On the Incarnation

That, however, is enough on this point. What will they say to the other marvels of his Godhead? At what man's death was the sun darkened and the earth shaken? Why, even to this day, men are dying, and they did so also before that time. When did any such marvels happen in their case? Now shall we pass over the deeds done in his earthly body and mention those after his resurrection? Has any man's teaching, in any place or at any time, ever prevailed everywhere as one and the same, from one end of the earth to the other, so that his worship has barely flown through every land? Again, if, as they say, Christ is a man only and not God the Word, why do not the gods of the Greeks prevent his entering their domains? Or why, on the other hand, does the Word himself, dwelling in our midst, make an end of their worship by his teaching and put their fraud to shame? Many before him have been kings and tyrants of the earth. History tells also of many among the Chaldeans and Egyptians and Indians who were wise men and magicians. But which of those, I do not say after his death, but while yet in his life, was ever able so far to prevail as to fill the whole world with his teaching and retrieve so great a multitude from the craven fear of idols as our Savior has won over from idols to himself? The Greek philosophers have compiled many works with persuasiveness and much skill in words, but what fruit have they to show for this such as the cross of Christ? Their wise thoughts were persuasive enough until they died, yet even in their lifetime their influence was counterbalanced by their rivalry with one another, for they were a jealous company and declaimed against each other. But the Word of God, by strangest paradox, teaching in meaner language, has put the choicest soffits in the shade, and by confounding their teachings and drawing all men to himself, he has filled his own assemblies. Moreover, and this is the marvelous thing, by going down as man to death, he has confounded all the sounding utterances of the wise men about the idols. For whose death ever drove out demons, or whose death did ever demons fear, save that of Christ? For where the Savior is named, there every demon is driven out. Again, who has ever so rid men of their natural passions that fornicators became chaste, and murderers no longer wield the sword, and those who formerly were craven cowards boldly play the man? In a word, what persuaded the barbarians and heathen folk in every place to drop their madness and give heed to peace, save the faith of Christ and the sign of the cross? What other things have given men such certain faith in immortality as have the cross of Christ and the resurrection of his body? The Greeks told all sorts of false tales that they could never pretend that their idols rose again from the dead. Indeed, it never entered their heads that a body could exist again after death at all. And one would be particularly ready to listen to them on this point, because by these opinions they have exposed the weakness of their own idolatry, at the same time yielding to Christ the possibility of bodily resurrection, so that by that means he might be recognized by all as Son of God. Again, who among men, either after his death or while yet living, taught about virginity and did not account this virtue impossible for human beings? But Christ, our Savior and King of all, has so prevailed with his teaching on this subject that even children, not yet of lawful age, promise that virginity which transcends the law. And who among men has ever been able to penetrate even to Scythians and Ethiopians or Parthians or Armenians or those who are said to live beyond Hyrcania or even the Egyptians and Chaldeans, people who give heed to magic and are more than naturally enslaved by the fear of demons and savage in their habits and to preach at all about virtue and self-control and against the worshipping of idols, as has the Lord of all, the power of God, our Lord Jesus Christ? Yet he not only preached through his own disciples but also wrought so persuasively on men's understanding that laying aside their savage habits and forsaking the worship of their ancestral gods, they learned to know him and through him to worship the Father. While they were yet idolaters, the Greeks and barbarians were always at war with each other and were even cruel to their own kin. Nobody could travel by land or sea at all unless he was armed with swords because of their irreconcilable quarrels with each other. Indeed, the whole course of their life was carried on with the weapons, and the sword with them replaced the staff and was the mainstay of all aid. All this time, as I said before, they were serving idols and offering sacrifices to demons, and for all the superstitious awe that accompanied this idol worship, nothing could wean them from that warlike spirit. But, strange to relate, since they came over to the school of Christ, as men moved with real compunction, they have laid aside their murderous cruelty and are war-minded no more. On the contrary, all is peace among them, and nothing remains save desire for friendship. Who then is he who has done these things and has united in peace those who hated each other, save the beloved Son of the Father, the common Savior of all, Jesus Christ, who by his own love underwent all things for our salvation? Even from the beginning, moreover, this peace that he was to administer was foretold. For Scripture says, They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles, and nation shall not take sword against nation, neither shall they learn any more to wage war. Nor is this by any means incredible. The barbarians of the present day are naturally savage in their habits, and as long as they sacrifice to their idols, they rage furiously against each other and cannot bear to be a single hour without weapons. But when they hear the teachings of Christ, forthwith they turn from fighting to farming, and instead of arming themselves with swords, extend their hands in prayer. In a word, instead of fighting each other, they take up arms against the devil and the demons, and overcome them by their self-command and integrity of soul. These facts are proof of the Godhead of the Savior, for he has taught men what they could never learn among the idols. It is also no small exposure of the weakness and nothingness of demons and idols, for it was because they knew their own weaknesses that the demons were always setting them to fight each other. Fearing less if they ceased for mutual strife, they would turn to attack the demons themselves. For in truth, the disciples of Christ, instead of fighting each other, stand arrayed