Refutatio et Eversio 1 part 16/21

And he would even have carried out his intention, had not the one who at that time held the foremost place in the priesthood — to his own harm — thinking wretchedly and miserably, prevented it by employing very many exhortations, putting forward a specious pretext and appearing plausible in argument, as though moved by goodwill, alleging that if he removed this from what had been written, he would give the opponents occasion to say such things as this: that they ascribe to the approved fathers whatever pleases them, and reject whatever does not please them, acting by their own authority rather than by the truth of doctrine.

But since their vanity is manifest, it would, I think, be superfluous to refute this any further by arguing against it, lest we too be thought guilty of the same derangement as they.

Nevertheless, lest some of the simpler folk, being ignorant of the force of the words that follow and being lured astray by the misinterpretation of the deceivers, should be harmed, we have therefore judged it necessary to unfold the intention set forth by the teacher, so as to present the matters of this discourse in a manner easily surveyed and clear.

For the Father's purpose was not to compare the icons of the saints with the words concerning them, as to which of these should be chosen and which set aside, but chiefly to show that the saints are with us both through their own words and through what has been written about them.

Thereafter, following the words he had previously woven together, having arrived at this very passage, he sets forth a certain saying from the Psalms, namely, 'Praise the Lord, O my soul,' and the same author adds:

'David said these things then;'

'these same things do we also sing today, together with David.'

'For even though he is not present in body, yet he is present in spirit.'

'And that the righteous are present with us and sing psalms together with us, hear what Abraham says to the rich man:'

'Send Lazarus, that his brothers, learning of the things in Hades, may set right their own affairs' — he says to him:

'They have Moses and the prophets.'

'And yet Moses and the prophets, too, died long ago;'

'but even though they had died in body, they possessed them through their writings.'

...our saints; he takes what follows by way of example, and says:

'For if someone, having set up a lifeless image of a child, a friend, or a relative, thinks that the departed one is present, and through that lifeless image imagines him,'

We know, of course, that no example is open to dispute, since, if it were, it would require yet another proof, and would no longer be an example.

Having thus set forth these things as agreed upon by all, both wise and simple alike, he draws his conclusion and adds that 'much more do we, through the writings, enjoy the presence of the saints, possessing not the images of their bodies but of their souls;'

'for the things said by them are images of their very souls.'

By this the writer means to say that, while images of bodies depict and manifest the bodies as they were, the words spoken by the saints depict and proclaim the noble and unconquered constancy of their souls, and it is through what has been written about them that we enjoy their presence.

But these do not procure for us the possession of the images of their bodies; rather, they bring it about that the saints themselves are with us;

'For even though they are not present,' he says, 'in body, yet they are present in spirit.'

And in this sense, then, he said that he did not possess the images of their bodies — not because he did not have them (for he did have them;

and this he made plain through his own works) — but because, in taking up the words concerning the saints which we utter with the tongue, we see them, as it were, setting forth the images of their souls.

But here we neither find nor see any mention of their bodily images, since images do not appear together with words.

And for this reason we say that we do not have them;

for indeed we do not see them in body but in spirit.

And this would become clear also from the following;

for words, being the offspring of the mind and not of the body, even though uttered through the vocal organs of the body, do not impress upon us the condition and form of bodies, but characterize the disposition of the soul and mind that begot them.

Therefore, in handling the words of the saints through what has been written, we see the valiant deeds of their souls being formed for us;

and we are convinced that they are present not bodily but spiritually.

Wherefore we do not examine them bodily in the accounts concerning them, so as to say that we also possess the images of their bodies;

moreover, the account of the soul is one thing, and that of the body another, and it is not possible to make the same accounts apply to both at once, or to take up their images together.

For how could the manner be taken up together for things whose account is different? Whenever, then, someone discourses concerning the soul and matters pertaining to the soul, it is not possible at the same time also to go through the body and matters pertaining to the body, so as also to take up the account concerning the bodily image.

But neither is the undertaking concerning each of these alike.

For, on the one hand, the ease of the account employed, on account of the simplicity of souls, all at once and, as it were, in an instant, stirs up the memory and easily repaints in the mind the particular character of each;

but, on the other hand, the difficulty of the manner practiced, on account of the coarseness of bodies, is not so;

for it would not be able so easily to trace out the bodily features;

for it will require both art and material, and a painter skilled in that art.

So that one who gives an account concerning the souls of the saints is not thereby able also to possess, in every respect and at the same time, the images of their bodies as well.

