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Translated by Ch. Browne and J. Swallow.
Gregory Theologian Bilingual Anthology, Resources Online and in Print
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50 Pages
Page 11
21. For these reasons I allege that our office as physicians far exceeds in toilsomeness, and consequently in worth, that which is confined to the body; and further, because the latter is mainly concerned with the surface, and only in a slight degree investigates the causes which are deeply hidden. But the whole of our treatment and exertion is concerned with the hidden man of the heart, [2588] and our warfare is directed against that adversary and foe within us, who uses ourselves as his weapons against ourselves, and, most fearful of all, hands us over to the death of sin. In opposition then, to these foes we are in need of great and perfect faith, and of still greater co-operation on the part of God, and, as I am persuaded, of no slight countermanoeuvring on our own part, which must manifest itself both in word and deed, if ourselves, the most precious possession we have, are to be duly tended and cleansed and made as deserving as possible.
22. To turn however to the ends in view in each of these forms of healing, for this point is still left to be considered, the one preserves, if it already exists, the health and good habit of the flesh, or if absent, recalls it; though it is not yet clear whether or not these will be for the advantage of those who possess them, since their opposites very often confer a greater benefit on those who have them, just as poverty and wealth, renown or disgrace, a low or brilliant position, and all other circumstances, which are naturally indifferent, and do not incline in one direction more than in another, produce a good or bad effect according to the will of, and the manner in which they are used by the persons who experience them. But the scope of our art is to provide the soul with wings, to rescue it from the world and give it to God, and to watch over that which is in His image, [2589] if it abides, to take it by the hand, if it is in danger, or restore it, if ruined, to make Christ to dwell in the heart [2590] by the Spirit: and, in short, to deify, and bestow heavenly bliss upon, one who belongs to the heavenly host.
23. This is the wish of our schoolmaster [2591] the law, of the prophets who intervened between Christ and the law, of Christ who is the fulfiller and end [2592] of the spiritual law; of the emptied Godhead, [2593] of the assumed flesh, [2594] of the novel union between God and man, one consisting [2595] of two, and both in one. This is why God was united [2596] to the flesh by means of the soul, [2597] and natures so separate were knit together by the affinity to each of the element which mediated between them: so all became one for the sake of all, and for the sake of one, our progenitor, the soul because of the soul which was disobedient, the flesh because of the flesh which co-operated with it and shared in its condemnation, Christ, Who was superior to, and beyond the reach of, sin, because of Adam, who became subject to sin.
[2588] 1 Pet. iii. 4.
[2589] Gen. i. 26.
[2590] Eph. iii. 17.
[2591] Gal. iii. 24.
[2592] Heb. xii. 2.
[2593] Phil. ii. 7.
[2594] Heb. ii. 14.
[2595] One consisting, &c. "These words," says Gabriel, "are indeed a two-edged sword against the heretics, for one clause mortally wounds Nestorius who separates the Divine from the Human Nature—the other Eutyches, who empties the human into the Divine."
[2596] Was united, anekrathe, lit., "was blended"—cf. Orat. xxxviii. 13. This and similar terms used by Gregory and his contemporaries in an orthodox sense were laid aside by later Fathers, in consequence of their having been perverted in favor of the Eutychian heresy.
[2597] By means of the soul, Cf. Orat. xxix. 19; xxxviii. 13; Epist. 101 (tom. 2, p. 90 A.): Poem. Dogmat., x., 55-61 (tom. 2, p. 256); Petavius de Incarn. IV. xiii. 2.
Reference address : https://elpenor.org/gregory-nazianzen/flight-pontus.asp?pg=11
