Coptic homilies in the dialect of Upper Egypt/Sermon 9
THE DISCOURSE WHICH THE HOLY PATRIARCH, APA ATHANASIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF RAKOTE, PRONOUNCED CONCERNING THE SOUL AND THE BODY.
Now the word which has been sent from heaven has no ill-will (or, grudging) therein, and it is ready to cleanse that which is in the soul, provided that you are prepared for the strength of the word, which, however, has also need of him that listens. For it is like the rain from heaven, which does not produce fruit without the earth, neither does the earth make things to grow without the rain from heaven. The meaning of which is, that the disciple gains no advantage without a master to teach him, neither does the master without a pupil to listen to him. The Logos gives the speech ; let obedience (or, listening) of those who hearken to it make it perfect. For behold the Logos gives its strength, [provided that] you are without ill-will (or, grudging), and that you first of all purify yourselves from every restraining influence and [from] ill-will (or, envy), and from unbelief, which are the enemies of righteousness. Now envy wars against love, and unbelief against belief, even as bitterness wars against sweetness, and darkness against light, and that which is evil against that which is good; and death wars against life, and falsehood against truth. Now those who are full of the strength of that which is adverse to good, and have in them envy, and ill-will, and unbelief, hate love and faith (or, belief), and those who hate these things are the enemies of God.
For we know, O my beloved, that all those who are filled with envy, and ill-will, and unbelief, are the enemies of righteousness; take good heed to yourselves, therefore, that you might not become the enemies of righteousness. Take to yourselves belief and love, for through these salvation has come unto all the saints, from the beginning even until this present. Moreover, make manifest the power of love, not only in word, but also in deed ; now God has given salvation for all of us. For we ourselves did not come into being as the whole world came into being, by the word of His mouth only, but He made us both by word and by deed. God was not content with making Himself to say, ' Let us make man according to Our likeness and image,[1],but He made the action follow the word. For God took a piece of earth from the earth, and fashioned man, according to His own image and likeness, and He breathed into his face the breath of life. Now when Adam was close unto death because of his transgression, the material body of Adam needed to be fashioned a second time by the hand of God, the Fabricator, in order that he might receive salvation.
Now [the body of] man rots away, and is buried in the earth, but the soul, which God breathed into him when he became a living soul, separates itself from him. And further, when [the body] is dead they carry off the soul into a place of darkness, into the region which is called ' Hades '. For the soul and the body become separated, and death divides them each from the other. Now the soul is fettered in Hades, but the body (or, flesh) dissolves in the earth. And there is a very great gulf [fixed] between them,the flesh and the soul. Now the flesh disappears, and is diffused abroad in the earth wherein it has been buried, but the soul is powerless in the bonds of Hades. The soul, which is a strong thing, is fettered in the darkness, but the body, which is a weak thing, dissolves in the earth. Now the body is not strong [enough] to move, [and] it dissolves in the [funerary] mountain ; neither is the soul able to do anything, [for] it is fettered in Hades. For when death bears away a man, the strong portion [of him], which is the soul, it fetters in Hades, and the weak portion [of him], which is the flesh, it carries off [into the earth.]
Now it is like a general who captures the city of a king ; when he has taken possession thereof he first of all seizes the king and shuts him up under restraint. And this is what death does first of all to the soul. Now the body is like unto a ship which has no steersman upon it, that is to say, the body perishes, and it falls to pieces, limb from limb, because the soul has ceased to steer it. And the members thereof are dissipated in the [funerary] mountain, and they perish like the city which has been laid waste, and like the ship which has no steersman in it, and has become submerged in the waters. For it is the soul itself which steers its body, even as the king administers his city.