But on this account the teacher is not to be supposed to forbid them;

rather, one must examine, with careful aim, wherever the matters of his purpose and occasion lead him;

for he, more than anyone, knew how to set both the occasion and the measure for each matter.

Through all this, then, it is made clear that he does not abolish the reality of the icons of the saints, but sets forth these things only to show that they do not co-exist with the words, nor do they necessarily follow the words put forward concerning the saints.

But we, knowing his intent to be as described, also consider the bodies conjoined to their precious souls to be precious;

bodies that ministered to the saints, in which they displayed nobility, firmness, and unconquerable endurance amid torments;

with which, as fellow contestants, they will also be crowned together, when, at the coming common resurrection of all, they receive these bodies back incorruptible.

Those, therefore, who possess the images of the souls of the saints through the writings will also, necessarily and consequently, possess the images of their bodies as well, whether through colors or in some other manner;

wherefore they are not to be disregarded nor dishonored.

And it must be observed that he did not compare the words of the saints with images of saints, but with images of ordinary people, of whatever chance sort and however disposed.

for otherwise he would surely not have presented the argument as being of lesser worth;

For it has already been shown how solemnly he himself continued to honor and revere the icon of the great Paul, and how he was disposed regarding the rest.

And so much for our part.

But the teacher, wishing still further to confirm what he had already set forth, adds, close upon the aforementioned citation, the following:

Do you wish to learn that the righteous live and are present? No one calls the dead as witnesses, but God called them as witnesses of his own divinity, and first David himself, that he might teach you that he lives.

For when the Jews were disputing about him, he says to them:

'What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is he?' They say to him:

'How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying:'

'The Lord said to my Lord:'

Do you see how David lives? For if he were not alive, he would not have called him a witness of his divinity.

Not that he called, but that he calls, so as to teach that he is still present through the writings and speaks.

From these things, and from what was said before, one may easily grasp the manner for the sake of which he said that he does not have bodily icons of the saints.

Perhaps one might hesitate to proceed next to what follows.

For they are worthy of laments and wailings and many tears, not of refutations.

And amazement cuts short my discourse, and a certain confusion and despondency of spirit come upon me as I am at a loss.

For the tongue of men would be at a loss to declaim tragically the things that have befallen the wretched.

For would one pity the irrationality, or be astounded at the impiety? And before the magnitude of the shamelessness, how would one not despair? For nearly thirty years have now passed since this wicked device, devised against right doctrines, has been exposed, being publicly proclaimed and paraded in triumph.

And everyone who had any share whatsoever in reason kept it upon his lips and proclaimed it — that I too might utter something of what is not our own.

Who does not know what things have been devised and dared against the letter of the holy man Nilus, written to the prefect Olympiodorus, by those who long ago raged madly against Christ — how they corrupted and falsified the meaning inscribed in it by its composer, and appropriated to him what was foreign to him? This is customary among heretics.

But those men, having thus transgressed the law in vain, passed away.

But who could bear the boldness and lawlessness of these men against piety — how the fear of God has been taken away from before their eyes? For they have dealt deceitfully with their tongue, and were not willing to understand, so as to do good;

and they have spoken the same lawlessness as those men, and set themselves upon every way that is not good;

The shame of men has been driven out, the good of truth has been taken away, the strength of faith has been set at naught, the firm foundation of hope has been despised.

What more need be said, when it is possible, having set forth the falsehood of the counterfeited and corrupted text, then to leave to readers the true and proper opinion of that God-bearing man, such as it is in the rectitude of piety and doctrines, so that they, upon recognizing the deceits and contrivances of the impious, might marvel and lament — being astonished not so much at their impiety as at their shamelessness and arrogance? The things fraudulently contrived by our adversaries run as follows:

Such a question is childish and befitting an infant:

this arises from a wandering of the eyes, and this is far removed from a prudent man;

Be content, having engraved a cross, in keeping with ecclesiastical tradition;

through which cross the whole human race was saved;

and whiten the rest of the house.

But the true and genuine words of the holy man run as follows:

Letter of Saint Nilus to the Prefect Olympiodorus:

You write to me, asking whether it would be most fitting, since you are about to construct a very great shrine in honor of the holy martyrs and of Christ who was borne witness to by them through the contests, labors, and sweats of martyrdom, both to set up icons and to fill the walls of the sanctuary on both the right and the left with hunts of all kinds of animals, so that on the land side there may be seen nets being spread out and hares and the other animals fleeing, and those hastening to hunt them, pursuing eagerly with their little dogs, and on the sea side, nets being let down and every kind of fish being caught and brought to the dry land by fishermen's hands;

and moreover, by plaster figures, to display every kind of image shown for the pleasure of the eyes, in the house of God;

and moreover also, in the common house, to set up a thousand crosses, and depictions of birds and beasts and reptiles and plants of every kind.

