論聖像 第 1 章 第 2/8 段

for the icon is not made like the archetype in every respect.

The living, natural, and exact icon of the invisible God is therefore the Son, who bears the whole Father in Himself, having in all things identity with Him, and differing only in being caused.

For the Father is the natural cause, and the Son is the caused;

for the Father is not from the Son, but the Son from the Father.

For it is from Him—though not after Him—that the Son has His being, which is exactly that of the Father who begot Him.

There are also in God icons and patterns of things to come into being from Him—that is, His pre-eternal counsel, which is ever the same.

For the Divine is unchangeable in all respects, and in Him there is no variableness or shadow of turning.

These icons and patterns the holy Dionysius—he who was great in divine things and who, with God's help, contemplated the things concerning God—calls predeterminations.

For in His counsel were characterized and depicted all things predetermined by Him and certain to come to pass, before their coming into being—just as, if someone wishes to build a house, he first sketches and pictures its design in his mind.

Then again there are icons of invisible and shapeless things, bodily figured for a dim understanding.

For the divine Scripture also attaches figures to God and to the angels; and the same divine man, teaching the reason, says that figures are reasonably set forth for the figureless, and shapes for the shapeless—and one would say that the cause is not only our own analogy, which is unable to be lifted up directly to intelligible contemplations and which requires kindred and connatural means of ascent.

If, then, the divine word, providing for our analogy, supplies us from every quarter with the means of ascent, and attaches certain figures to the simple and figureless, how shall it not depict those things which by their own nature are formed with shapes, and are longed for, but which cannot be seen because they are not present? For through sense-perception a certain image is formed in the front chamber of the brain, and is thus transmitted to the faculty of judgment and treasured up in the memory.

Gregory, the speaker of divine things, says, then, that the mind, however much it labors, is utterly unable to go beyond bodily things;

but also, "the invisible things of God since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." For we see icons in created things, dimly indicating to us the divine reflections;

as when we say that the Holy Trinity, the super-original, is imaged by the sun and light and ray;

or by a gushing spring and the welling water and the outflow;

or by the mind and word and spirit within us;

or by a rose-plant and its blossom and fragrance.

Again, an icon is said to be that which enigmatically prefigures and sketches in shadow the things to come—as the ark prefigures the holy Virgin and Theotokos, and the rod and the jar; and as the serpent prefigures Him who by the Cross nullified the bite of the original serpent, the author of evil; and the sea, the water, and the cloud prefigure the Spirit of baptism.

Again, an icon is said to be that which serves as a memorial of things past—whether of some wonder, or honor, or shame, or virtue, or vice—for the later benefit of those who behold, so that we may flee the evils and emulate the virtues.

And this is twofold: both through the word inscribed in books—as God engraved the law on the tablets and commanded the lives of God-loving men to be recorded—and through visible contemplation, as He commanded the jar and the rod to be placed in the ark as a memorial.

So now also we depict the icons of things past and of the virtues.

Either, then, do away with every icon and legislate against Him who commanded these to be made, or receive each one according to the reason and manner befitting it.

Having spoken, then, of the modes of the icon, let us speak also concerning worship.

Worship is a symbol of submission and honor.

And of this too we have learned various modes.

First, that which is according to adoration (latreia), which we offer to God alone, who is worthy of worship by nature.

Next, that which is offered, on account of God who is worshiped by nature, to His friends and servants—as Joshua the son of Nun and Daniel bowed down to the angel; or to the places of God, as David says:

"Let us worship at the place where His feet stood"; or to His dedicated things, as all Israel worshiped toward the tabernacle, and as those who, standing in a circle around the temple in Jerusalem, worship toward it from all sides even to this day; or to the rulers appointed by Him, as Jacob bowed down to Esau as the elder brother made so by God, and to Pharaoh the ruler appointed by God, and as Joseph's brothers bowed down to him.

I know also the worship offered to one another out of honor, as Abraham bowed down to the sons of Hamor.

Either, then, do away with all worship, or receive them all with the due reason and manner.

Is God one God? Yes, you will say, as it seems to me—one lawgiver.

Why, then, does He legislate contrary things? For the cherubim are not outside creation.