Now when the man is dead, his soul is not able to steer his flesh, because it is fettered in Hades, and it drifts about among the waves of [un] righteousness, even as a steersman whose ship drifts about on the sea. And the soul heels over into the waves which are ready for it, and it is driven into the breakers of the thieves that engulf it, that is to say, adultery, and fornication, and the love of ornament, and the worship of idols, and the slaying of men, and hatred ; now these are the things whereby man slays the soul. And because of these things, whereby [the Evil One] has seduced the soul, it is given over to the Evil One to whom it has clung closely, and it is carried away into Hades ; for he carries it off like a thief. Moreover, he makes it to be without the power to assist its own body which perishes. The flesh dissolves in the earth, the substance (?) thereof decays, and one member drops away from the other because the soul is not in the body to bind them together. And the soul itself is bound in Hades, having fetters not on the feet only, but on its whole person. For this reason it has not the power to give help to its own body, and to prevent it from decaying in the earth. Now it is like a captain who dies when his ship founders, that is to say, if the soul were not bound in Hades, it would be able to steer its own body, and would not allow it to perish. Moreover, the soul is bound [in Hades] not only with fetters, but it is bound with its own sins as with cords, and for this reason it has become powerless, and it forsakes its body, leaving it to perish in the earth.
And besides, the soul is made to suffer tortures in Hades. It becomes the footstool of death, and when it is in Hades it is wont to weep and sigh after its good body, saying, 'Where is my body, that body wherein I used to sing hymns? Where is my body, that body wherein I used to pray to God? Where is my good body, that body wherein, when I was a man, I used to walk about with my friends and my kinsfolk? And I made merry in my body, I was called [by my name] while I was in my human body, and now I am no longer a man, but a soul. Now when death has separated the soul from the body they call the body a "corpse", and it gives forth foetidness. I enquire after my body, [but] I do not enquire after my name, that body together with which I was a man and in which I spoke.
And when the soul ceases to be in its body, the body can never again speak with a pleasing voice, but with a choked and exceedingly sad voice ; and it is like unto a musical instrument which has no sound in it and is speechless. That is to say, the soul is not in the body to give utterance therefrom. And the body perishes in the earth like a broken pot, and it becomes speechless, and it has neither sound nor voice ; and it is motionless, for it is a corpse, for the soul which adorned it has departed, taking with it the power of speech.
And it is impossible, moreover, to know what any man who is dead was like, for his form is destroyed by the sand.
And you can know neither [what] his face [was like], nor the form of his person, nor the height of his stature, nor can you tell what the sound of his voice was like. For the son cannot know his own father, or his mother, or his brother, or his friend; it is wholly impossible [for him] to recognize the face of any one [of them] in the tomb. The lips have rotted away, the nose has decayed, the eyes are blocked up, the colour of the face has changed, and it is impossible to recognize any one of them ; because all bodies turn into dust in the tomb, and they perish, and nothing of them remains to us.
Now it is impossible to identify a bone, and to make it to rejoin the body to which it belonged, because the bone has become bare, and there is no flesh on it. And besides this, even before the flesh which clothed the bone crumbled away it would have been impossible for you to show clearly to whom it belonged. For who can identify a bone when it has been taken out of the member [to which it belonged]? Or who is there that can make known to us the colour [of the hair] of one who is dead? And it is wholly impossible for you to recognize the bones of Adam, or [to say] what a manner of men the Prophets were, and what kind of bodies had the Patriarchs and the Apostles. They have all been cast in the earth, and their heads and their bodies have become separated.
If the son were to seek after his father in the tomb, he would not recognize him, neither would a friend recognize his friend, nor a brother recognize his brother ; nor could a man address any one of them by name, being sure that he really was the person who bore that name, or identify his form, because they have all turned to dust in the tomb, and there is no longer any human resemblance in them. For man is scattered abroad over the face of all the earth, and he is poured out in every place, for the earth bears a grievous burden of tombs and sepulchres, and every place is filled with the blood of those who are dead. Moreover, the earth has become one [great] sepulchre for those who are dead.
It was one man only (i. e., Adam) who was taken from the earth, but those who are buried in it are thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands. Every place is filled with the dead, the sea and the rivers, the earth and the mountains, and the wild beasts and the birds of prey devour the dead, and are sated with their slaughtered bodies. And Hades is filled with the souls which are bound in fetters.