But I would say, in reply to what you have written, that it would be childish and befitting an infant to let the eye of the faithful wander among the things mentioned;

but it is proper to a firm and manly disposition to fashion, in the sanctuary, toward the east of the most divine precinct, one cross alone (for through one saving cross the race of men is preserved, and hope is everywhere proclaimed to those who had despaired), and to fill the temple of the saints, on this side and that, with depictions of the Old and New Testament by the hand of the finest painter, so that those who do not know letters, nor are able to read the divine Scriptures, might be reminded of the manly virtue of those who have genuinely served the true God, and might be stirred to emulate their glorious and celebrated feats of valor, by which they exchanged earth for heaven, having preferred the things not seen to the things seen;

and in the common house, divided into many and various small rooms, I consider it necessary to be content with a precious cross set up in each little room, and to leave aside what is superfluous.

The same man also writes, in the letter entitled To Heliodorus the Silentiary, of the sort of wonder that was worked by the great martyr Plato concerning the liberation of the captive monk-boy, while his father prayed together with him, saying:

Behold, suddenly our martyr Plato, appearing mounted upon a horse and standing by, and leading also another horse conveniently, appears to the boy who was awake, and who recognized him from having often beheld the saint's likeness on the icons.

To these he adds next how the divine martyr, having loosed the bound boy from his bonds, restores him to his father.

Thus the holy Nilus, through his own genuine words, sufficiently sets forth his own opinion, such as he holds concerning the venerable icons, and refutes the malicious contrivance of those who have falsified and corrupted his writing.

And like another intelligible Chrysorrhoas (Golden-flowing river) for us, pouring forth in flood the all-golden streams of piety, he mystically gladdens and waters the understanding of the faithful, while manifestly he floods and drowns the ill intent of the unbelieving.

But devising things emptier and more vain than what is empty, and always showing themselves worse than themselves, and never willing to make a truce with Christ nor to lay down their war against the saints, they add to their previous falsehoods and fabrications yet more fabulous and incredible ones.

And, as though setting a seal as the final touch upon the monstrous contrivance devised by them, they fabricate citations, falsely and absurdly ascribing them to Epiphanius the God-bearing, who exercised the priesthood over the Cypriots, and insulting the holy memory of the man, contriving to confirm their own impiety by the credibility of his person.

For through their own words they in truth reveal a certain Epiphanides as a shield-bearer of the unbelief of the Docetists and of the darkness of the Manichaeans.

Moreover, in addition to the other things, we have also received full assurance from a certain man who possessed credibility both from the priesthood and from the venerable dignity of gray hair, who had recognized the deceit in the falsified title of the ancient book, not a few years before, in the town of Nacoleia in Phrygia;

where formerly the wicked and bitter thorn of this apostasy, having sprung up, extended everywhere the growth of its wickedness and impiety.

That these things lie far from the opinion of Epiphanius has already been sufficiently demonstrated by us elsewhere through numerous arguments; but here too it will be stated more summarily, in the proper place for each point, with God's cooperation and support.

For how would it be possible for Epiphanius, who exerted himself so greatly and wrote so extensively against Valentinus and his followers, and Marcion and Mani, and those who partook of the wicked disease of Docetism — just as also against all the other heresies — to fall again into the very same things and be defiled, and choose to build up again what he had torn down? Such things are far removed from the sanctity of Epiphanius, being both unworthy of and foreign to his reputation.

For these reasons, those who suppose that they rely upon the words as Epiphanius's own heap upon him, through their carelessness, the greatest shame and disgrace.

They therefore produce, as being allegedly by Epiphanius, a Testament composed for those of his church, running roughly as follows:

Take heed to yourselves, and hold fast the traditions which you received;

do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

And in this, keep in remembrance, beloved children, not to set up icons in churches nor in the cemeteries of the saints, but always keep God in remembrance in your hearts;

nor even in a common house;

for it is not permitted to a Christian to be carried away through the eyes, and by a wandering of the mind.

That these things are not Epiphanius's own is evident.

First, because, as the writings concerning his life teach, he ended his life while sailing from Byzantium back to his own land.

