος γέγονεν οὐκ ἀπολέσα σα τουθ΄͵ ὅπερ ἐστί͵ ταυτι ζομένη δὲ μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸν λόγον καθ΄ ὑπόστασιν. Διὸ θαρρῶν εἰκονίζω θεὸν τὸν ἀόρατον οὐχ ὡς ἀόρατον͵ ἀλλ΄ ὡς ὁρατὸν δι΄ ἡμᾶς γενόμε νον μεθέξει σαρκός τε καὶ αἵματος. Οὐ τὴν ἀόρατον εἰκονίζω θεότητα͵ ἀλλ΄ εἰ κονίζω θεοῦ τὴν ὁραθεῖσαν σάρκα. Εἰ γὰρ ψυχὴν εἰκονί σαι ἀμήχανον͵ πόσῳ μᾶλλον θεὸν τὸν καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ δόντα τὸ ἄυλον;

Ἀλλά φασιν· Εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ Μωσέως τοῦ νο μοθέτου· Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις͵ καὶ οὐ ποιήσεις πᾶν ὁμοίωμα͵ ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ. Ἀδελφοί͵ ὄντως πλανῶνται οἱ μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς οἱ μὴ εἰδότες͵ ὡς τὸ γράμμα ἀ ποκτένει͵ τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωο ποιεῖ͵ οἱ μὴ ἐρευνῶντες τὸ ὑπὸ τῷ γράμματι κεκρυμμέ νον πνεῦμα. Πρὸς οὓς ἂν ἀ ξίως εἴποιμι· Ὁ τοῦτο διδά ξας ὑμᾶς διδαξάτω καὶ τὸ ἑπόμενον. Μάθε͵ ὅπως ἑρμη νεύει ὁ νομοθέτης ὧδέ πως ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ λέ γων·

“And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the voice of His words, but you saw not any form at all.” (Deut. 4.12) And a little further on: “Keep therefore your souls carefully; you saw not any similitude in the day that the Lord God spoke to you in Horeb, from the midst of the fire, lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude or image of male or female, the similitude of any beasts that are upon the earth, or of birds that fly under heaven.” (Deut. 4.9, 15, 17) And again: “Lest perhaps lifting up thy eyes to heaven, thou see the sun and the moon, and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error, thou adore and serve them.” (Deut. 4.19)

Καὶ ἐλάλησε κύριος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρός· φωνὴν ῥημάτων ὑμεῖς ἠκούσατε καὶ ὁμοίωμα οὐκ εἴδετε͵ ἀλλ΄ ἢ φωνήν͵ καὶ μετ΄ ὀλίγα καὶ φυλάξασθε σφόδρα τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν͵ ὅτι ὁμοίωμα οὐκ εἴδετε ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ͵ ᾗ ἐλάλησε κύριος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν Χωρὴβ ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρός͵ μήποτε ἀνομήσητε καὶ ποιήσητε ὑμῖν ἑαυτοῖς γλυπτὸν ὁμοίωμα͵ πᾶσαν εἰκόνα͵ ὁμοίωμα ἀρσενικοῦ ἢ θηλυκοῦ͵ ὁμοίωμα παντὸς κτήνους τῶν ὄντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς͵ ὁμοίωμα παντὸς ὀρνέου πτερωτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς͵ καὶ μετὰ βραχέα μήποτε ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας καὶ πάντα τὸν κόσμον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ͵ πλανηθεὶς προσκυνήσῃς αὐτοῖς καὶ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς.

You see the one object in view is that the creature should not be worshipped instead of the Creator, and that the worship of latreia should be given to God alone. Thus in every case when he speaks of worship he means latreia. Again “Thou shalt not have strange gods in my sight; thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing nor any likeness.” (Deut. 5.7)

Ὁρᾷς͵ ὡς εἷς ἐστιν ὁ σκοπός͵ ὥστε μὴ λατρεῦσαι τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα μηδὲ προσάγειν τὴν τῆς λατρείας προσκύνησιν͵ ἀλλ΄ ἢ μόνῳ τῷ δημιουργῷ. Διὸ πανταχῆ συνάπτει τῇ προσκυνήσει τὴν λατρείαν· πάλιν γάρ φησιν· Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ. Οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ γλυπτὸν οὐδὲ πᾶν ὁμοίωμα͵

Again: “Thou shalt not make to thyself gods of metal.” (Ex. 34.17)You see that He forbids image-making on account of idolatry, and that it is impossible to make an image of God, who is a Spirit, invisible, and uncircumscribed. “You have not seen His likeness,” (Deut. 4.15) He says; and St Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, says: “Being therefore the offspring of God, we must not suppose the divinity to be like unto gold, or silver, or stone, the graving of art, a device of man.” (Acts 17.29)

1,7 Ὁρᾷς͵ ὡς τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἕνεκα ἀπαγορεύει τὴν εἰκονο γραφίαν καὶ ὅτι ἀδύνατον εἰκονίζεσθαι θεὸν τὸν ἄποσον καὶ ἀπερίγρα πτον καὶ ἀόρατον. Οὐ γὰρ εἶδος αὐτοῦ͵ φησίν͵ ἑωράκατε͵ καθὰ καὶ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ Ἀρείου πάγου φησίν· Γένος οὖν ὑπάρχοντες τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσίῳ ἢ ἀργυρίῳ ἢ λίθῳ͵ χαράγματι τέχνης καὶ ἐνθυμήσεως ἀνθρώπου͵ τὸ θεῖον εἶναι ὅμοιον.

Listen again that it is so. Thou shalt not make to thyself any brazen thing nor any likeness. These things, he says, they made by God’s commandment a hanging of violet, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen in the entrance of the tabernacle, and the cherubim in woven work. (Ex. 26.31) And they made also the propitiatory, that is, the oracle of the purest gold, and the two cherubim. (Ex 37.6, 7) What will you say to this, O Moses? You say, thou shalt not make to thyself any graven thing nor any likeness, and you yourself fashion cherubim of woven work, and two cherubim of pure gold. Listen to the answer of God’s servant Moses: “You blind and foolish people, mark the force of what is said, and keep your souls carefully. I said that you had seen no likeness on the day when the Lord spoke to you on Mount Horeb, in the midst of the fire, lest you should sin against the law and make for yourselves a brazen likeness: thou shalt not make any image or gods of metal. I never said thou shalt not make the image of cherubim in adoration before the propitiatory. What I said was: Thou shalt not make to thyself gods of metal, and thou shalt not make any likeness as of God, nor shalt thou adore the creature instead of the Creator, nor any creature whatsoever as God, nor have I served the creature rather than the Creator.”

