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Rerum ipsa creatio humanis rationibus comprehendi non potest. Fides universa necessaria. Quid
fides. Verbum crucis pereuntibus quidem stultitia est: iis autem qui salvi fiunt, id est nobis, Dei
virtus est. Nam spiritualis quidem judicat omnia: animalis autem homo non percipit ea qua Dei
sunt. Stultitia enim illis est, qui ea suscipiunt, nec Dei bonitatem et omnipotentiam considerant;
verum res divinas humanis naturalibusque rationibus investigant. Etenim quae Dei aunt, naturam et
Sermonem et cogitationem superant. Nam si quis animo volvat quonam pacto, et cur Deus omnia
ex nihilo produxerit, naturalibusque rationibus id assequi contendat, nequaquam hoc
comprehendet. Animalis enim et diabolica est hujusmodi scantia. Qui vero fide veluti manu ductus,
Deum bonum, et omnipotentem et verum, et sapientem, et justum cogitat, omnia plana et
aequabilia, viamque rectam inveniet. But without faith it is
impossible to be saved. For it is by faith that all things, both
human and spiritual, are sustained. For without faith neither does
the farmer cut his furrow, nor does the merchant commit his life to the
raging waves of the sea on a small piece of wood, nor are marriages
contracted nor any other step in life taken. By faith we consider that
all things were brought out of nothing into being by God's power.
And we direct all things, both divine and human, by faith.
Further, faith is assent free from all meddlesome inquisitiveness.
Every action, therefore, and performance of miracles by Christ are
most great and divine and marvellous: but the most marvellous of all is
His precious Cross. For no other thing has subdued death, expiated
the sin of the first parent, despoiled Hades, bestowed the
resurrection, granted the power to us of contemning the present and
even death itself, prepared the return to our former blessedness,
opened the gates of Paradise, given our nature a seat at the right
hand of God, and made us the children and heirs of God, save the
Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For by the Cross s all things
have been made right. So many of us, the apostle says, as were
baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death, and as many of
you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Further
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Lo! the death of
Christ, that is, the Cross, clothed us with the enhypostatic wisdom
and power of God. And the power of God is the Word of the Cross,
either because God's might, that is, the victory over death, has
been revealed to us by it, or because, just as the four extremities of
the Cross are held fast and bound together by the bolt in the middle,
so also by God's power the height and the depth, the length and the
breadth, that is, every creature visible and invisible, is
maintained.
This was given to us as a sign on our forehead, just as the
circumcision was given to Israel: for by it we believers are separated
and distinguished from unbelievers. This is the shield and weapon
against, and trophy over, the devil. This is the seal that the
destroyer may not touch you, as saith the Scripture. This is the
resurrection of those lying in death, the support of the standing, the
staff of the weak, the rod of the flock, the safe conduct of the
earnest, the perfection of those that press forwards, the salvation of
soul and body, the aversion of all things evil, the patron of all
things good, the taking away of sin, the plant of resurrection, the
tree of eternal life.
So, then, this same truly precious and august tree, on which Christ
hath offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sakes, is to be worshipped
as sanctified by contact with His holy body and blood; likewise the
nails, the spear, the clothes, His sacred tabernacles which are the
manger, the cave, Golgotha, which bringeth salvation, the tomb
which giveth life, Sion, the chief stronghold of the churches and the
like, are to be worshipped. In the words of David, the father of
God, We shall go into His tabernacles, we shall worship at the
place where His feet stood. And that it is the Cross that is meant
is made clear by what follows, Arise, O Lord, into Thy Rest .
For the resurrection comes after the Cross. For if of those things
which we love, house and couch and garment, are to be longed after,
how much the rather should we long after that which belonged to God,
our Saviour, by means of which we are in truth saved.
Moreover we worship even the image of the precious and life-giving
Cross, although made of another tree, not honouring the tree (God
forbid) but the image as a symbol of Christ. For He said to His
disciples, admonishing them, Then shall appear the sign of the Son
of Man in Heaven, meaning the Cross. And so also the angel of the
resurrection said to the woman, Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was
crucified. And the Apostle said, We preach Christ crucified. For
there are many Christs and many Jesuses, but one crucified. He does
not say speared but crucified. It behoves us, then, to worship the
sign of Christ. For wherever the sign may be, there also will He
be. But it does not behove us to worship the material of which the
image of the Cross is composed, even though it be gold or precious
stones, after it is destroyed, if that should happen. Everything,
therefore, that is dedicated to God we worship, conferring the
adoration on Him.
The tree of life which was planted by God in Paradise pre-figured
this precious Cross. For since death was by a tree, it was fitting that life and
resurrection should be bestowed by a tree. Jacob, when He worshipped
the top of Joseph's staff, was the first to image the Cross, and
when he blessed his sons with crossed hands he made most clearly the
sign of the cross. Likewise also did Moses' rod, when it smote the
sea in the figure of the cross and saved Israel, while it overwhelmed
Pharaoh in the depths; likewise also the hands stretched out crosswise
and routing Amalek; and the bitter water made sweet by a tree, and
the rock rent and pouring forth streams of water, and the rod that
meant for Aaron the dignity of the high priesthood: and the serpent
lifted in triumph on a tree as though it were dead, the tree bringing
salvation to those who in faith saw their enemy dead, just as Christ
was nailed to the tree in the flesh of sin which yet knew no sin. The
mighty Moses cried, You will see your life hanging on the tree before
your eyes, and Isaiah likewise, I have spread out my hands all the
day unto a faithless and rebellious people. But may we who worship
this obtain a part in Christ the crucified. Amen.
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