Letter 1088: The cross — foolishness to the world — is the power of God.
A noteworthy counter-argument against a pagan, concerning the Resurrection of the Savior. I once recall disputing with a formidable pagan who enjoyed the greatest reputation among many for his rhetorical power, and I silenced him in a few words. For when he brought up the Passion and the Cross, and poured out loud mockery, I answered him gently: "How can you demonstrate that he was crucified?" When all who were listening were astonished and wondering what on earth I intended to establish by saying this, he answered — thinking he would carry off the victory effortlessly — "It is written in the Gospels." To which I immediately countered: "Then it is also written in those same Gospels that he rose again and ascended into the heavens. If therefore you believe the Gospels, believe them when they say both this and that. But if you do not, you are doing the most absurd thing: accepting one part while rejecting the other. For you must not take from a document only what suits you while leaving out what does not. Either accept the whole testimony or reject the whole. But since you cite the Gospels as a witness to the crucifixion, you necessarily admit them as a witness also to the resurrection and the ascension." Hearing this, the man stood speechless, and those who were present applauded the argument, for it left no room for reply.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
᾿Αγτίθεσις ἀξιάχουστος πρὸς “Ελληγνα, περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος. Οἷἶδά ποτε διαλεγόμενον πρός με δεινὸν Ἕλληνα, χαὶ παρὰ πολλοῖς ἐπὶ δυνάμει λόγων μεγίστην δόξαν ἔχοντα, ἐν βραχέσιν ἐπιστομίσας. Προσφέροντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ πάθη, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, χαὶ πλατὺν χαταχέοντος γέλωτα, ἀπεχρίθην ἐγὼ αὐτῷ πράως " ε« Πόθεν γὰρ ἔχεις δεῖξαι ὁτι ἐσταυρώθη; » Πάντων δὲ τῶν ἀχροωμένων χαταπλαγέντων, χαὶ ἐννοούντων, τί ἄρα κατασχευάσαι βουλόμενος τοῦτο ἔφην, ἀπ- εἐχρίνατο ἐχεῖνος, ὡς δὴ τὴν νίχην ἀπονητὶ () ἀναι- ρησόμενος" ε« Ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις γέγραπται. » Ὧ εὐθὺς ἀντεπῆγον᾽ ε Οὐχοῦν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι χαὶ ἀνέστη, χαὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀνῆλθε, γέγραπται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν πιστεύεις τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, χαὶ τοῦτο χἀκεῖνο λέγουσι πίστευσον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀτοπώτατον ποιεῖς, τὸ μὲν ἐγχρίνων, τὸ δὲ εἰσδάλλων (). Μὴ γὰρ δὴ περὶ τὰς ὕδρεις ἀναπεπετασμένας χαὶ ὄξυ- τάτας ἔχετε τὰς ἀχοὰς, περὶ δὲ τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ θεῖα πεφραγμένας; Καὶ μάλιστα ἐπειδὴ οἱ λεγόμενοί σου θεοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἡττήθησαν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἑσταυρώθη, δῆλον