At that time, then, while sailing, he charged his disciples (and this briefly), setting before them precepts of the best conduct of life;

in which he is shown to have prescribed nothing to his fellow citizens, nor anything else of the things forbidden to the church.

And since it is acknowledged that it is a special gift granted by God to the saints to foresee the end of their life, these things will be acceptable to us;

but if he made his disposition at another time, he has failed of the gift;

which it is not pious to say, seeing that the God-bearing men were illumined from above so as to foretell even to others the end of death.

Then also, because nowhere in his genuine words truly handed down in the church does he appear to have set forth any such thing, although he composed innumerable books concerning icons and concerning the idols of the ancients and among the nations — how they were invented from the beginning and by whom they were worshipped — and moreover also concerning the other heresies;

so that, if he had indeed held such an opinion, and had seen the church of Christ going astray in some respect concerning divine reverence in the veneration of the sacred likenesses, he would surely have applied himself, with as much zeal as possible and before the other matters, to writing on this among those works, stringing together long and unbounded discourses to that end, so that it might be corrected;

for it would be the worst thing, and the ultimate in wickedness of all heresies.

But neither, as the true account attests, has the catholic and apostolic church gone astray, and he himself knew, more than all others, that it was not possible for the Holy Spirit to have spoken falsely — which through the holy prophets had foretold that, when Christ the Savior of us all had appeared on earth through the flesh, there would no longer be veneration and reverence of idols, but that even their names would be blotted out from the earth.

Moreover, nowhere up to the present day, in the diocese of Epiphanius, has anything of that unholy Testament appeared, nor has such an account been handed down.

It would have been reasonable to do so, if it had indeed previously existed, just as for those who proceed to a second arrangement it is altogether necessary and customary either to confirm what was previously ordained, or to establish other things in place of these.

But what serves most of all as confirmation of everything is that, from the earliest times, even while Epiphanius himself was still living out his life here, and up to the present, all the houses in Cyprus consecrated to God are adorned with the ornament of this sacred painting;

and neither of the priests nor any other person whatsoever is aware of any such preaching having been spoken or done there.

This man, begrudging the Christians the benefit that arose from the memory of the saints, and deeming it right that all should be like himself, so that not only he alone, but also those led astray by his error, might be deprived of the benefit therefrom, commands them to hold fast the traditions which they received.

In what tradition, or from where, Christians received the instruction neither to make nor to venerate the image of Christ and of the saints, but to call it by the name of idols — that only his most godless soul would know.

For among Christians this has never been found nor ever been handed down; rather, to speak truly here too, it is his own dark invention and the fabrication of an evil mind, able to be aided neither by time nor stolen away by fabricated myths, since the truth shines forth beforehand in all things.

On the contrary, rather, even against his will he establishes, bearing witness to the truth, that even formerly the likenesses of the saints were handed down and formed, and were carried up, honored, both in churches and in many other places.

For he was not giving orders concerning things that had never come to be (for this would be entirely irrational and vain), but concerning what he saw and what he already knew to be happening — even if those who impiously reject the antiquity of these things do not wish, precisely on this account, to be persuaded by their own teachers.

And the very things through which he exhorts, saying, demonstrate this:

"And in this, keep in mind not to set up images in the churches, nor in the cemeteries of the saints."

It is clear, then, that he enjoins those who do set them up not to set them up.

But here too it is possible to perceive clearly the absurdity and clumsiness of the rash-minded man:

For in saying this, what else is he caught doing than saying that the memory of the saints should not be set up in the churches? For both come down to the same thing.

For if the images of the saints are set up by the faithful for the remembrance of them, then they also happen to be the very memory of them.

For whom else will the image of someone display, except the one being imaged? For together with the sight, in an instant of time, the memory of the archetype also enters in, with no hindrance intervening between.

And no one who reasons will contradict these things.

Indeed, the shared naming will also furnish the certainty of this.

For even the image of the emperor might say:

"I and the emperor are one,"

"and he who has seen me has seen the emperor."

In accord with these will also resound the very words which they themselves put forward, even though, being deranged, they do not accept them when adduced against them — words which run thus:

"For if someone, having set up a lifeless image of a child, or a friend, or a kinsman, thinks that the departed one is present, and through the lifeless image imagines..."

If, then, these things are true (as indeed they are true, and are agreed upon by those who are sober-minded), then he who forbids the image of the Lord or of one of the saints to be set up in the churches legislates the very same thing — namely, that their memory be excluded therefrom.