Why, then, does He command carved cherubim, fashioned by human hands, to overshadow the mercy-seat? Is it not clear that, since it is impossible to make an icon of God as uncircumscribable and inimitable, or of anything as if it were God, lest the creation be worshiped as God with adoration—

but the cherubim, as circumscribed and standing in servile attendance before the divine throne, He commands the icon of them to be made, overshadowing the mercy-seat in servile fashion;

for it was fitting that the icon of the divine mysteries should be overshadowed by the icon of the heavenly ministers.

But what do you say of the ark, the jar, the mercy-seat? Were they not handmade? Were they not the works of men's hands? Were they not constructed from material that you call worthless? And what of the whole tabernacle? Was it not an icon? Was it not a shadow and a type? The divine apostle accordingly says, treating of the priests according to the law:

"Who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle.

For, He says, 'See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'" But the law was not even an icon, but the shadow of an icon;

the same apostle accordingly says:

"For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things." If, then, the law forbids icons, yet is itself a foreshadowing of an icon, what shall we say? If the tabernacle is a shadow and a type of a type, how is it that the law commands not to make icons? But it is not so, it is not so;

rather, there is a season for every matter. Of old, God who is bodiless and formless was in no way depicted; but now, since God has appeared in the flesh and lived among men, I depict what is visible of God.

I do not worship matter; but I worship the Creator of matter, who became matter for my sake and consented to dwell in matter and through matter worked out my salvation, and I will not cease to reverence the matter through which my salvation was wrought.

I reverence it, however, not as God—far from it;

for how could that which has come into being out of nothing be God?—even if the body of God became God by the hypostatic union, unchangeably, being identical with that which anointed it, and remaining what it was by nature: flesh ensouled with a rational and intellectual soul, originated, not uncreated.

But the rest of the matter through which my salvation came to pass I reverence and treat with respect, as filled with divine energy and grace.

Is not the thrice-blessed and thrice-happy wood of the Cross matter? Is not the venerable and holy mountain, the place of the skull, matter? Is not the life-bearing

rock matter—the life-giving rock, the holy tomb, the source of our resurrection? Is not the ink and the all-holy book of the Gospels matter? Is not the life-bearing table that bestows on us the bread of life matter? Are not the gold and the silver, from which crosses and plates and chalices are made, matter? And before all these, is not the body and blood of my Lord matter? Either do away with the reverence and worship of all these, or yield to the tradition of the Church and accept also the worship of the icons of God and of God's friends, who are sanctified by the name of God and on this account overshadowed by the grace of the Divine Spirit.

For nothing is worthless that has come into being from God;

this is the opinion of the Manichaeans.

Only that is worthless which has not its cause from God, but is our own invention—through the free inclination and bent of the will from what is according to nature to what is contrary to nature—that is, sin.

If you dishonor and forbid the icons on account of the law, as being made from matter, see what Scripture says:

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

and I have filled him with a divine spirit of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, to devise in every work, and to be an architect and to work gold and silver and bronze and the blue and the purple and the spun scarlet and the fine twined linen, and stone-cutting for the works and carpentry of wood, to work according to all the works;

and behold, I have given him, and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan;

and to everyone wise of heart I have given understanding, and they shall make all that I have commanded you." And again Moses said to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel:

"You have heard this word which the Lord commanded, saying:

Take from among yourselves an offering to the Lord.

Everyone whose heart is willing, let them bring the first-fruits to the Lord: gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, double-spun scarlet, and fine twined linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and blue skins, and incorruptible wood, and the oil of anointing, and the compounded incense, and sardius stones, and stones for engraving for the ephod and the robe.

And let every wise of heart among you come and make all that the Lord commanded—the tabernacle," and so forth. And after other things: "And he made both the emerald stones, set in clasps and overlaid with gold and engraved as the engraving of a seal." And again, the stones were according to the names of the sons of Israel—twelve seals engraved with their names, each from its own name, for the twelve tribes. And again: "And they made the veil of the tabernacle of testimony of blue and purple and spun scarlet and fine twined linen, the woven work of cherubim." And again: "And they made the mercy-seat above the ark of pure gold, and the two cherubim." Behold now, material precious—and, according to you, worthless!

For what is cheaper than goats' hair and dyes? And are not scarlet and purple and blue dyes? Behold now also a likeness of cherubim!