O you form of earth wherein grief is abundant ! O you form of man which grows [only] for destruction, and flourishes only in sorrows and sighings ! The joy of those who are upon the earth is only for a moment, and yet they are wont to think that it is great; but it slips away speedily through their hands. Behold, one man rejoices, and takes a woman to wife, and soon after he weeps for her, for she is dead ! Behold, one man rejoices in his son, and behold, soon after he weeps over his grave ! Behold, another man exults because of his father, and [soon] afterwards he makes lamentation and buries him ! For there is no profit whatsoever for man ; he is one who [is intended to] lament, and there is no consolation in him. He has not the power to pacify him that will destroy [him], neither does he receive him that could console him. Each man, in his own way, must die for himself, and no friend can make an appeal for his friend ; but each man must suffer the death to which he is liable. There is no prophet of God who can give men consolation, for they will not hearken unto him. Neither will they really believe in the God of heaven, nor will they do His Will until they fall into death.
Moreover, God is wroth with man because of his unutterable and indescribable transgressions, which destroy him. For man suffers evil in every way because of his transgressions, [namely] by sickness, by punishment, by sorrow, by the grief and suffering which envelop him, by cold and heat, by burning, by wild beasts, and birds of prey, and reptiles, by the times in which he lives, and by old age. The winds, and the earthquakes, and the rains, and the dews, do harm to man. The rivers drown him, the wild beasts devour him, and he is destroyed by death. All [these things] have held him in contempt since he was disobedient to God.
And having been driven forth from the Paradise he came out into this world which is full of sufferings. In it are envy, and adultery, and fornication, and idolatry : and these are the things through which man dies. All these things have become fellow-workers with death in respect of man, and they war against him with wickednesses in order that death may bring him to the dust.
For man has at no time any enjoyment, never has he any pleasure. For when during his lifetime does man rejoice? Does he rejoice when he is in the womb of his mother? What kind of enjoyment can he have when he is carried about in the darkness and foetor thereof, and when he is in pain and restraint on every side in the blood of the belly? But he must come forth from his mother's body : does he rejoice [in doing this]? Nay, for he runs an exceedingly great risk of dying. But surely he rejoices when he is at his mother's breast? Now in what manner does he take the nipple? He cries loudly and weeps. Now the child that is healthy neither cries out nor weeps. But surely when man is a little child, he crawls about on the ground and rejoices? In what way then does he rejoice? He is liable to be attacked by some beast, which will trample him to death, and will split open his head, and the foam of his mouth and his intestines will be scattered about on the herbage (?) and on the ground. But surely if he grows up into a young man he will rejoice? In what way, then, will he rejoice? [I say] he cannot rejoice; for the disposition of youth surrounds him on every side with the lusts which are full of danger, and if he does not crush them they cause him to die in an evil manner. But surely when he has taken a wife, and has begotten children, he will rejoice? In what way, then, will he rejoice? He will live in a state of anxiety about the children who will commit acts of folly. But surely when he will have become an old man [he will rejoice, and take rest]? In what way, then, will he have rest? He will rest with the dangers of old age [always] round about him. And at the end of all these [troubles] is the expectation of death, which consumes the soul like a fire.
O you death, you carry off [people] of every age and condition - the children and the old man, the youth and the man of mature growth. For age (or, stature) is no obstacle to death, and he carries away [people] of every age and condition.
Now it is an exceedingly sorrowful thing to look upon death in man, and to contemplate his decay. The face has become ghastly pallid in the garb of death, and the body has become shriveled up, and the mouth is shut up, and the hair has become lustreless (?), and the eyes have become sightless and are shut, and the limbs are motionless. And as for the other changes which take place in the body when it is placed in the earth, the flesh crumbles away, and the sinews and ligaments decay, and the other [members] which have been laid bare, [and] those which have not been laid bare, become dissolved, and the humours which have dried up, and the dust which is abundant. For man is a thing of nought, and he is like unto a flower of the grasses which withers, and he shrivels up like a log of wood which is burned in the fire and is consumed.
Now after the destruction of man, and [seeing] his wretchedness, which was very great, God visited that which He Himself had fashioned, and had made in His own form and likeness, in order that Death might not become the conqueror. Death boasted himself saying, ' I will conquer man.' Now the Devil fights against man at all times, and he carries him away captive through the evil of death into the gate of Hades. And he hurls his wickedness against man at all times, until at length he brings him under the power of death, and he shuts him up in the prison of Hades. For this reason the soul which is fast bound in darkness is not able to make its escape from the place of imprisonment of those who are dead. For this reason the Father sent His Son upon the earth. Now He had no body of flesh; therefore the Holy Spirit caused Him to take upon Himself flesh in the womb of the Virgin.