2,9=3,9.1 Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει͵ ἄκουε· Οὐ ποιή σεις σεαυτῷ͵ φησί͵ γλυπτὸν οὐδὲ πᾶν ὁμοίωμα. Ταῦτα τοῦ θεοῦ προστάξαντος ἐποίησαν͵ φησί͵ τὸ καταπέτασμα τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐξ ὑακίνθου καὶ πορφύρας καὶ κοκκίνου νενησμένου καὶ βύσσου κεκλωσμένης͵ ἔργον ὑφαντὸν χερουβίμ͵ καὶ ἐποίησαν τὸ ἱλαστήριον ἄνωθεν τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἐκ χρυσίου καθαροῦ καὶ τοὺς δύο χερουβίμ. Τί ποιεῖς͵ ὦ Μωσῆ; Σὺ λέγεις· Οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ γλυπτὸν οὐδὲ πᾶν ὁμοίωμα͵ καὶ σὺ καταπέτασμα κατασκευάζεις͵ ἔργον ὑφαν τὸν χερουβὶμ καὶ δύο χερουβὶμ ἐκ χρυσίου καθαροῦ; Ἀλλ΄ ἄκουε͵ τί πρός σε ὁ θεράπων τοῦ θεοῦ Μωσῆς τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀντιφθέγγεται. Ὦ τυφλοὶ καὶ μωροί͵ σύνετε τῶν λεγομένων τὴν δύναμιν καὶ φυλάξασθε σφόδρα τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν. Εἶπον͵ ὅτι ὁμοίωμα οὐκ εἴδετε ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ͵ ᾗ ἐλάλησε κύριος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν Χωρὴβ ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρός͵ μήποτε ἀνομήσητε καὶ ποιήσητε ὑμῖν ἑαυτοῖς γλυπτὸν ὁμοίωμα͵ πᾶσαν εἰκόνα͵ καὶ θεοὺς χωνευτοὺς οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ. Οὐκ εἶπον· Οὐ ποιήσεις εἰκόνα χερουβὶμ ὡς δούλων παρ εστηκότων τῷ ἱλαστηρίῳ͵ ἀλλ΄ οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ θεοὺς χωνευτούς͵ καὶ οὐ ποιήσεις πᾶν ὁμοίωμα ὡς θεοῦ οὐδ΄ οὐ μὴ λατρεύσῃς τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα.

Note how the object of Scripture becomes clear to those who really search it. You must know, Beloved, that in every business truth and falsehood are distinguished, and the object of the doer, whether it be good or bad. In the gospel we find all things good and evil. God, the angels, man, the heavens, the earth, water and fire and air, the sun and moon and stars, light and darkness, Satan and the devils, the serpent and scorpions, death and hell, virtues and vices. And because everything told about them is true, and the object in view is the glory of God and the saints whom He has honoured, our salvation, and the shame of the devil, we worship and embrace and love these utterances, and receive them with our whole heart as we do the whole of the old and new dispensation, and all the spoken testimony of the holy fathers. Now, we reject the evil, abominable writings of heathens and Manicheans and all other heretics, as containing foolishness and lies, promoting the advantage of Satan and his demons, and giving them pleasure, although they contain the name of God.

3,9a.1 Εἶδες͵ πῶς ἀνεφά νη ὁ σκοπὸς τῆς γραφῆς τοῖς συνετῶς ἐρευνῶσι· δεῖ γὰρ γινώσκειν͵ ἀγαπητοί͵ ὅτι ἐν παντὶ πράγματι ἡ ἀλήθεια ζητεῖται καὶ τὸ ψεῦδος καὶ ὁ σκοπὸς τοῦ ποιοῦντος͵ εἰ καλός ἐστιν ἢ κακός. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ καὶ θεὸς καὶ ἄγγελος καὶ ἄνθρωπος καὶ γῆ καὶ ὕ δωρ καὶ πῦρ καὶ ἀὴρ καὶ ἥ λιος καὶ σελήνη καὶ ἄστρα καὶ φῶς καὶ σκότος καὶ σα τανᾶς καὶ δαίμονες καὶ ὄ φεις καὶ σκορπίοι καὶ ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος καὶ ᾅδης καὶ ἀρεταὶ καὶ κακίαι καὶ πάν τα καλά τε καὶ κακά εἰσιν γεγραμμένα. Ἀλλ΄ ὅμως ἐ πειδὴ τὰ περὶ αὐτῶν λεγόμενα ἀληθῆ εἰσι καὶ ὁ σκοπὸς πρὸς δόξαν θεοῦ ἐστι καὶ σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν καὶ δόξα μὲν τῶν ὑπ΄ αὐτοῦ δοξαζομέ νων ἁγίων͵ αἰ σχύνη δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων αὐτοῦ͵ προσκυ νοῦμεν καὶ περιπτυσσόμεθα καὶ καταφιλοῦμεν καὶ ὀφθαλ μοῖς καὶ χείλεσι καὶ καρ δίᾳ ἀσπαζόμεθα͵ ὁμοίως καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ και νὴν διαθήκην τούς τε λόγους τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐκκρίτων πα τέρων͵ τὴν δὲ αἰσχρὰν καὶ μυσαρὰν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον γραφὴν τῶν καταράτων Μανιχαί ων τὰ αὐ τὰ ὀνόματα περιέχουσαν καὶ πρὸς δόξαν τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπώλειαν ψυχῶν ἐφευρεθεῖσαν ἀποπτύομεν καὶ ἀποβαλλό μεθα.

So with regard to images we must manifest the truth, and take into account the intention of those who make them. If it be in very deed for the glory of God and of His saints to promote goodness, to avoid evil, and save souls, we should receive and honour and worship them as images, and remembrances, likenesses, and the books of the illiterate. We should love and embrace them with hand and heart as reminders of the incarnate God, or His Mother, or of the saints, the participators in the sufferings and the glory of Christ, the conquerors and overthrowers of Satan, and diabolical fraud. If any one should dare to make an image of Almighty God, who is pure Spirit, invisible, uncircumscribed, we reject it as a falsehood.

Οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ πράγματι τῶν εἰκόνων χρὴ ἐρευνᾶν τήν τε ἀλήθειαν καὶ τὸν σκοπὸν τῶν ποιούντων καί͵ εἰ μὲν ἀληθὴς καὶ ὀρ θὸς καὶ πρὸς δόξαν θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς ζῆλον ἀρετῆς καὶ ἀποφυγὴν κακίας καὶ σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν γίνονται͵ ἀποδέχεσθαι καὶ τιμᾶν ὡς εἰκόνας καὶ μιμή ματα καὶ ὁμοιώματα καὶ βί βλους τῶν ἀγραμμάτων καὶ ὑπόμνησιν καὶ προσκυνεῖν καὶ καταφιλεῖν καὶ ὀφθαλ μοῖς καὶ χείλεσι καὶ καρδίᾳ ἀσπάζεσθαι ὡς σεσαρκωμένου θεοῦ ὁμοίωμα ἢ τῆς τούτου μητρὸς ἢ τῶν ἁγίων τῶν κοι νωνῶν τῶν παθημάτων αὐ τοῦ καὶ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χρι στοῦ καὶ νικητῶν καὶ καθ αιρετῶν τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ τῆς πλά νης αὐτῶν͵ εἰ δὲ θεότητος τῆς ἀύλου καὶ ἀσωμάτου εἰκόνα τις τολμήσει ποιῆσαι͵ ὡς ψευδῆ ἀποβαλλόμεθα·

If any one make images for the honour and worship of the Devil and his angels, we abhor them and deliver them to the flames. Or if any one give divine honours to the statues of men, or birds, or reptiles, or any other created thing, we anathematise him. As our forefathers in the faith pulled down the temples of demons, and erected on the same spot churches dedicated to saints whom we honour, so they overturned the statues of demons, and set up instead the images of Christ, of His holy Mother, and the saints.