How, then, do you say that the law forbids what the law commanded to be made? If you forbid icons on account of the law, it is time for you also to keep the Sabbath and to be circumcised;

for these things the law commands without exception.

But know that, if you keep the law, Christ will profit you nothing.

"You who would be justified by the law have fallen away from grace." Israel of old did not see God, but we, with unveiled face, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. And we set forth in sensible form the very character of the incarnate God the Word everywhere, and we sanctify the first of the senses (for sight is the first of the senses), just as we sanctify hearing by words;

for the icon is a reminder.

And what the book is to those initiated in letters, the icon is to the unlettered;

and what the word is to the hearing, the icon is to the sight.

For this reason God commanded an ark to be made of incorruptible wood and to be overlaid with gold within and without, and the tablets to be placed in it, and the rod, and the golden jar containing the manna, as a reminder of things past and a foreshadowing of things to come.

And who will not call these icons and loud-voiced heralds? And these were not set off to the side of the tabernacle, but before the face of all the people, looking upon which they offered their worship and adoration to God who worked through them.

Clearly not as serving these things, but being led through them to the remembrance of the wonders, and rendering worship to God the worker of marvels.

For they were icons set up as a reminder, honored not as gods but as bringing to remembrance the divine energy.

And God commanded twelve stones to be taken from the Jordan, and He adds the reason:

"That when your son asks you, 'What are these stones?' you may relate how the water of the Jordan failed by divine command and the ark of the Lord crossed over, and all the people." How, then, shall we not depict the saving sufferings and miracles of Christ our God, so that when my son asks me, 'What is this?' I may say that God the Word became man, and through Him not only did Israel cross the Jordan, but all nature returned to its ancient blessedness—through whom our nature ascended from the lowest parts of the earth above all rule, and sat upon the very throne of the Father.

"Make the image of Christ and be content; or also of His mother the Theotokos."

You have openly confessed yourself an enemy of the saints;

for if you make an icon of Christ, but in no way of the saints, it is clear that you do not forbid the icon, but the honor of the saints—which no one from the beginning of the world has dared to do, or to attempt such an outrage.

For in making an icon of Christ as glorified, but of the saints as if unglorified, you plainly spurn the depiction and try to show the truth to be false.

"For as I live, says the Lord, those who glorify Me I will glorify"; and the divine apostle:

"So that you are no longer a slave, but a son;

and if a son, then also an heir of God through Christ." And, "If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." You have not raised war against the icons, but rather against the saints.

John the theologian and bosom-disciple accordingly says that "we shall be like Him." For just as iron, united with fire, becomes fire not by nature but by union and being kindled and participation, so too that which is deified becomes God not by nature but by participation.

I do not mean the flesh of the incarnate Son of God;

for that, by the hypostatic union and participation in the divine nature, was called God unchangeably—not anointed by the energy of God like each of the prophets, but by the presence of the whole Anointer.

And that the saints too are gods by deification—"God," it says, "stood in the congregation of gods; in the midst He judges among gods," when God stands in the midst of gods, distributing their dignities, as Gregory the theologian says in interpretation.

God promised David to build Him a temple through his own son Solomon, and to construct a house of rest.

This Solomon built, and he made cherubim, as the book of Kings says: "And he overlaid the cherubim with gold, and all the walls round about he carved with engraved work of cherubim and palm trees, on the inner and the outer wall"—he did not say "on the sides," but "round about"—and also oxen and lions and pomegranates.

Is it not far more honorable to adorn all the walls of the house of the Lord with the forms and depictions of saints than of irrational beasts and trees? Where is the law that decrees:

"You shall not make any likeness"? But Solomon, who received an outpouring of wisdom, was not depicting God when he made cherubim and likenesses of lions and oxen—for that is what the law forbids—nor

do we, in making the icon of the saints, depict God.

For just as then both the temple and the people were purified by the blood of irrational beasts and the ashes of a heifer, but now by the blood of Christ, who witnessed under Pontius Pilate and showed Himself the first-fruits of the martyrs—and further, the Church is built upon the sacred blood of the saints—so then the house of God was adorned with the forms and figures of irrational beasts, but now with those of the saints, who have made themselves living and rational temples, dwelling-places of the living God in spirit.

