Oration XLV. The Second Oration on Easter.

 I.  I will stand upon my watch, saith the venerable Habakkuk and I will take my post beside him today on the authority and observation which was give

 II.  The Lord’s Passover, the Passover, and again I say the Passover to the honour of the Trinity.  This is to us a Feast of feasts and a Solemnity of

 III.  God always was and always is, and always will be or rather, God always Is.

 IV.  And when Infinity is considered from two points of view, beginning and end (for that which is beyond these and not limited by them is Infinity),

 V.  But since this movement of Self-contemplation alone could not satisfy Goodness, but Good must be poured out and go forth beyond Itself, to multipl

 VI.  Thus then and for these reasons, He gave being to the world of thought, as far as I can reason on these matters, and estimate great things in my

 VII.  Mind then and sense, thus distinguished from each other, had remained within their own boundaries, and bore in themselves the magnificence of th

 VIII.  This being He placed in paradise—whatever that paradise may have been (having honoured him with the gift of free will, in order that good might

 IX.  And having first been chastened by many means because his sins were many, whose root of evil sprang up through divers causes and sundry times, by

 X.  But perhaps some one of those who are too impetuous and festive may say, “What has all this to do with us?  Spur on your horse to the goal talk t

 XI.  But before our time the Holy Apostle declared that the Law was but a shadow of things to come, which are conceived by thought.  And God too, who

 XII.  But we, standing midway between those whose minds are utterly dense on the one side, and on the other those who are very contemplative and exalt

 XIII.  Thus then and for this cause the written Law came in, gathering us into Christ and this is the account of the Sacrifices as I account for them

 XIV.  What more?  The First Month is introduced, or rather the beginning of months, whether it was so among the Hebrews from the beginning, or was mad

 XV.  Then comes the Sacred Night, the Anniversary of the confused darkness of the present life, into which the primæval darkness is dissolved, and all

 XVI.  Well, let them lament we will feed on the Lamb toward evening—for Christ’s Passion was in the completion of the ages because too He communicat

 XVII.  Nor would it be right for us to pass over the manner of this eating either, for the Law does not do so, but carries its mystical labour even to

 XVIII.  And let the loins of the unreasoning animals be unbound and loose, for they have not the gift of reason which can overcome pleasure (it is not

 XIX.  And as to shoes , let him who is about to touch the Holy Land which the feet of God have trodden, put them off, as Moses did upon the Mount, the

 XX.  What sayest thou?  Thus it hath pleased Him that thou shouldest come forth out of Egypt, the iron furnace that thou shouldest leave behind the i

 XXI.  If you are a Rachel or a Leah, a patriarchal and great soul, steal whatever idols of your father you can find not, however, that you may keep t

 XXII.   Now we are to examine another fact and dogma, neglected by most people, but in my judgment well worth enquiring into.  To Whom was that Blood

 XXIII.  Now we will partake of a Passover which is still typical though it is plainer than the old one.  For that is ever new which is now becoming k

 XXIV.  If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up the Cross and follow.  If you are crucified with Him as a robber, penitent

 XXV.  And if He ascend up into Heaven, ascend with Him.  Be one of those angels who escort Him, or one of those who receive Him.  Bid the gates be lif

 XXVI.   To this what will those cavillers say, those bitter reasoners about Godhead, those detractors of all things that are praiseworthy, those darke

 XXVII.  He was sent, but sent according to His Manhood (for He was of two Natures), since He was hungry and thirsty and weary, and was distressed and

 XXVIII.  It is now needful for us to sum up our discourse as follows:  We were created that we might be made happy.  We were made happy when we were c

 XXIX.  Many indeed are the miracles of that time:  God crucified the sun darkened and again rekindled for it was fitting that the creatures should s

 XXX.  But, O Pascha, great and holy and purifier of all the world—for I will speak to thee as to a living person—O Word of God and Light and Life and