3,9a.115 καὶ ἐάν τις ἐπὶ δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ καὶ προσκυνήσει τοῦ διαβόλου ἢ τῶν δαιμόνων͵ καταπτύομεν καὶ πυρὶ ἀναλίσκομεν. Καὶ ἐάν τις ἀνθρώπων ἢ κτηνῶν ἢ πετεινῶν ἢ ἑρπετῶν ἢ ἄλ λης τινὸς κτίσεως θεοποιή σῃ εἰκόνα͵ ἀναθεματίζομεν τοῦτον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ἱερὰ καὶ τοὺς ναοὺς τῶν δαιμό νων καθεῖλον οἱ ἅγιοι πα τέρες καὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν τό ποις ναοὺς ἐπ΄ ὀνόματι θεοῦ καὶ ἁγίων ἤγειραν͵ καὶ τού τους σέβομεν͵ οὕτω καὶ τὰς εἰκόνας τῶν δαιμόνων καθ εῖλον καὶ ἀντ΄ ἐκείνων ἤ γειραν εἰκόνας Χριστοῦ καὶ τῆς τούτου μητρὸς καὶ τῶν ἁγίων͵ καὶ ταύτας σέβομεν.

Even in the old dispensation, Israel neither raised temples to human beings, nor held sacred the memory of man. At that time Adam’s race was under a curse, and death was a penalty, therefore a mourning. A corpse was looked upon as unclean, and the man who touched it as contaminated. But since the Godhead has taken to Himself our nature, it has become glorified as a vivifying and efficacious remedy, and has been transformed unto immortality. Thus the death of the saints is a rejoicing, and churches are raised to them, and their images are set up.

Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς παλαιᾶς οὔτε ναοὺς ἐπ΄ ὀνόματι ἀνθρώπων ἤγειρεν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ οὔτε μνη μόσυνον ἑωρτά ζετοἔτι γὰρ ὑπὸ κατάραν ἦν ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσις καὶ ὁ θάνατος κατάκρισις ἦν͵ διὸ καὶ ἐπενθεῖτο͵ καὶ ὁ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ σώματος τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἀκάθαρτος ἐλογί ζετο͵ νῦν δέ͵ ἀφ΄ οὗ ἡ θεότης τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ φύσει ἀσυγχύτως συνεκράθη οἷόν τι ζωοποιὸν καὶ σωτήριον φάρμακον͵ ὄν τως ἐδοξάσθη ἡ φύσις ἡμῶν καὶ πρὸς ἀφθαρσίαν μετ εστοιχειώθη. Διὸ καὶ ναοὶ αὐτοῖς ἐγείρονται καὶ εἰκόνες ἀναγράφονται.

Be assured that any one wishing to pull down an image erected out of pure zeal for the glory and enduring memory of Christ, or of His holy Mother, or any of the saints, to put the devil and his satellites to shame, , anyone, I say, refusing to honour and worship this image as sacred, it is not to be worshipped as God, is an enemy of Christ, of His blessed Mother, and of the saints, and is an advocate of the devil and his crew, showing grief by his conduct that the saints are honoured and glorified, and the devil put to shame.

3,10 Γινωσκέτω οὖν πᾶς ἄνθρωπος͵ ὡς ὁ τὴν εἰκόνα τὴν πρὸς δόξαν καὶ ὑ πόμνησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἢ τῆς τούτου μητρὸς τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου ἤ τινος τῶν ἁγίων͵ ἔτι δὲ πρὸς αἰσχύνην τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῆς ἥττης αὐ τοῦ καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων αὐτοῦ ἐκ θείου πόθου καὶ ζήλου γενομένην καταλύειν ἐπιχει ρῶν καὶ μὴ προσκυνῶν καὶ τιμῶν καὶ ἀσπαζόμενος πόθῳ τοῦ εἰκονιζομένου ὡς εἰκό να τιμίαν καὶ οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐχθρός ἐστι Χριστοῦ καὶ τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου καὶ τῶν ἁγίων͵ ἐκδικητὴς δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων αὐτοῦ͵ ἔργῳ ἐπι δεικνύμενος τὴν λύπην͵ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι αὐτοῦ τιμῶνται καὶ δοξάζονται͵ ὁ δὲ διάβολος καταισχύνεται·

The image is a hymn of praise, a manifestation, a lasting token of those who have fought and conquered, and of demons humbled and put to flight.

ἡ γὰρ εἰκὼν θρίαμβός ἐστι καὶ φανέρωσις καὶ στηλογραφία εἰς μνήμην τῆς νίκης τῶν ἀριστευσάντων καὶ δια πρεψάντων καὶ τῆς αἰσχύνης τῶν ἡττηθέντων καὶ κατα βληθέντων.

Kings have no call to make laws in the Church. What does the holy apostle say? “And God, indeed, hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly doctors and shepherds for the training of the Church.” (I Cor. 12.28) He does not say “kings.” And again: “Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls.” (Heb. 13.17) Again: “Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the end of your conversation.” (13.7) Kings have not spoken the word to you, but apostles and prophets, pastors and doctors. When God was speaking to David about building a house for Him, He said: “Thou shalt not build me a house, for thou art a man of blood.” (I Chron. 28.3) “Render, therefore, to all men their dues,” St Paul exclaimed; “tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour.” (Rom. 13.7) The political prosperity is the king’s business [15] the ecclesiastical organisation belongs to pastors and doctors, and to take it out of their hands is to commit an act of robbery. Saul rent Samuel’s cloak, and what was the consequence? God took from him his royalty, and gave it to the meek David. (I Sam. 15.27, 28) Jezabel pursued Elias, pigs and dogs licked up her blood, (I Kgs. 19.2, 3; II Kgs. 9.33 ff) and harlots were bathed in it. Herod removed John, and was consumed by worms. (Acts 12.23) And now holy Germanus, shining by word and example, has been punished and become an exile, and many more bishops and fathers, whose names are unknown to us. Is not this a persecution? When the Pharisees and the learned surrounded our Lord, ostensibly to listen to His teaching, and when they asked Him if it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, He answered them “Bring me a coin.” And when they had brought it, He said: “Whose image is this?” Upon their reply, “Caesar’s,” He said, “Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s.” (Mt. 22.17 ff) We are obedient to you, O King, in things concerning our daily life, in tributes, taxes, and payments, which are your due; but in ecclesiastical government we have our pastors, preachers of the word, and exponents of ecclesiastical law. We do not change the boundaries marked out by our fathers (Prov. 22.28): we keep the tradition we have received. If we begin to lay down the law to the Church, even in the smallest thing, the whole edifice will fall to the ground in no short time.