And that these things are so, listen:

"You shall not make for yourself a carved thing nor any likeness," He says. When God commanded these things, they made, it says, "the veil of the tabernacle of testimony of blue and purple and spun scarlet and fine twined linen, the woven work of cherubim, and they made the mercy-seat above the ark of pure gold, and the two cherubim." What are you doing, O Moses? You say:

"You shall not make for yourself a carved thing nor any likeness," and yet you construct a veil, the woven work of cherubim, and two cherubim of pure gold? But hear what Moses, the servant of God, replies to you by his deeds:

"O blind and foolish ones, understand the force of what is said, and guard your souls diligently. I said that you saw no likeness on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb in the mountain out of the midst of the fire, lest you act lawlessly and make for yourselves a carved likeness, any image, and you shall not make for yourself molten gods."

He did not say, "You shall not make an icon of cherubim as servants standing by the mercy-seat," but "You shall not make for yourself molten gods," and "You shall not make any likeness as of God," nor "shall you serve the creation rather than the Creator."

"A likeness of God, then, I did not make, nor of any other thing as God, nor did I serve the creation rather than the Creator.

of man (for the nature of humanity was enslaved to sin), nor did I serve the creation rather than the Creator.

But I constructed the tabernacle as a likeness of all creation, according to the pattern shown me on the mountain, and the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat as standing before God."

Do you see how the aim of Scripture was made manifest to those who search with understanding?

For one must know, beloved, that in every matter the truth and the falsehood are sought, and the aim of the doer, whether it is good or evil.

For in the Gospel there are written God and angel and man and heaven and earth and water and fire and air and sun and moon and stars and light and darkness and Satan and demons and serpents and scorpions and death and Hades and virtues and vices, and all things good and evil.

But nevertheless, since all that is said concerning them is true, and the aim is to the glory of God and of the saints glorified by Him, and to our salvation and the overthrow and shame of the devil and his demons, we worship and embrace and kiss them, and greet them with eyes and lips and heart—likewise also the whole Old and New Testament, and the words of the holy and chosen fathers; but the shameful and abominable and unclean writing of the accursed Manichaeans and Greeks and the rest of the heresies, as containing things false and vain, and as devised for the glory of the devil and his demons and for their joy, we spurn and reject, even though it contains the name of God.

So also in the matter of icons one must search out both the truth and the aim of those who make them; and if they are true and right and made for the glory of God and of His saints, and for the zealous pursuit of virtue and the avoidance of vice and the salvation of souls, we are to accept and honor them as icons and copies and likenesses and books for the unlettered, and to worship and kiss them,

and greet them with eyes and lips and heart, as the likeness of God made flesh, or of His mother, or of the saints—the partakers of the sufferings and the glory of Christ, the victors and overthrowers of the devil and his demons and their error. But if anyone should dare to make an icon of the immaterial and bodiless and invisible and formless and colorless Godhead, we reject it as false;

and if anyone makes one for the glory and worship and honor of the devil or of the demons, we spit upon it and consume it with fire.

And if anyone should deify an image of men or birds or creeping things or any other creature, we anathematize him.

For just as the holy fathers tore down the shrines and temples of the demons and raised up in their places temples in the name of saints—and these we reverence—so too they tore down the icons of the demons and in their stead raised up icons of Christ and of the Theotokos and of the saints.

And under the old covenant Israel neither raised up temples in the name of men nor celebrated the memorial of a man—for the nature of men was still under a curse, and death was a condemnation, wherefore it was mourned, and the body of one who died was reckoned unclean, as was anyone who touched it. But now, since the Godhead has been mingled with our nature like some life-giving and saving medicine, our nature has been glorified and transformed into incorruption.

Therefore the death of the saints is celebrated, and temples are raised up to them, and icons are depicted.

Let every man know, then, that whoever attempts to destroy the icon—made out of divine longing and zeal, for the glory and remembrance of Christ or of His mother the holy Theotokos or of one of the saints, and for the shame of the devil and his defeat and of his demons—and does not worship and honor and greet it as a precious icon, and not as God, is an enemy of Christ and of the holy Theotokos and of the saints, and an avenger of the devil and his demons, showing by his deed his grief that God and His saints are honored and glorified, while the devil is put to shame;

for the icon is a triumph and a manifestation and an inscribed monument in memory of the victory of those who have fought nobly and excelled, and of the shame of those who have been vanquished and cast down.