against the demons by their habits and virtuous actions, and chase them away and mock at their captain the devil. Even in youth they are chased, they endure in times of testing and persevere in toil. When they are insulted, they are patient. When robbed, they make light of it, and, marvelous to relate, they make light even of death itself, and become martyrs of Christ. And here is another proof of the Godhead of the Savior, which is indeed utterly amazing. What mere man or magician or tyrant or king was ever able by himself to do so much? Did anyone ever fight against the whole system of idol worship, and the whole host of demons, and all magic, and all the wisdom of the Greeks, at a time when all these were strong and flourishing and taking everybody in, as did our Lord, the very Word of God? Yet he is even now invisibly exposing every man's error, and single-handed is carrying off all men from them all, so that those who used to worship idols now tread them underfoot. Reputed magicians burn their books, and the wise prefer to all studies the interpretation of the gospel. They are deserting those whom formerly they worshiped. They worship and confess as Christ and God, Him whom they used to ridicule as crucified. Their so-called gods are routed by the sign of the cross, and the crucified Savior is proclaimed in all the world as God and Son of God. Moreover, the gods worshiped among the Greeks are now falling into destitute among them on account of the disgraceful things they did, for those who receive the teaching of Christ are more chaste in life than they. If these and the like of them are human works, let anyone who will show us similar ones done by men in former times, and so convince us. But if they are shown to be and are the works not of men, but of God, why are the unbelievers so irreligious as not to recognize the Master who did them? They are afflicted as a man would be who failed to recognize God the artificer through the works of creation. For surely if they had recognized his Godhead through his power over the universe, they would recognize also that the bodily works of Christ are not human, but are those of the Savior of all, the Word of God. And had they recognized this, as Paul says, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. As then, he who desires to see God, who by nature is invisible and not to be beheld, may yet perceive and know him through his works, so too let him who does not see Christ with his understanding at least consider him in his bodily works and test whether they be of man or God. If they be of man, then let him scoff. But if they be of God, let him not mock at things which are no fit subject for scorn, but rather let him recognize the fact and marvel that things divine have been revealed to us by such humble means that through death deathlessness has been made known to us. And through the incarnation of the Word, the bind whence all things proceed has been declared, and its agent and ordainer the Word of God himself. He indeed assumed humanity that he might become God. He manifested himself by means of a body, in order that we might perceive the mind of the unseen Father. He endured shame from men that we might inherit immortality. He himself was unhurt by this, for he is impassable and incorruptible. But by his own impassibility he kept and healed the suffering of men on whose account he thus endured. In short, such and so many are the achievements of the Savior that follow from his incarnation, that to try to number them is like gazing at the open sea and trying to count the waves. One cannot see all the waves with one's eyes, for when one tries to do so, those that are following on baffles one's senses. Even so, when one wants to take in all the achievements of Christ in the body, one cannot do so, even by reckoning them up, for the things that transcend one's thoughts are always more than those one thinks that one has grasped. As we cannot speak adequately about even a part of his work, therefore it will be better for us not to speak about it as a whole. So we will mention but one thing more, and then leave the whole for you to marvel at. For indeed, everything about it is marvelous, and wherever a man turns his gaze he sees the Godhead of the world and is smitten with awe. The substance of what we have said so far may be summarized as follows. Since the Savior came to dwell among us, not only does idolatry no longer increase, but it is getting less and gradually ceasing to be. Similarly, not only does the wisdom of the Greeks no longer make any progress, but that which used to be is disappearing. And demons, so far from continuing to impose on people by their deceits and oracle givings and sorceries, are routed by the sign of the cross, if they so much as try. On the other hand, while idolatry and everything else that opposes the faith of Christ is daily dwindling and weakening and falling, see, the Savior's teaching is increasing everywhere. Worship then the Savior, who is above all and mighty, even God the Word, and condemn those who are being defeated and made to disagree with him. When the sun has come, darkness prevails no longer. Any of it that may be left anywhere is driven away. So also, now that the divinity, the epiphany of the Word of God has taken place, the darkness of idols prevails no more, and all parts of the world in every direction are enlightened by his teaching. Similarly, if a king be reigning somewhere but stays in his own house and does not let himself be seen, it often happens that some insubordinate fellows, taking advantage of his retirement, will have themselves proclaimed in his stead. And each of them, being invested with the semblance of kingship, misleads the simple who, because they cannot enter the palace and see the real king, are led astray by just hearing a king name. When the real king emerges, however, and appears to view, things stand differently. The insubordinate impostors are shown up by his presence, and men, saying the real king, forsake those who previously misled them. In the same way, the demons used formerly to impose on men, investing themselves with the honor due to God. But since the Word of God has been manifested in a body and has made known to us his own Father, the fraud of the demons is stopped and made to disappear, and men, turning their eyes to the true God, Word of the Father, forsake the idols and come to know the true God. Now this is proof that Christ is God, the Word and Power of God. For whereas human things cease and the fact of Christ remains, it is clear to all that the things which cease are temporary, but that he who remains is God and very Son of God, the sole begotten Word.