XI.  But before our time the Holy Apostle declared that the Law was but a shadow of things to come,12    Heb. x. 1. which are conceived by thought.  And God too, who in still older times gave oracles to Moses, said when giving laws concerning these things, See thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount,13    Exod. xxv. 40. when He shewed him the visible things as an adumbration of and design for the things that are invisible.  And I am persuaded that none of these things has been ordered in vain, none without a reason, none in a grovelling manner or unworthy of the legislation of God and the ministry of Moses, even though it be difficult in each type to find a theory descending to the most delicate details, to every point about the Tabernacle itself, and its measures and materials, and the Levites and Priests who carried them, and all the particulars which were enacted about the Sacrifices and the purifications and the Offerings;14    ἀφαίρεμα is given by the Lexicons as the Heave-Offering, and it is certainly used in that sense among others (all sacrificial) in the LXX.  Suicer, however, follows Suidas in regarding the word as quite general; he also quotes Zonaras’ definition, “Quod offertur ἀφαίρεμα dicitur, quod a toto mactatæ animantis corpore abstractum sit.”  Balsamon, according to the same authority, makes it the portion which was severed from the carcase of the victim and set apart for the Priest (i.e., the heave-offering, Lev. vii. 14, 32). and though these are only to be understood by those who rank with Moses in virtue, or have made the nearest approach to his learning.  For in that Mount itself God is seen by men; on the one hand through His own descent from His lofty abode, on the other through His drawing us up from our abasement on earth, that the Incomprehensible may be in some degree, and as far as is safe, comprehended by a mortal nature.  For in no other way is it possible for the denseness of a material body and an imprisoned mind to come into consciousness of God, except by His assistance.  Then therefore all men do not seem to have been deemed worthy of the same rank and position; but one of one place and one of another, each, I think, according to the measure of his own purification.  Some have even been altogether driven away, and only permitted to hear the Voice from on high, namely those whose dispositions are altogether like wild beasts, and who are unworthy of divine mysteries.

ΙΑʹ. Πάντα μὲν οὖν τὸν νόμον, σκιὰν εἶναι τῶν μελλόντων καὶ νοουμένων, ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος πρὸ ἡμῶν ἀπεφήνατο. Καὶ ὁ χρηματίσας πρὸ τούτου τῷ Μωϋσεῖ Θεὸς, ἡνίκα περὶ τούτων ἐνομοθέτει: Ὅρα γὰρ, φησὶ, ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει: σκιαγραφίαν τινὰ καὶ προχάραγμα τῶν ἀοράτων παραδεικνὺς τὰ ὁρώμενα. Καὶ πείθομαι, μηδὲν εἰκῆ, μηδὲ ἀλογίστως, μηδὲ χαμερπῶς τούτων διατετάχθαι, μηδὲ ἀναξίως τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ νομοθεσίας, καὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως ὑπουργίας: εἰ καὶ χαλεπὸν ἑκάστῃ τῶν σκιῶν, ἑκάστην ἐφευρεῖν θεωρίαν εἰς λεπτὸν καταβαίνοντα, ὅσα τε περὶ τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτῆς, καὶ μέτρων, καὶ ὕλης, καὶ τῶν αἰρόντων ταῦτα Λευϊτῶν τε καὶ λειτουργῶν, ὅσα τε περὶ θυσιῶν, καὶ καθαρσίων, καὶ ἀφαιρεμάτων νενομοθέτηται: καὶ μόνοις εἶναι θεωρητὰ τοῖς κατὰ Μωϋσέα τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἢ ὅτι ἐγγυτάτω τῆς ἐκείνου παιδεύσεως. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ὄρει Θεὸς ἀνθρώποις φαντάζεται, τὸ μέν τι καταβαίνων αὐτὸς τῆς οἰκείας περιωπῆς, τὸ δὲ ἡμᾶς ἀνάγων ἐκ τῆς κάτωθεν ταπεινώσεως, ἵνα χωρηθῇ μετρίως γοῦν θνητῇ φύσει, καὶ ὅσον ἀσφαλὲς, ὁ ἀχώρητος. Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἄλλως ἐν περινοίᾳ Θεοῦ γενέσθαι σώματος ὑλικοῦ καὶ δεσμίου νοῦ πάχος μὴ βοηθούμενον. Τότε τοίνυν, οὐ πάντες τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξιωθέντες φαίνονται τάξεώς τε καὶ στάσεως: ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν τῆς, ὁ δὲ τῆς, πρὸς μέτρον, οἶμαι, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καθάρσεως ἕκαστος: οἱ δὲ καὶ παντάπασιν ἀπεληλαμένοι, καὶ μόνης ἀκούειν τῆς ἄνωθεν φωνῆς συγχωρούμενοι, ὅσοι θηριώδεις τὸν τρόπον, καὶ θείων μυστηρίων ἀνάξιοι.