Do you see how the aim of Scripture was made manifest to those who search with understanding?

For one must know, beloved, that in every matter the truth and the falsehood are sought, and the aim of the doer, whether it is good or evil.

For in the Gospel there are written God and angel and man and earth and water and fire and air and sun and moon and stars and light and darkness and Satan and demons and serpents and scorpions and life and death and Hades and virtues and vices, and all things good and evil.

But nevertheless, since the things said concerning them are true, and the aim is to the glory of God and to our salvation and the glory of the saints glorified by Him, and to the shame of the devil and his demons, we worship and embrace and kiss them, and greet them with eyes and lips and heart—likewise also the whole Old and New Testament, and the words of the holy and chosen fathers; but the shameful and abominable and unclean writing of the accursed Manichaeans, which contains the same names but is devised for the glory of the devil and his demons and for the destruction of souls, we spurn and reject.

So also in the matter of icons one must search out both the truth and the aim of those who make them; and if they are true and right and made for the glory of God and of His saints, and for the zealous pursuit of virtue and the avoidance of vice and the salvation of souls, we are to accept and honor them as icons and copies and likenesses and books for the unlettered, and as a reminder, and

to worship and kiss them, and greet them with eyes and lips and heart, as the likeness of God made flesh, or of His mother, or of the saints—the partakers of His sufferings and of the glory of Christ, the victors and overthrowers of the devil and his demons and their error. But if anyone should dare to make an icon of the immaterial and bodiless Godhead, we reject it as false;

and if anyone makes one for the glory and honor and worship of the devil or of the demons, we spit upon it and consume it with fire.

And if anyone should deify an image of men or beasts or birds or creeping things or any other creature, we anathematize him.

For just as the holy fathers tore down the shrines and temples of the demons and raised up in their places temples in the name of God and of the saints—and these we reverence—so too they tore down the icons of the demons and in their stead raised up icons of Christ and of His mother and of the saints, and these we reverence.

And under the old covenant Israel neither raised up temples in the name of men nor was a memorial celebrated—for the nature of men was still under a curse, and death was a condemnation, wherefore it was mourned, and whoever touched the body of one who died was reckoned unclean. But now, since the Godhead has been mingled without confusion with our nature like some life-giving and saving medicine, our nature has truly been glorified and transformed into incorruption.

Therefore temples are raised up to them and icons are depicted.

Let every man know, then, that whoever attempts to destroy the icon—made out of divine longing and zeal, for the glory and remembrance of Christ or of His mother the holy Theotokos or of one of the saints, and further for the shame of the devil and his defeat and of his demons—and does not worship and honor and greet it, out of longing for the one depicted, as a precious icon, and not as God, is an enemy of Christ and of the holy Theotokos and of the saints, and an avenger of the devil and his demons, showing by his deed his grief that God and His saints are honored and glorified, while the devil is put to shame;

for the icon is a triumph and a manifestation and an inscribed monument in memory of the victory of those who have fought nobly and excelled, and of the shame of those who have been vanquished and cast down.

I have often seen those who long for someone, when they behold the garment of the one they long for, kiss the garment with eyes and lips as though it were the longed-for one himself.

We must render to all their dues, according to the holy apostle Paul—to whom honor is due, honor; both to the king as supreme, and to the rulers as sent through him, to each according to the measure of his dignity.

It is not for kings to legislate for the Church.

For see what the divine apostle says:

"And those whom God appointed in the Church, first apostles, second prophets, third pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the Church"—he did not say kings—and again: "Obey your leaders and submit to them;

for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account." And again: "Remember your leaders, who spoke to you the word; consider the outcome of their conduct, and imitate their faith." It was not kings who spoke to us the word, but apostles and prophets, pastors and teachers.

When God commanded David to build Him a house, He said to him: "You shall not build Me a house, for you are a man of blood."

"Render to all their dues," the apostle Paul cried out: "to whom honor is due, honor; to whom fear, fear; to whom tribute, tribute; to whom custom, custom." To kings belongs the good order of civil affairs; but the ordering of the Church belongs to pastors and teachers.

This is a robber's assault, brethren.