And God became man so that He might deliver him that had gone astray, and might gather together those who were scattered through the envy of the Devil, and might bring them into His fold. Death having made a separation in man, those whom Death had scattered, these did Christ gather together, and He has made man one again, the soul with the body.
Death bound the soul in Hades, and he made the flesh to dissolve in the earth ; thus he divided man into two parts. The Saviour Jesus, however, Himself set free the soul from its bonds, and He bound the flesh together inseparably, and He brought the two towards each other, and made them one of one, the soul and the body, and He rejoined them each to the other. He gave the body to the soul, and the soul He placed in the body ; He made [the body] to be an instrument of speech, and He gave it constituted members.
And now, O soul, sing you hymns of praise in the body wherein you art, to your own Imperishable God, because Christ died for us, in order that we might live with Him for ever. For He was neither liable to Death, nor was He under any obligation to die by Death ; neither was it absolutely necessary for Him to make Himself to become man, nor had He Himself any need to take upon Himself the flesh of man : for He is God, and He is arrayed in all the glory of Divinity. For this reason he endured patiently and was made after the manner of men who die, [though] He is the God Who alone dies not. Now for what reason did He come down upon the earth, seeing that He Himself was the King,
Who was reigning over the heavens? Who compelled Him to go to the Cross, and to die gladly?
Though He Himself was the Fabricator of the universe, He endured patiently, and allowed Himself to be begotten in the womb of a woman. And they wrapped in swaddling bands Him that had been arrayed in all the glory of the Father. He Who sat on the I chariots of the Cherubim was laid in a manger, and He sucked the nipple at the breast of a woman. He before Whom the Seraphim stand in awe ascribing glory to His Divinity, He Who sent forth waters to flow in the rivers, and the rains, and the dews, and Who sent forth waters from heaven, received baptism I in the Jordan by a mortal man. He from Whom the whole universe receives light was treated with contempt by the Jews. He upon Whose Word hang the seven heavens, and the firmament, and the earth, and Hades, was Himself hung upon a Cross of wood. He Who took a clod of dead earth, and fashioned it into a living man, bare patiently the scorn of those who mocked Him, in order that by the contempt of Himself He might save man, who had gone to perdition through his own sins. He gave His soul of salvation for the soul of man.
He gave His holy flesh on behalf of the whole race of Adam. And He gave His Blood on behalf of all. He gave Man for man, and His death for our death. And the death which men are under an obligation to suffer, and which they fear, became a blessing, because Christ died for us. This is the love which Christ made manifest. He died for us, who. are sinners, in order that He might save us. For what righteous man ever died on behalf of a sinner? Or what father ever died on behalf of his own son, whom he had begotten? Again, what friend ever died on behalf of his friend? Or what loving brother ever died on behalf of his brother? No man ever did such a thing, that is to say, no man ever let himself die for another by his own wish, or through his own good pleasure only. But Christ came of Himself, and of His own free will and love. And as to us a sinners, not only did He fashion us in the form of Adam and make us to become men, but when we were dead in [our] sins, He came and bore suffering on our behalf; and He has given us life again by His love.
Now at the time when He fashioned us with His hand, He had not suffered [on our behalf] ; but now that He has begotten us a second time, through the suffering of His death, He suffers with us even as does she who gave [us] birth. He has borne with us for an exceedingly long time, and He has not burnt up the world, [the people whereof] treated Him with contempt, and scourged Him by the hands of sinners, and put Him to death, and buried Him, according to that which the prophet spoke saying, ' You have brought
me into the dust (or, grave) of death.' [2]
Who was it that brought Him there? It was the wicked people whom He loved that put Him to death. He came to them to save them, and they cast Him aside like a straw. Consider moreover, O men, the return which the children of Israel made to our God. They pierced the side of Him Who had created them. They inflicted sufferings upon Him Who had on very many occasions conferred benefits upon them and their fathers. They paid Him back with evil things instead of good, and they showed hatred instead of the true [love] wherewith He had loved them. They made sorrowful Him Who had given joy unto them. He Who had raised the dead among them, and they saw Him doing it ; He Who had healed the lame, and cleansed those who were leprous, He Who had given light to the blind, He it was Whom they killed, and hung upon a tree !
Consider moreover, O men, the insolent daring of the Jews. They hung [upon a tree] Him that had hung out the earth. They drove nails into Him that had established the earth on the waters. They broke [the limbs] of Him that had heaped up the heavens in His wisdom. They bound as a prisoner Him that had released them from the servitude of Pharaoh. They put fetters on Him that had set free sinners. To Him that had given them a stream of water to quench their thirst did they give vinegar to drink when He thirsted, and they sustained Him with gall when He was in the agony of death on the Cross, and they did not remember that He it was Who had given them [water as sweet as] honey to drink from the rock. They bound the hands and the feet of Him that had unbound the limbs of those who were paralysed. They themselves were bound in the hand of the Devil because they performed His will; for he kept them bound until the coming of Him that should release those who were in captivity, and set free those who were bound. Of Him that had sent forth the sun and the moon to give light to them, and had opened the eyes of those who were blind from their birth, did they close the eyes like those of a dead man. Him Who had raised the dead did they bury in the earth.
O what a new and incomprehensible mystery ! He Who was the Judge was judged. He Who had done away their sins was bound with cords. Nails were driven into the hands of Him Who had fashioned men. They hung on a tree Him Who had placed breath in their throats. They broke Him Who could break their members from their bodies. On the Cross they compelled Him Who had filled the earth with life to drink gall. He through Whom the whole universe lives died. Now they did scoff at Him greatly while He was on the Cross, and before He died they gave utterance to many mocking words, and they gibed at Him.
When our Lord was hanging upon the wood of the Cross, the sepulchres opened, and Hades was rent asunder. He delivered the souls [therefrom], and He raised up the dead, and very many of the saints showed themselves in Jerusalem. Now these things happened before the mystery was fulfilled on the Cross. And when Christ died, He abolished the Enemy, He bound in fetters the mighty tyrant, He set His Cross before him. He conquered in their presence, and He gained the victory.
Our Lord Jesus Christ lifted up His Body on the Cross, and when Death had seen Life, he fell down at His feet. Then the Powers of the heavens marvelled at His wisdom. The angels were stupefied with admiration of Him. The elements were terror-stricken, and all created things were shaken when they saw this new mystery, and this awful sight. They saw God hanging on a tree, and men were lifted up near Him on the tree. His feet were fastened to it by means of nails, and likewise His hands, which were extended, were fastened by nails to the tree.
And the Jews mocked at Him, and laughed at Him, and derided Him, because they did not understand the mystery. The earth trembled (or, shook) when it saw the shamelessness of the Jews. The mountains thereof trembled, and the hills shook and quaked. The sea made its waves to rise up to a height sufficient to cover the world. The abyss was disturbed, and opened its mouth to swallow up all created things. The whole of creation was moved with wrath because of the abominable insolence of the Jews. The luminaries of heaven became dark, the sun withdrew to rest, the moon was perturbed and hid itself, and the stars ceased to shine on the wicked men. Though the moon was full, it did not shine, and moreover, the sun having withdrawn to rest, the whole world was in darkness. They saw their God Who had created them hanging upon a tree like a thief. The day turned into night.
And an angel who was wroth came forth from among all the angels, with his drawn sword in his hands, to slay them quickly altogether. And he was prevented [from doing this] by the mercy of Christ. And the angel laid his hand upon the curtain of the temple, and rent it in twain, from the top to the bottom. And all the angels were looking forth from the heavens, and they were wroth because the lovingkindness of God the Father prevented them all from destroying the Jews. The light of the day took to flight, the world was shrouded in darkness, the darkness of the blackest night. All these things happened before Christ closed His eyes.
And His light made haste to rise in Hades. And Hades was perturbed when the Lord went down into it, not in the flesh, but in the spirit ; for He had power over all creation, and He could destroy [it] before His last hour. He poured out His Blood on the earth, and It protected the earth and those who were therein. His Body continued to hang upon the tree for the sake of the elements, and His Spirit went down into Hades, and saved those who were in that region. He despoiled Hades, and made Himself Master of all of it.
His Body raised up those who were dead on the earth, and His Spirit set free the souls which were in Hades. For in that hour in which our Lord was hanging upon the Cross, in that very same hour, the sepulchres opened, and the gate-keepers of Hades saw Him, and they shook with fear and took to flight. He burst open the gates of brass, He broke through the bolts of iron, and He took the souls which were in Hades and carried them to His Father. When the Lord had broken up Hades, and had gained the victory over Death, He set the Enemy under restraint. Now the souls He brought out of Hades, but the bodies He raised up on the earth.
Furthermore, consider the mighty and marvellous strength which was in His mortal body as He hung upon the tree ! For neither was creation able I to endure His dead body, nor could the Elements endure it, and Hades could not endure His Spirit. Every place was filled with trouble because of the sufferings of our Saviour, and all created things were troubled because of His death, for they were not accustomed to see their Lord treated with scorn and contempt. All created things were stupefied and said, 'What is this new mystery? The judges pass judgement upon Him and He speaks not. Those who know Him not look upon Him, and are not ashamed. Those who have no authority over Him take possession of Him, and He resists them not. Those who are not His equals treat Him with scorn, and He becomes not angry. He Who is impassible endures sufferings, and is not wroth. He Who is immortal has died, and He has endured [pain] patiently. He Who dwells in the heavens has been buried in the earth, and has kept silence. ' What is this mystery? ' says all creation, for every thing marvelled at His lovingkindness.
And having risen from the dead at dawn on the First Day of the W r eek, and having vanquished death, He bound in fetters the tyrant and set men free. Then did every created thing know that the Judge had had judgement passed on Him for the sake of the salvation of man, and that, for man's sake, He Who was invisible had been seen, and He Who was infinite had been measured, and He Who was impassible had endured sufferings, and He Who was immortal had died, and He Who was in the heavens had been buried.
For He Who had become man was judged in order that He might show mercy to us. He was put to death in order that He might set free those who were in bonds. He endured sufferings in order that He might give us rest. He died that He might make us to live. He was buried in order that He might raise us [from the dead]. If the Lord had not endured sufferings with the race of man, by what manner of means would mankind have been saved?
Moreover, Death fell down at the feet of Christ, and Christ carried him away, and the Devil who had been a rebel became a captive. Christ made Hades to quake and the power of the Devil He turned backwards. Death heard the voice of the Lord as He cried unto all the souls, ' Come forth, O ye who are bound in fetters ! O ye who sit in the darkness and co ' shadow of death, on you has the light risen. 1 I preach unto you life, for I am Christ, the Son of God.' Then He set free the souls of the saints, and He raised them up with Him.
And earth itself cried out saying, ' Spare me, O Lord. Free You me from the curse which is on me. Remove from me the wickedness of the Devil. You have held me to be worthy of having your Body buried in me, in the Place of the Blood, which was poured out upon me, in order that You might est raise men from the dead. your glorious Image is spread abroad in every place. Except Yourself, when You utterest your words, no one will resist your commands; but it was your love which compelled You to come to the beings whom You hadst fashioned. For behold, You didst stand on the earth, and didst seek after the members of the beings whom You hadst made. Take You, then, man, the deposit. Take You Your image, which You have committed as a pledge to me. Take You Adam, being complete in his likeness.'
Then Christ rose from the dead in the third hour of the day, and He took the saints with Him to His Father ; now all mankind will receive salvation through the death of Christ. For one was judged instead of all men, and salvation and mercy [came] into the whole world. Moreover, one died in order that all might rise from the dead. And the Lord died on behalf of every one, in order that every one should rise from the dead with Him. For having died, He put man on Himself like a garment, and took him with Him into the heaven which is in the heavens, and man became one of one with Him. He took Him as a gift to His Father. The gift was not gold, neither was it silver, but it was man whom He created in His own likeness, and in His own image. Moreover, this [Christ] did God the Father exalt. He seated Him on His right hand, on the Exalted Throne, and He appointed Him to be the Judge of those who are living, and of those who are dead, and Captain of all His creation. He sits above the Cherubim, He Who has created the Jerusalem of heaven, that is to say, the True Bridegroom, and the King of all the Ages. Glory be unto Him for all ages of ages. Amen.