2,12 Οὐ βασιλέων ἐστὶ νομοθετεῖν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ὅρα γάρ͵ τί φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· Καὶ οὓς μὲν ἔθετο ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους͵ δεύτερον προφήτας͵ τρίτον ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους͵ πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῆς ἐκκλησίας͵ οὐκ εἶπε βασιλεῖςκαὶ πάλιν πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπείκετε· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυ χῶν ὑμῶν ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσαντες. καὶ αὖθις μνη μονεύετε τῶν ἡγουμένων ὑμῶν͵ οἵτινες ἐλάλησαν ὑμῖν τὸν λόγον͵ ὧν ἀναθεωροῦντες τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ζηλοῦτε τὴν πίστιν. Οὐκ ἐλάλησαν ἡμῖν τὸν λόγον βασιλεῖς͵ ἀλλὰ ἀπόστολοι καὶ προφῆται ποιμένες τε καὶ διδάσκαλοι. Τῷ Δαυὶδ ἐντειλάμενος ὁ θεὸς οἰ κοδομῆσαι αὑτῷ οἶκον ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν͵ ὅτι οὐκ οἰ κοδομήσεις μοι σὺ οἶκον͵ ἐπειδὴ ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων εἶ σύ. Ἀπόδοτε πᾶσι τὰς ὀφειλάς͵ ὁ ἀπόστολος ἀνα κέκραγε Παῦλος͵ τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν͵ τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον͵ τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον͵ τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος. Βασιλέων ἐστὶν ἡ πολιτικὴ εὐτα ξία͵ ἡ δὲ ἐκκλησιαστικὴ κατάστασις ποιμένων καὶ διδασκάλων. Λῃστρικὴ ἔφοδός ἐστιν αὕτη͵ ἀδελφοί. Ὁ Σαοὺλ τὸ ἱμάτιον τοῦ Σαμουὴλ ἔσχισε͵ καὶ τί πέπονθεν; Ἔσχισε τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς καὶ δέδωκεν αὐτὴν Δαυὶδ τῷ πρᾳοτάτῳ. Τὸν Ἡλίαν Ἰεζάβελ ἐδίωξε͵ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐλούσαντο ἐν τῷ αὐτῆς αἵματι. Ἡρῴδης ἀνεῖλε τὸν Ἰωάννην καὶ σκωλη κόβροτος γενόμενος ἐξέψυξε. Καὶ νῦν ὁ μακάριος Γερμανὸς ὁ βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἐξαστράπτων ἐρραπίσθη καὶ ἐξόριστος γέγονε͵ καὶ ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι ἐπίσκοποι καὶ πατέρες͵ ὧν οὐκ οἴδαμεν τὰ ὀνόματα. Οὐ λῃ στρικὸν τοῦτο; Ὁ κύριος͵ ὅτε πειραστικῶς αὐτῷ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι προσῄεσαν͵ ἵνα παγι δεύσωσιν αὐτὸν λόγῳ͵ καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτόν͵ εἰ ἔξεστι δοῦναι κῆνσον καίσαρι͵ πρὸς οὓς ἀπεκρίνα το· Ἀγάγετέ μοι νόμισμα. Τῶν δὲ ἀγαγόντων ἔφη· Τίνος ἔχει τὴν εἰκόνα; Τῶν δὲ φησάντων καίσαρος λέγει· Ἀπόδοτε τὰ τοῦ καίσαρος καίσαρι καὶ τὰ        τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ. Ὑπείκομέν σοι͵ ὦ βασιλεῦ͵ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον πράγμασι͵ φόροις͵ τέλεσι͵ δοσοληψί αις͵ ἐν οἷς σοι τὰ καθ΄ ἡμᾶς ἐγκεχείρισται· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐκκλησιαστικῇ καταστάσει ἔχομεν τοὺς ποιμένας τοὺς λαλήσαντας ἡμῖν τὸν λόγον καὶ τυπώσαντας τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν θεσμοθεσίαν. Οὐ μεταίρομεν ὅρια αἰώνια͵ ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν͵ ἀλλὰ κατέχομεν τὰς παραδόσεις͵ καθὼς παρελάβομεν· εἰ γὰρ ἀρξό μεθα τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἐν μικρῷ καθ αιρεῖν͵ κατὰ μικρὸν τὸ πᾶν καταλυθήσεται.

You look down upon matter and call it contemptible. This is what the Manicheans did, but holy Scripture pronounces it to be good for it says, “And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Gen. 2.31) I say matter is God’s creation and a good thing. Now, if you say it is bad, you say either that it is not from God, or you make Him a cause of evil. Listen to the words of Scripture concerning matter, which you despise: “And Moses said to all the assembly of the children of Israel: This is the word the Lord hath commanded, saying: Set aside with you first fruits to the Lord; let every one that is willing and hath a ready heart, offer them to the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass, violet and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine linen, goat’s hair, and ram’s skins dyed red, and violet, and coloured skins, selimwood, and oil to maintain lights, and to make ointment, and most sweet incense, onyx stones and precious stones for the adorning of the ephod and the rational: Whosoever of you is wise let him come and make that which the Lord hath commanded: to wit, the tabernacle,” etc.(Ex. 35.4, 10)

2,13 Κακίζεις τὴν ὕλην καὶ ἄτιμον ἀποκαλεῖς. Τοῦτο καὶ Μανιχαῖοι͵ ἀλλ΄ ἡ θεία γραφὴ καλὴν ταύ την ἀνακηρύττει· φησὶ γάρ· Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς πάντα͵ ὅσα ἐποίησε͵ καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καὶ θεοῦ ποίημα τὴν ὕλην καὶ καλὴν ταύτην ὁμολογῶ͵ σὺ δέ͵ εἰ κακὴν ταύτην λέγεις͵ ἢ οὐκ ἐκ θεοῦ ταύτην ὁμολογεῖς ἢ τῶν κακῶν αἴτιον ποιεῖς τὸν θεόν. Ὅρα οὖν͵ τί φησιν ἡ θεία γραφὴ περὶ τῆς ὕλης͵ ἣν σὺ ἄτιμον ἀποκαλεῖς. Καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς πρὸς πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα͵ ὃ συνέταξε κύριος λέγων· Λάβετε παρ΄ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀφαίρεμα τῷ κυρίῳ͵ πᾶς ὁ καταδεχόμενος τῇ καρδίᾳ͵ οἴσουσι τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῷ κυρίῳ χρυσίον͵ ἀργύριον͵ χαλκόν͵ ὑάκινθον͵ πορφύραν͵ κόκκινον διπλοῦν διανενησμένον καὶ βύσσον κεκλωσμένην καὶ τρίχας αἰγείας καὶ δέρματα κριῶν ἠρυθροδανωμένα καὶ δέρματα ὑακίνθινα καὶ ξύλα ἄσηπτα καὶ ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως καὶ τὸ θυμίαμα τῆς συνθέσεως καὶ λίθους σαρδίους καὶ λίθους εἰς τὴν γλυφήν͵ εἰς τὴν ἐπωμίδα καὶ τὸν ποδήρη· καὶ πᾶς σοφὸς καρδίᾳ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐλθὼν ἐργαζέσθω πάντα

Behold, then, matter is honoured, and you dishonour it. What is more insignificant than goat’s hair, or colours, and are not violet and purple and scarlet colours? And the likeness of the cherubim are the work of man’s hand, and the tabernacle itself from first to last was an image. “Look,” said God to Moses, “and make it according to the pattern that was shown thee in the Mount,” (Ex. 25.40) and it was adored by the people of Israel in a circle. And, as to the cherubim, were they not in sight of the people? And did not the people look at the ark, and the lamps, and the table, the golden urn and the staff, and adore? It is not matter which I adore; it is the Lord of matter, becoming matter for my sake, taking up His abode in matter and working out my salvation through matter. For “the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst us.” (Jn. 1.14) It is evident to all that flesh is matter, and that it is created. I reverence and honour matter, and worship that which has brought about my salvation. I honour it, not as God, but as a channel of divine strength and grace. Was not the thrice blessed wood of the Cross matter? and the sacred and holy mountain of Calvary? Was not the holy sepulchre matter, the life-giving stone the source of our resurrection? Was not the book of the Gospels matter, and the holy table which gives us the bread of life? Are not gold and silver matter, of which crosses, and holy pictures, and chalices are made? And above all, is not the Lord’s Body and Blood composed of matter? Either reject the honor and worship of all these things, or conform to ecclesiastical tradition, sanctifying the worship of images in the name of God and of God’s friends, and so obeying the grace of the Divine Spirit. If you give up images on account of the law, you should also keep the Sabbath and be circumcised, for these are severely inculcated by it. You should observe all the law, and not celebrate the Lord’s Passover out of Jerusalem. But you must know that if you observe the law, Christ will profit you nothing. (Gal. 5.2) You are ordered to marry your brother’s wife, and so carry on his name, (Deut. 25.5 ff) and not to sing the song of the Lord in a strange land. (Ps. 137.4) Enough of this! “Those who have been justified by the law have fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5.4)

2,14 Ἰδοὺ δὴ καὶ ἡ ὕλη τιμᾶται ἡ καθ΄ ὑμᾶς ἄτιμος. Τί γὰρ τριχῶν αἰγείων εὐτελέστερον καὶ χρωμάτων; ῍Η οὐ χρώματα τὸ κόκκινον καὶ ἡ πορ φύρα καὶ ἡ ὑάκινθος; Ἰδοὺ δὴ καὶ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀν θρώπων καὶ ὁμοίωμα χερουβίμ· καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ σκηνὴ ἅπασα εἰκὼν ἦν. Ὅρα γάρ͵ φησὶν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Μωσῇ͵ ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Καὶ ὅμως κυκλόθεν προσεκυνεῖτο ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Τί δὲ τὰ χερουβίμ; Οὐ κατενώ πιον ἦσαν τοῦ λαοῦ; Καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς καὶ ἡ λυχνία καὶ ἡ τράπεζα καὶ ἡ στάμνος ἡ χρυσῆ καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος͵ πρὸς ἃ βλέπων ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνει; Οὐ προσκυνῶ τῇ ὕλῃ͵ προσκυνῶ δὲ τὸν τῆς ὕλης δημιουργόν͵ τὸν ὕλην δι΄ ἐμὲ γενόμενον καὶ ἐν ὕλῃ τὴν κατοίκησιν θέμενον καὶ δι΄ ὕλης τὴν σωτηρίαν μου ἐργασάμενον. Ὁ γὰρ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. Πᾶσι δὲ δῆλον͵ ὅτι ἡ σὰρξ ὕλη καὶ κτίσμα ἐστίν. Σέ βω οὖν τὴν ὕλην καὶ δι΄ αἰδοῦς ἄγω καὶ προσκυνῶ͵ δι΄ ἧς ἡ σωτηρία μου γέγονε͵ σέβω δὲ οὐχ ὡς θεόν͵ ἀλλ΄ ὡς θείας ἐνεργείας καὶ χάριτος ἔμπλεων. ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ξύλον τὸ τρισόλβιόν τε καὶ τρισμακάριστον; ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη τὸ ὄρος τὸ σεπτὸν καὶ ἅγιον͵ ὁ τοῦ κρανίου τόπος; ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη ἡ ζωηφόρος πέτρα͵ ὁ τάφος ὁ ἅγιος͵ ἡ πηγὴ τῆς ἡμῶν ἀναστά σεως; ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη τὸ μέλαν καὶ τὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων δέρματα; ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη ἡ ζωοποιὸς τράπεζα ἡ τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῖν τῆς ζωῆς χορηγοῦσα; ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη ὁ χρυσός τε καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος͵ ἐξ ὧν σταυροί τε καὶ πίνακες ἅγιοι κατασκευάζονται καὶ ποτήρια; ῏Η οὐχ ὕλη πρὸ τούτων ἁπάντων τὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου σῶμα καὶ αἷμα; ῍Η πάντων τούτων ἄνελε τὸ σέβας καὶ τὴν προσκύνησιν ἢ παραχώρει τῇ ἐκκλησιαστικῇ παραδόσει καὶ τὴν τῶν εἰκόνων προσκύνησιν θεοῦ καὶ φίλων θεοῦ ὀνόματι ἁγιαζομένων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θείου πνεύματος ἐπισκιαζομένων χάριτι. Εἰ διὰ τὸν νόμον τὰς εἰκόνας ἀπαγορεύεις͵ ὥρα σοι καὶ σαββατίζειν καὶ περιτέμνεσθαιταῦτα γὰρ ἀπαραχω ρήτως ὁ νόμος κελεύεικαὶ πάντα τὸν νόμον τηρεῖν καὶ μὴ ἑορτάζειν τὸ πάσχα κυρίου ἔξω Ἱερουσαλήμ ἀλλὰ γνῶτε͵ ὡς͵ ἐὰν τὸν νόμον τηρῆτε͵ Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ͵ ὥρα σοι καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ γυναῖκα πρὸς γάμον ἄγεσθαι καὶ ἐγείρειν σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ καὶ μὴ ᾄδειν τὴν ᾠδὴν κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας. Ἀλλ΄ ἄπαγε· οἵτινες γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ δι καιοῦσθε͵ τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε.

Let us set forth Christ, our King and Lord, not depriving Him of His army. The saints are His army. Let the earthly king strip himself of his army, and then of his own dignity. Let him put off the purple and the diadem before he take honour away from his most valiant men who have conquered their passions. [16] For if the friends of Christ are heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ, and are to be partakers of the divine glory and kingdom, is not even earthly glory due to them? I call you not servants, our Lord says; you are my friends. Shall we, then, withhold from them the honour which the Church gives them? You are a bold and venturesome man to fight against God and His ordinances. If you do not worship images, you do not worship the Son of God, who is the living image of the invisible God, and the immutable figure of His substance.

1,21=2,15.1  to     Work #005 1,21=2,15.16 1,21=2,15 Ἱστοροῦμεν Χριστὸν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ κύριον οὐ γυμνοῦντες αὐτὸν τοῦ στρατεύματος· στρατὸς γὰρ τοῦ κυρίου οἱ ἅγιοι. Γυμνωσάτω ἑαυτὸν τοῦ οἰκείου στρατεύμα τος ὁ ἐπίγειος βασιλεὺς καὶ τότε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλέα καὶ κύριον. Ἀποθέσθω τὴν ἁλουργίδα καὶ τὸ διάδημα καὶ τότε τῶν κατὰ τοῦ τυράννου ἀριστευσάντων καὶ βασιλευσάντων τῶν παθῶν τὸ σέβας περιαιρείτω. Εἰ γὰρ κληρονόμοι θεοῦ καὶ συγκληρονόμοι Χριστοῦ καὶ τῆς θείας δόξης καὶ βασιλείας κοινωνοὶ ἔσονται͵ πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ γῆς δόξης συμμέτοχοι γένωνται οἱ φίλοι Χριστοῦ; Οὐ λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους͵ φησὶν ὁ θεός͵ ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε. Τῆς οὖν δεδομένης αὐτοῖς παρὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τιμῆς στερήσωμεν αὐτούς; Ὢ θρασείας χειρός. Ὢ τολμηρᾶς γνώμης ἀνταιρούσης θεῷ καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀντι πραττούσης προστάγμασιν. Οὐ προσκυνεῖς εἰκόνι͵ μηδὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ προσκύνει͵ ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ ἀοράτου θεοῦ ζῶσα καὶ χαρακτὴρ ἀπαράλλακτος.