But he who commands someone to keep in mind not to make memory of someone commands nothing other than not to remember what he remembers.

What could be more simple-minded or more foolish than this? For he does something similar to a person who would enact a law that no law should be obeyed.

From these things it is evident that he, in proclaiming this, is contrary to himself.

And the deranged man, distraught over the memory of the saints, would as likely, for this very reason, also forbid churches to be built in the name of the saints — in which especially their likenesses are also set up — so that, along with the images (in which this very same principle regarding memory is above all displayed), they might perish together with them and be obliterated.

But this, neither Epiphanius, nor indeed any other of the pious, would ever suppose.

Among whom these things are venerable and holy, not even requiring investigation, since they approach with faith and longing, knowing well that whatever is not of faith is sin;

through which both their virtues and their contests are made public, and also Christ's sojourn among us is proclaimed;

to which reverence, councils of holy men, in their determinations, piously assigned, and antiquity also bears witness.

For what among the things dedicated to the church of God could be dishonored, when even the smallest things have been deemed worthy of honor and guarding? One might mention wax and oil — which are not even permitted to be treated as common, and for the one who dares to lay hands on them, excommunication is appointed therefrom as the penalty.

And he indeed sets forth his view somewhat more moderately, yet still going contrary to the apostolic and patristic decrees, as was fittingly said before;

but his disciples are ambitious to surpass their teacher in fighting against Christ, so that they might truly become sons of Gehenna twice over — which is said in the Gospel concerning the proselytes among the Pharisees.

For they are not content with merely not setting images up, but they shamefully tear down what has been well set up, digging through the sacred houses themselves and the divine altars, and burning up and destroying everything sacred and holy.

But just as the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved the power of God, and to the Jews a stumbling block, but to the Greeks folly — so also to this vain-minded man, this Greek, father of these blasphemous words, the preaching of the gospel, that is, the holy things, was supposed to be a stumbling block, since Christ and the saints were burdensome to him, even when seen in images.

To these they attach for him another treatise, whose title is:

"Against those who practice, according to idolatrous custom, images in likeness of Christ and the Theotokos, of martyrs and angels and prophets."

Now the impiety of the treatise is recognized from the outset, from what is inscribed at its head.

For if the outer parts are of such a kind, how much more impious and accursed would the inner and innermost parts be? But these men, again, are overturned by the spirit of error that has mastery over them:

For, attempting to steal away by stealth the ill-famed name of idolatrous abomination, they, sparing to call images "idols" by name, made use instead of another, more ill-spoken name, fighting against Christ under a false name, setting it in opposition to the outrage of the image of Christ and of the saints.

concerning which it will also be spoken not long after.

And again, no less, the sow wallows in the mire, and the dog, to speak scripturally, returns to its own vomit:

For through both names they are carried to the same slip of blasphemy.

At any rate, the falsehood applied by name to the image proclaims the destruction of the archetype, so that, by whatever means, they might by no means abstain from sinning against the holy things, deceiving themselves rather than those whom they think they are deceiving without notice;

for likewise, turning back to idolatrous madness, they are defiled.

Next their teacher writes the following:

"Let us look to the patriarchs and prophets who lived according to the will of God, and let us imitate them, so that we may truly be named sons of the catholic and apostolic church."

In these words he strives to confirm his fantastical and Manichaean godlessness from the Jewish way of life, so that he might appear a Jew, and his opinion might be some mixed and adulterated thing, composed out of Manichaean trickery and legalistic monstrosity.

Therefore he brings the patriarchs and prophets into the midst, characterizing their way of life solely by their abstaining from venerating hand-made things, as what follows will show:

but he does not deem it worthy at all to bring grace into remembrance.

And I do not know what sort of adoption as a son of the church he feigns, in bare name only, but he is not established in the ecclesiastical reality, clinging strongly to the things of the Law —

observances, so that it would be permissible even to keep the sabbath and to be circumcised, but they would by no means choose to arrive at the doctrine of Christ's economy.

For this reason he also forbids the symbols of the economy.

That these things are so is evident from the fact that he immediately sets the Law before them, saying:

"I speak, then, to those who know the Law" — that is:

"For the time being I speak to those who have thoroughly practiced the old Law and have chosen to live according to the Law, so that they will have no share at all in the evangelical way of life and grace."

Having thus parodied these things, and having regulated and fitted his hearers to live as under the old Law, he then leaps upon the new legislation and says:

"Let those who run uncertainly also speak up: