Letter 106

To the Same Person. You have said that the ash of human bodies is scattered everywhere by the winds and winnowed away, and so what is left? But consider this for me: from what was the earth fashioned, from what do fire, and air, and water derive their existence? You will most certainly say to the one who questions you—fleeing far from the Hellenic [pagan] nonsense, not failing to spit out the drivel of the false philosophers—you will most certainly say that the elements were brought by God from non-being into being. I therefore say to you in turn that, just as all things have come into existence from non-being into being by the sole inclination of the divine will, so too out of that ash which you suppose to perish there will be the resurrection of human bodies.

Εἴρηκας, τὴν σποδιὰν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων σωμάτων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνέμων πανταχῇ διασκορπισθῆναί τε καὶ λικμηθῆναι, καὶ τί λοιπόν; Ἀλλ’ ἐννόησόν μοι, πόθεν ἡ γῆ κατεσκευάσθη, πόθεν πῦρ, καὶ ἀήρ, καὶ ὕδωρ ὑφέστηκεν; Πάντως ἐρεῖς τῷ ἐπερωτῶντί σε τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πόῤῥω φεύγων παραφλυαρημάτων, μὴ ἀποπτύων τοὺς λήρους τῶν ψευδοφιλοσόφων, πάντως ἐρεῖς, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ στοιχεῖα παρήχθη. Κἀγὼ τοίνυν φημί σοι, ὅτι καθάπερ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι τὰ πάντα ὑφέστηκε τῇ ῥοπῇ μόνῃ τοῦ θείου βουλήματος, οὕτως ἐκ τῆς τέφρας ἐκείνης τῆς παρὰ σοὶ νομιζομένης ἀπόλλυσθαι, ἡ ἀνάστασις ἔσται τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων σωμάτων.