The temple which Solomon built was consecrated by the blood of animals, and decorated by images of lions, oxen, and the palms and pomegranates. Now, the Church is consecrated by the blood of Christ and of His saints, and it is adorned with the image of Christ and of His saints. Either take away the worship of images altogether, or be not an innovator, and pass not beyond the ancient boundaries which thy fathers have set. (Prov. 22.28) I am not speaking of boundaries prior to the incarnation of Christ our Lord, but since His coming. God spoke to them, depreciating the traditions of the old law, saying, “I also gave them statutes that were not good,” (Ez. 20.25) on account of their hardness of heart. “Consequently on the change of priesthood the law of necessity was also changed.” (Heb. 7.12)

2,15 Ὁ ναός͵ ὃν ὁ Σολομὼν ᾠκοδόμησεν͵ ἀλόγων αἵμα σιν ἐνεκαινίσθη καὶ ἀλόγων εἰκόσιν ἐκαλλωπίσθη͵ λε όντων καὶ βοῶν καὶ φοινίκων καὶ ῥοΐσκων. Νῦν δὲ Χριστοῦ αἵματι ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐγκαινίζεται καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῇ Χριστοῦ εἰκόνι καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ καλλωπίζεται. ῍Η πάσης ὕλης προσκύνησιν ἄνελε ἢ μὴ καινοτόμει μηδὲ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια͵ ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου͵ οὐ τὰ πρὸ τῆς ἐνσάρκου παρ ουσίας Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν λέγω͵ ἀλλὰ τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν αὐτοῦ. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ παραδόσεων μεμφόμενος ὁ θεός φησιν· Ἔδωκα αὐτοῖς προστάγματα οὐ καλὰ κατὰ τὴν σκληροκαρ δίαν αὐτῶν. Ὥστε μετατεθείσης τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γέγονεν.

The eye-witnesses and ministers of the word handed down the teaching of the Church, not only by writing, but also by unwritten tradition. Whence comes our knowledge of the sacred spot, Mount Calvary, of the holy sepulchre? Has it not been handed down to us from father to son? It is written that our Lord was crucified on Calvary, and buried in the tomb which Joseph hewed out of the rock, but it is unwritten tradition that teaches us we are adoring the right places, and many other things of the same kind. Why do we believe in three baptisms, that is, in three immersions? Why do we adore the Cross? Is it not through tradition? Therefore the holy apostle says: “Brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” (II Thess. 2.15) Many things, therefore, being handed down to the Church by unwritten tradition and kept up to the present day, why do you speak slightingly of images? The Manicheans followed a gospel according to Thomas, and you will follow that of Leo. I do not admit an emperor’s tyrannical action in domineering over the Church. The emperor has not received the power to bind and loose. I know of the Emperor Valens, a Christian in name, who persecuted the true faith, Zeno and Anastasius, Heraclius and Constantine of Sicily, and Bardaniskus, called Philip (philippikon). I am not to be persuaded that the Church is set in order by imperial edicts, but by patristic traditions, written and unwritten. As the written Gospel has been preached in the whole world, so has it been an unwritten tradition in the whole world to represent in image Christ, the incarnate God, and the saints, to adore the Cross, and to pray towards the east.

2,16 Οὐ μόνον δὲ γράμ μασι τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν θεσμὸν παρέδωκαν οἱ αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται τοῦ λόγου͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγράφοις τισὶ παραδόσεσι. Πόθεν γὰρ οἴ δαμεν τὸν κρανίου τόπον τὸν ἅγιον; Πόθεν τὸ μνῆμα τῆς ζωῆς; Οὐ παῖς παρὰ πατρὸς ἀγράφως παραλαβόν τες; Τὸ μὲν ἐν τόπῳ κρα νίου σταυρωθῆναι τὸν κύρι ον γέγραπται καὶ ταφῆναι ἐν μνημείῳ͵ ὃ ἐλατόμησεν Ἰωσὴφ ἐν τῇ πέτρᾳ· ὅτι δὲ ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ νῦν προσκυ νούμενα͵ ἐξ ἀγράφου παραδό σεως οἴδαμεν καὶ πλεῖστα τούτοις παρόμοια. Πόθεν τὸ τρίτον βαπτίζειν͵ τουτέστι διὰ τριῶν καταδύσεων; Πόθεν τὸ κατ΄ ἀνατολὰς εὔχεσθαι; Πόθεν τὸ προσκυνεῖν σταυ ρόν; Οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ἀγράφου πα ραδόσεως; Διὸ καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀ πόστολος Παῦλός φησιν· Ἄ ρα οὖν͵ ἀδελφοί͵ στήκετε καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδό σεις͵ ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου͵ εἴτε δι΄ ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῶν. Πολλῶν τοιγαροῦν ἀγράφως τῇ ἐκ κλησίᾳ παραδεδομένων καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν πεφυλαγμένων͵ τί περὶ τὰς εἰκόνας σμικρο λογεῖτε; Μανιχαῖοι συνέγρα ψαν τὸ κατὰ Θωμᾶν εὐ αγγέλιον· γράψατε καὶ ὑ μεῖς τὸ κατὰ Λέοντα εὐαγ γέλιον. Οὐ δέχομαι βασιλέα τυραννικῶς τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἁρπάζοντα. Οὐ βασιλεῖς ἔλαβον ἐξουσίαν δεσμεῖν καὶ λύειν. Οἶδα Οὐάλεντα βασι λέα χριστιανὸν ὀνομαζόμενον καὶ τὴν ὀρθόδοξον πίστιν διώξαντα͵ Ζήνωνά τε καὶ Ἀναστάσιον͵ Ἡράκλειον καὶ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν ἐν Σικελίᾳ καὶ Βαρδανίσκην τὸν καὶ Φιλιππικόν. Οὐ πείθομαι βα σιλικοῖς κανόσι διατάττεσθαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν͵ ἀλλὰ πατρι καῖς παραδόσεσιν ἐγγράφοις τε καὶ ἀγράφοις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ἐγγράφως ἐκηρύχθη τὸ εὐαγγέλιον͵ οὕ τως ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀγρά φως παρεδόθη τὸ εἰκονίζειν Χριστὸν τὸν σεσαρκωμένον θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους͵ ὥσπερ καὶ προσκυνεῖν τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ κατ΄ ἀνατολὰς ἑστῶτας προσεύχεσθαι.

The customs which you bring forward do not incriminate our worship of images, but that of the heathens who make idols of them. The pious practice of the Church is not to be rejected because of heathen abuse. Sorcerers and magicians exorcise; the Church exorcises catechumens. The former invoke demons, the Church calls upon God against demons. Heathens sacrificed to demons; Israel offered to God both holocausts and victims. The Church, too, offers an unbloody sacrifice to God. Heathens set up images to demons, and Israel made idols of them in the words, “These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of Egypt.” (Ex. 32.4) Now we have set up images to the true God incarnate, to His servants and friends, who have put the demon host to flight.

2,17 Ἃς μέντοι προσάγεις χρήσεις͵ οὐ τῶν παρ΄ ἡμῖν εἰκόνων βδελύσσονται τὴν προσκύνησιν͵ ἀλλὰ τῶν ταύτας θεοποιούντων Ἑλλή νων. Οὐ δεῖ τοίνυν διὰ τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἄτοπον χρῆσιν καὶ τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας εὐ σεβῶς γινομένην ἀναιρεῖν. Ἐφορκίζουσιν ἐπαοιδοί τε καὶ γόητες͵ ἐφορκίζει τοὺς κατηχουμένους ἡ ἐκκλη σία͵ ἀλλ΄ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐπικα λούμενοι δαίμονας͵ αὕτη δὲ θεὸν κατὰ δαιμόνων. Ἔθυον δαίμοσιν Ἕλληνες͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ θεῷ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ αἵματα καὶ κνίσσας προσέφερον· θύ ει καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία θεῷ θυ σίαν ἀναίμακτον. Δαίμοσι τὰς εἰκόνας ἀνετίθουν Ἕλ ληνες͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἐ θεοποίησε τὰς εἰκόνας· ἔλε γον γάρ· Οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου͵ Ἰσραήλ͵ οἱ ἀναγαγόντες σε ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀληθεῖ θεῷ σαρκωθέντι καὶ θεοῦ δούλοις καὶ φίλοις δαιμόνων ἀπελαύνουσι στίφη εἰκόνας ἀνατιθέαμεν.