ὅτι χαὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνῆλθεν. Εὲ δὲ τὰ λαμπρὰ παραγράφῃ, μηδὲ τὰ ἐπονείδιστα πρόφερε. Θάτερον γὰρ θάτερου ἤρτηται, χαὶ διαζευ- χθῆναι οὐχ ἀνέχεται. » Τούτων τοιγαροῦν εἰρημένων, τοσοῦτος ἐξεῤῥάγη χρότος, ὡς χάμΣ κχἀκχεῖνον ἐρυ- θριᾶσαι " ἐμὲ μὲν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀξίαν ὁ ἔπαινος ἦν" ἐχεῖνον δὲ, ὅτι ταῖς οἰχείαις συνεδέθη φωναῖς. Ταῦτα μηνύσας, ἀποχεχρίσθαι οἶμαι σαφῶς πρὸς τὰ παρὰ τῆς σῆς συνέσεως ἀποσταλέντα. Δρρίαυδιι5, εἰ οἱ δθὸ δὲ ἱρδβα ἐγῃθοβοργοηιυδ. ἘΠῸ αυΐάεπι, φυοά βυργτὰ ᾳυδπὶ ἀΐφηιις οβϑοῖι ἰδυάδγογ: 'ρ56 ϑυίδιη, φυιοά δι: 8Ππ γδγ υἷ8 σοηδίτγίοίυα ἰοπογεῖυγ. Ηος ιἰυΐ [ ἰηάἀϊοὶο, Δγθίγογ δ8ιὶδ γϑβροῦϑυιν ἐ856 ροΓβρίουθ διΐ , ἃ (τ ργυθδηιία δὰ πὶ [ὑϑγϑῆϊ ρογβογρίδ. ΧΧΧΙΙ!, --- ΠΟΙΙΟΤΙΙΕΟ ΒΡΙΕΝΌΙΌΙΒΒΙΜΟ. Ῥῳ οἰοτία υειεγαπάς ογμεῖς. Οεορογεπιδῦ ΟὨγδιΐ ἐγυθαπὶ πιοσῖο ᾿ἰοθδὶ ἂρ- ΛΒ΄. --- ΔΩΡΟΘΕΩ ΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΩ (). Περὶ δόξης τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ. Τὸν ἀοίδιμον σταυρὸν δίχαιον προσειπεῖν, οὗ μόνον ΥΑΝΓΕ ΠΕΟΤΊΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤ. ἐὕπι), υἱ Υἱίαπι δ᾽ ͵] ἱῃπούδηι σοηιἰοηϑγα υὙϑὶϊ! : τ] ἰλπηδη πυϊΐυιν (ΘΓ ἀπ θέιη δὶ, φιΐα ροοία δυῦ Αἰτο γι μΟγβοηἃ ἰρϑυῃη ἰδιάμγα υἱεῖ : 4υοἀ οἱ ροεῖαε πα γοργϑβδιιβίοπο, β0 υἱγιυϊδῖ ἃ0 ἀοίο5 Δρῃοβοθηῖεβ, (δοόγυηὶ. [ ἀοτυ5 σατο [ ἰδο νογθα δεοθρί286 υἱψδίυνγ, αυλδὶ ἱρβδο 6ἃ ρΡγοί Ποιηογυ8. Μαχίιηι5 Τγγίιιβ φυοᾳυθ, ρὲ] - Ἰοβορ ΡΙΔιοηΐευδ, διαλέδει , γογρυιη Ποιηδγίουαι γΓείογι, βοὰ διὶ ᾿πο πηοάϊμ! : ' Αὐτοδίδακτος δ᾽ εἰμῆ" θεοὶ δέ μοι ὥπασαν ὁμοήῖν. Νοῖὰ οἰΐδπ) εἷς γοϑιϊκίαπι ὀγα ἰοηΐἷ8 δϑοου δτὶα ἰα ἰβἰάοτο. ἐν Οοὐ. γι. ἀπονητί πιυίδὶ ἱπ ἀχονιτέ οἱ Υ6Γ8. ι ρῖοὸ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δ φὶ, εἰς οὐρανούς. ΟΒΒΙΝ. () Ρτο εἰσδάλλων ἑάδιῃ οοἀ. δεγί υἱὲ ἐχδάλλων, δἰ νϑγδ. ἐπ , μοϑι ἐπειδή ϑεὐΐι πάντες. . νογ)- ορίβί. θοι ἀποσ., ἐπισταλέντα δογί υἷι. ῬΟΒ5ΙΝ. Ἐ ).ΕτῸ λαμπροτάτῳ ουὐ. γαὶ. θὅ0 μοὶ! δια- χόνω. ἰν. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒΙ͂Μ . 1Υ΄- --- ΕΡΙΘΤ, ΧΧΧΥ͂. γῆς, ἀλχὰ καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἔρεισμά τε χαὶ ἀγλάϊσμα. Α ΡεοΙΙΔγα ποη δοίιπι (ΘΓΓ, 86ι οἱ (( Γ]σγθηι εἰ [υἱ- Τὴν γὰρ χτίσιν πᾶσαν ἀνέσχε, τοῖς μὲν ὑπερχοσμίοις χαρὰν, τοῖς δ᾽ ἐπιγείοις ἐλευθερίαν πρυτανεύσας, χαὶ τὰ διεστῶτα συνάψας. ΔΙ". -- ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΩ. Περὶ πο.λιτείας. ΕἸ εὐγνωμόνως χαὶ νουνεχῶς ἐντυχεῖν ἐθελήσειας ταῖς ἱεραῖς Γραφαῖς, οὐ πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα τῆς θείας φιλοσοφίας ὁρμήσειας μόνον, ἀλλὰ χαὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν τῶν δογμάτων τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἡ οὐρανῷ πρέ- πουσα πολιτεία ἔχει τὴν ὑπόθεσιν.
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