Rulers bring emerald stones; oil and incense type Christ
were bringing forward still greater and more noteworthy some of the exceptional beside them. For it has been written that ‘And the rulers brought the emerald stones, and the stones of the filling, unto the shoulder-piece, and the oracle, and the compositions, and the oil of the anointing, and the composition of the incense.’ Are these then not akin a little to what is behind? For the fight-ready multitude was bringing forward to God the things of the captivity, according to the commandment given, from human until beast; and the chiliarchs and centurions added to these adornment and bracelet, and plait, and finger-ring, and every golden vessel worked, which also Eleazar the priest was setting into the holy tent itself. And in these the whole multitude of those come to puberty was completing the didrachm, and again the rulers bring forward chosen stones, unto the shoulder-piece, and the oracle, which were completing unto adornment of the one excelling in priesthood. For those leading peoples bring themselves forward unto adornment for Christ, as some precious stones. Therefore also the prophet making clear the holy apostles for us, ‘Holy stones,’ he says, ‘roll upon the earth’; of which sort was the divine Paul, running round from Jerusalem even until Illyricum through the proclamation. Precious stones therefore and unto Christ’s glory are the saints’ company. And they themselves would also be the oil of the anointing, and the composition of the incense, making fragrant the knowledge of Christ, and, as in oil, fattening with all-wise teachings and with the words through the Spirit the souls of those being initiated. And the incense is composite; for the knowledge concerning Christ has been composed from two, which is in the same God and human; yet one from both, Son and Christ, toward whom it has also been said somewhere and toward us ourselves: ‘Perfume emptied out is your name.’
Palladius: In the oversight then beside God, the fight-ready and strong, whose fruit also is constitution of Churches, and the things unto God’s glory. For the contemplations show this to us.
Cyril: You have spoken rightly. And that a bright and exceptional lot, and indeed the need to share in every good, will be allotted by God to those accustomed thus to be of good reputation—how or from where would someone doubt? Or do you not hear David singing again: ‘You will eat the toils of your fruits’? and indeed wise and holy Paul writing: ‘For whatever a human sows, this also he will harvest’?
Palladius: I have learned.
Cyril: For someone will play the man not without a wage, and somewhere the one saying is altogether true: ‘For God is not unjust, to forget your toil and the love which you showed unto his name.’ He will forget
Greek
τὰ ἔτι μείζω καὶ ἀξιολογώτερα προσεκόμιζόν τινα τῶν παρὰ σφίσι τὰ ἐξαίρετα. Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι «Καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἤνεγκαν τοὺς λίθους τῆς σμαράγδου, καὶ τοὺς λίθους τῆς συμπληρώσεως, εἰς τὴν ἐπωμίδα, καὶ τὸ λόγιον, καὶ τὰς συνθέσεις, καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως, καὶ τὴν σύνθεσιν τοῦ θυμιάματος.» Ἆρ' οὖν οὐχὶ τοῖς ὀπίσω βραχὺ ταυτὶ συγγενῆ; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ τῶν μαχίμων πληθὺς τὰ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας προσεκόμιζεν τῷ Θεῷ, κατὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους· οἱ δὲ χιλίαρχοί τε καὶ ἑκατόνταρχοι προσέθεσαν τούτοις χλιδῶνα καὶ ψέλλιον, καὶ ἐμπλόκιον, καὶ δακτύλιον, καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος χρυσοῦν εἰργασμένον, ἃ καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἁγίαν ἐτίθει σκηνὴν Ἐλεάζαρ ὁ ἱερεύς. Ἐν δέ γε τούτοις ἡ μὲν πᾶσα τῶν ἡβηκότων πληθὺς ἐτέλει τὸ δίδραχμον, προσάγουσι δὲ πάλιν οἱ ἄρχοντες λίθους ἐκλεκτοὺς, εἰς τὴν ἐπωμίδα, καὶ τὸ λόγιον, ἅπερ εἰς κόσμον συνετέλει τοῦ προὔχοντος ἐν ἱερωσύνῃ. Προσάγουσι γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς, εἰς κόσμον Χριστῷ, καθάπερ τινὰς λίθους τιμίους, οἱ λαῶν ἡγούμενοι. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ προφήτης τοὺς ἁγίους ἡμῖν ἀποστόλους καταδηλῶν, «Λίθοι, φησὶν, ἅγιοι κυλίονται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς·» ὁποῖός τις ἦν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, ὁ ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ περιθέων διὰ τὸ κήρυγμα. Λίθοι τοιγαροῦν οἱ τίμιοι καὶ εἰς δόξαν Χριστοῦ, τῶν ἁγίων τὸ στῖφος. Εἶεν δ' ἂν αὐτοὶ καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως, καὶ ἡ σύνθεσις τοῦ θυμιάματος, τὴν Χριστοῦ γνῶσιν εὐωδιάζοντες, καὶ, ὥσπερ ἐν ἐλαίῳ, καταπιαίνοντες ταῖς πανσόφοις διδασκαλίαις καὶ τοῖς διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος λόγοις τὰς τῶν μυσταγωγουμένων ψυχάς. Σύνθετον δὲ τὸ θυμίαμα· συντέθειται γὰρ ἡ περὶ Χριστοῦ γνῶσις ἐκ δυοῖν, ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἐν ταὐτῷ Θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος· πλὴν εἷς ἐξ ἀμφοῖν, υἱὸς καὶ Χριστὸς, πρὸς ὃν εἴρηταί που καὶ πρός γε ἡμῶν αὐτῶν· «Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἐν ἐπισκέψει δὴ οὖν τῇ παρὰ Θεῷ, τὸ μάχιμόν τε καὶ εὔρωστον, οὗ καὶ ὁ καρπὸς, Ἐκκλησιῶν σύστασις, καὶ τὰ εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. Τουτὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐμφαίνει τὰ θεωρήματα.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὀρθῶς ἔφης. Κλῆρος δὲ ὅτι λαμπρὸς καὶ ἐξαίρετος, καὶ τό γε δὴ χρῆναι παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ μεταλαχεῖν, τοῖς οὕτως εὐδοκιμεῖν εἰωθόσιν ἀπονεμηθήσεται παρὰ Θεοῦ, πῶς ἂν ἢ πόθεν ἐνδοιάσειέ τις; Ἢ οὐκ ἐπαΐεις ἀναμελῳδοῦντος μὲν τοῦ Δαβίδ· «Τοὺς πόνους τῶν καρπῶν σου φάγεσαι;» καὶ μὴν τοῦ σοφοῦ καὶ ἱεροῦ γράφοντος Παύλου· «Ὃ γὰρ ἂν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει;»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἐπυθόμην.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀνδριεῖται γάρ τις οὐκ ἀμισθὶ, καὶ ἔστι που πάντως ἀληθὴς ὁ λέγων· «Οὐ γὰρ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς, ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ κόπου ὑμῶν καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης, ἧς ἐνεδείξασθε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.» Ἐπιλήσεται
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 4 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 4 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 4 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 4)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 4)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.