If you say to this that blessed Epiphanius clearly rejected our use of images, you must know that the work in question is spurious and written by some one else in the name of Epiphanius, as often happens. A father does not fight his own children. All have become participators in the one Spirit. The Church is a witness of this in adorning images, until some men rose up against her and disturbed the peace of Christ’s fold, putting poisoned food before the people of God.

2,18 Εἰ δὲ λέγεις τὸν μακάριον Ἐπιφά νιον τρανῶς τὰς παρ΄ ἡμῖν ἀπαγορεῦσαι εἰκόνας͵ γνῶθι͵ ὡς ἐπίπλαστος ὁ λόγος ἄλλου τινὸς τῷ τοῦ θείου Ἐπιφα νίου χρησαμένου ὀνόματι͵ οἷα πολλὰ συμβαίνει γίνε σθαι. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς συμπατρά σιν ὁ πατὴρ μάχεται· ἑνὸς γὰρ ἁγίου πνεύματος μέτο χοι πάντες γεγόνασι· καὶ μάρτυς ἡ αὐτοῦ ἐκκλησία εἰ κόσι καλλωπιζομένη͵ ἕως οὗ ὁ ἄγριος καὶ ἀνήμερος Λέων ἔβρυξεν καὶ τὴν Χριστοῦ δι ετάραξε ποίμνην ποτίσαι τὸν λαὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιχειρήσας ἀνατροπὴν θολεράν.

If I venerate and worship, as the instruments of salvation, the Cross and lance, and reed and sponge, by means of which the Jews (theoktonoi) scorned and put to death my Lord, shall I not also worship images that Christians make with a good intention for the glory and remembrance of Christ? If I worship the image of the Cross, made of whatever wood it may be, shall I not worship the image which shows me the Crucified and my salvation through the Cross? Oh, inhumanity of man! It is evident that I do not worship matter, for supposing the Cross, if it be made of wood, should fall to pieces, I should throw them into the fire, and the same with images.

2,19 Εἰ σταυρὸν καὶ λόγχην καὶ κάλαμον καὶ σπόγγον͵ δι΄ ὧν οἱ θεοκτόνοι Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν κύριόν μου ἐνύβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν͵ ὡς αἴτια σωτηρίας προσκυνῶ καὶ σέβω͵ τὰς ἐπὶ δόξῃ καὶ μνήμῃ τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων ἀγαθῷ σκοπῷ ὑπὸ τῶν πιστῶν κατασκευαζομένας εἰκόνας οὐ προσκυνήσω; Εἰ σταυροῦ εἰκόνα ἐξ οἱασοῦν ὕλης κατασκευασθεῖ σαν προσκυνῶ͵ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν σωτήριον δείξαντος τὴν εἰκόνα οὐ προσκυνήσω; Ὅτι δὲ οὐ τῇ ὕλῃ προσκυνῶ͵ δῆλον· καταλυθέντος γὰρ τοῦ ἐκτυπώματος τοῦ σταυροῦ͵ εἰ τύχοι͵ ἐκ ξύλου κατεσκευασμένου͵ πυρὶ τὸ ξύλον παραδίδωμι͵ ὁμοίως καὶ τῶν εἰκόνων.

Receive the united testimony of Scripture and the fathers to show you that images and their worship are no new invention, but the ancient tradition of the Church. In the holy Gospel of St Matthew our Lord called His disciples blessed, and with them all those who followed their example and walked in their footsteps in these words: “Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For, amen I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to bear the things that you hear, and have not heard them.” (Mt. 13.16, 17) We also desire to see as much as we may. “We see now in a glass, darkly,” (I Cor. 13.12) and in image, and are blessed. God Himself first made an image, and showed forth images. For He “made the first man after His own image.” (Gen. 1.27) And Abraham, Moses, and Isaias, and all the prophets saw images of God, not the substance of God. The burning bush was an image of God’s Mother, and as Moses was about to approach it, God said: “Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Ex. 3.5) Now if the spot on which Moses saw an image of Our Lady was holy, how much more the image itself? And not only is it holy, but I venture to say it is the holy of holies (agiÅ�n agia). When the Pharisees asked our Lord why Moses had allowed a bill of divorce, He answered: “On account of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wife, but in the beginning it was not so.” (Mt. 19.8) And I say to you that Moses, through the children of Israel’s hardness of heart, and knowing their proclivity to idolatry, forbade them to make images. We are not in the same case. We have taken a firm footing on the rock of faith, being enriched with the light of God’s friendship.

2,20 Ὅτι δὲ οὐ νέον τὸ τῶν εἰκόνων ἐφεύρημα καὶ ἡ τούτων προσκύνησις͵ ἀλλ΄ ἀρχαία τῆς ἐκκλη σίας παράδοσις͵ δέχου τῶν γραφικῶν καὶ πατρικῶν χρήσεων τὸν ἑσμόν. Ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἱερῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τάδε φησὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς μακαρίζων καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς πάντας τοὺς τῷ κανόνι αὐτῶν στοιχοῦντας καὶ τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτῶν ἐπακο λουθοῦντας· Ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοί͵ ὅτι βλέπουσι͵ καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν͵ ὅτι ἀκούουσιν. Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν͵ ὅτι πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν͵ ἃ βλέπετε͵ καὶ οὐκ εἶδον͵ καὶ ἀκοῦσαι͵ ἃ ἀκούετε͵ καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν. Ἐπιποθοῦ μεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἰδεῖν͵ ὡς ἰδεῖν δυνατόν· βλέπομεν γὰρ ὡς ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι καὶ μακαριζόμεθα. Αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς πρῶτος ἐποίησεν εἰκόνα καὶ ἔδειξεν εἰκόνας· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον κατ΄ εἰκόνα θεοῦ ἐποίησε. Καὶ Ἀβραὰμ δὲ καὶ Μωσῆς καὶ Ἡσαΐας καὶ πάντες οἱ προφῆται εἰκόνας εἶδον θεοῦ καὶ οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἡ βάτος εἰκὼν ἦν τῆς θεομήτορος͵ καὶ μέλλοντι τῷ Μωσῇ ταύτῃ προσιέναι εἶπεν ὁ θεός· Ὑπόλυσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν σου· ἡ γὰρ γῆ͵ ἐν ᾗ ἕστηκας͵ γῆ ἁγία ἐστίν. Εἰ οὖν ἡ γῆ͵ ἐν ᾗ εἰκὼν τῆς θεοτόκου ὤφθη τῷ Μωσῇ͵ γῆ ἁγία ἐστί͵ πόσῳ μᾶλλον αὐτὴ ἡ εἰ κών; Οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἁγία͵ ἀλλά͵ τολμῶ λέγειν͵ καὶ ἁγίων ἁγία. Ὁ κύριος ἐρωτήσασι τοῖς Φαρισαίοις· Τί οὖν Μωσῆς ἐνετείλατο δοῦναι βιβλίον ἀποστασί ου καὶ ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα; ἀπεκρίνατο· Ὅτι Μωσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ὑμῖν ἀπολῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶν͵ ἀπ΄ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ γέγονεν οὕτως. Κἀγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν͵ ὅτι Μωσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ εἰδὼς αὐτῶν τὸ πρὸς εἰδωλολατρείαν εὐόλισθον ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς μὴ ποιεῖν εἰκόνας. Νυνὶ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐστίν· ἑστήκα μεν γὰρ βεβαίως ἐν τῇ πέτρᾳ τῆς πίστεως τὸ φῶς τῆς θεογνωσίας πλουτήσαντες.

Listen to our Lord’s words: “Ye foolish and blind, whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it; and he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon.” (Mt. 23.21, 22) And he who swears by an image swears by the one whom it represents.

2,21 Ἀκούσατε͵ τί φησιν ὁ κύριος· Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί͵ ὁ ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ ναῷ ὀμνύει ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ κατοικήσαντι ἐν αὐτῷ͵ καὶ ὁ ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ οὐ ρανῷ ὀμνύει ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ καθημέ νῳ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ ὀμνύων ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι ὀμνύει ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰκονιζομένῳ ὑπ΄ αὐτῆς.

It has been sufficiently proved that the tabernacle, and the veil, the ark and the table, and everything within the tabernacle, were images and types, and the works of man’s hand, which were worshipped by all Israel, and also that the cherubim in carving were made by God’s order. For God said to Moses, “See that thou doest all things according to the pattern shown to thee on the mount.” (Ex. 25.40) Listen, too, to the apostle’s testimony that Israel worshipped images and the handiwork of man in obedience to God: If, then, he were on earth he would not be a priest; seeing that there would be others to offer gifts according. to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as it was answered to Moses, when he was to finish the tabernacle: See (says he) that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shown thee on the mount. But now he hath obtained a better ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better testament, which is established on better promises. For if that former had been faultless, there should not indeed a place have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he saith: “Behold the day shall come, saith the Lord: and I will perfect unto the house of Israel, and unto the house of Juda, a New Testament: not according to the Testament which I made to their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt.” (Heb. 8.4, 9) And a little further on: “Now in saying a New, he hath made the former Old. And that which decayeth and groweth old, is near its end. For there was a tabernacle made the first, wherein were the candlesticks, and the table, and the setting forth of loaves, which is called the Holy. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies; having a golden censer, and the ark of the testament covered about on every part with gold, in which was a golden pot that had manna, and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed, and the tables of the testament. And over it were the cherubims of glory overshadowing the propitiatory.” (Heb. 8.13; 9.2, 5) And again: “For Jesus is not entered into the Holies made with hands, the patterns of the true; but into heaven itself.” (Heb. 9.24) And again “For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things.” (Heb. 10.1)

2,22 Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἡ σκηνὴ καὶ τὸ καταπέτασμα καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς καὶ ἡ τράπεζα καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ εἰκόνες ἦσαν καὶ τύποι καὶ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀν θρώπων͵ ἅτινα προσεκυνεῖτο ὑπὸ παντὸς Ἰσραήλ͵ ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰ χερουβὶμ τὰ γλυπτὰ θεοῦ προστάγματι κατεσκευασμένα͵ ἱκανῶς ἀποδέδεικται. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῷ Μωσῇ· Ὅρα͵ ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Ἄκουε καὶ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου μαρτυροῦντος͵ ὅτι χειροποίητα καὶ εἰκόνας προσεκύνει Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦτο προστάξαντος· Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν͵ φησίν͵ ἐπὶ γῆς͵ οὐδ΄ ἂν ἦν ἱερεὺς ὄντων ἱερέων τῶν προσφερόντων κατὰ τὸν νόμον τὰ δῶρα· οἵτινες ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύουσι τῶν ἐπουρανίων͵ καθὼς κε χρημάτισται Μωσῆς μέλλων ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν σκηνήν. Ὅρα γάρ͵ φησί͵ ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει· νυνὶ δὲ διαφορωτέρας τετύ χηκε λειτουργίας͵ ὅσῳ κρείττονός ἐστι διαθήκης με σίτης͵ ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτη ται. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ πρώτη ἐκείνη ἦν ἄμεμπτος͵ οὐκ ἂν δευτέρας ἐζητεῖτο τόπος· μεμφόμενος γὰρ αὐτοῖς λέγει· Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται͵ λέγει κύριος͵ καὶ συν τελέσω ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰού δα διαθήκην καινήν· οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην͵ ἣν διε θέμην τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. καὶ μετ΄ ὀλίγα ἐν τῷ λέγειν καινὴν πεπαλαίωκε τὴν πρώτην· τὸ δὲ παλαιούμενον καὶ γηράσκον ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ. Εἶχε μὲν οὖν ἡ πρώτη σκηνὴ δικαιώματα λατρείας τό τε ἅγιον κοσμικόν· σκηνὴ γὰρ κατεσκευάσθη ἡ πρώτη͵ ἐν ᾗ ἥ τε λυχνία καὶ ἡ τράπεζα καὶ ἡ πρόθεσις τῶν ἄρτων͵ ἥτις λέγε ται Ἅγια· μετὰ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον καταπέτασμα σκηνὴ ἡ λεγομένη Ἅγια ἁγίων͵ χρυσοῦν ἔχουσα θυμιατή ριον καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν τῆς διαθήκης περικεκαλυμμένην πάντοθεν χρυσίῳ͵ ἐν ᾗ στάμνος χρυσῆ ἔχουσα τὸ μάννα καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν ἡ βλαστήσασα καὶ αἱ πλάκες τῆς διαθήκης· ὑπεράνω δὲ αὐτῆς χερουβὶμ δόξης κατασκιάζοντα τὸ ἱλαστήριον. καὶ πάλιν οὐ γὰρ εἰς χειροποίητα ἅγια εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Χριστός͵ ἀντί τυπα τῶν ἀληθινῶν͵ ἀλλ΄ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανόν. καὶ μεθ΄ ἕτερα σκιὰν γὰρ ἔχων ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόν των ἀγαθῶν͵ οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμά των.

You see that the law and everything it ordained and all our own worship consist in the consecration of what is made by hands, leading us through matter to the invisible God. Now the law and all its ordinances were a foreshadowing of the image in the future, that is, of our worship. And our worship is an image of the eternal reward. As to the thing itself, the heavenly Jerusalem, it is invisible and immaterial, as the same divine apostle says: “We have not here an abiding city, but we seek for the one above, the heavenly Jerusalem, of which God is Lord and Architect.” (Heb. 13.14; 11.10) All ordinances of the law and of our worship have been directed for that heavenly city. To God be praise for ever. Amen.

2.23 Ὅρα͵ ὅτι καὶ ὁ νόμος καὶ πάντα τὰ κατ΄ αὐτὸν πᾶσά τε ἡ καθ΄ ἡμᾶς λατρεία χειροποίητά εἰσιν ἅγια δι΄ ὕλης προσάγοντα ἡμᾶς τῷ ἀύλῳ θεῷ͵ καὶ ὁ μὲν νόμος καὶ πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν νόμον σκιαγραφία τις ἦν τῆς μελλούσης εἰκόνος͵ τουτέστι τῆς καθ΄ ἡμᾶς λατρείας͵ ἡ δὲ καθ΄ ἡμᾶς λατρεία εἰ κὼν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν͵ αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ πράγματα ἡ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἡ ἄυλος καὶ ἀχειροποίητος͵ καθώς φησιν ὁ αὐτὸς θεῖος ἀπόστολος· Οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν͵ ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν͵ ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ͵ ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ θεός. Πάντα γὰρ τά τε κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν λατρείαν ἐκείνης χάριν ἐγένοντο. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰ ῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.