Dialogues (Eranistes) · Part 5

Orth.--Well, then; he called the Saviour's blood blood of the grape, for if the Lord is called a vine, and the fruit of the vine wine, and from the Lord's side streams of blood and water flowed downwards over the rest of his body, fitly and appropriately the Patriarch foretells "He shall wash his robe in wine and his mantle in blood of the grape." For as we after the consecration call the mystic fruit of the vine the Lord's blood, so he called the blood of the true vine blood of the grape.

Eran.--The point before us has been set forth in language at once mystical and clear.

Orth.--Although what has been said is enough for your faith, I will, for confirmation of the faith, give you yet another proof.

Eran.--I shall be grateful to you for so doing, for you will increase the favour done me.

Orth.--You know how God called His own body bread?

Eran.--Yes.

Orth.--And how in another place he called His flesh corn?

Eran.--Yes, I know. For I have heard Him saying "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified," and "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit."

Orth.--Yes; and in the giving of the mysteries He called the bread, body, and what had been mixed, blood.

Eran.--He so did.

Orth.--Yet naturally the body would properly be called body, and the blood, blood.

Eran.--Agreed.

Orth.--But our Saviour changed the names, and to His body gave the name of the symbol and to the symbol that of his body. So, after calling himself a vine, he spoke of the symbol as blood.

Eran.--True. But I am desirous of knowing the reason of the change of names.

Orth.--To them that are initiated in divine things the intention is plain. For he wished the partakers in the divine mysteries not to give heed to the nature of the visible objects, but, by means of the variation of the names, to believe the change wrought of grace. For He, we know, who spoke of his natural body as corn and bread, and, again, called Himself a vine, dignified the visible symbols by the appellation of the body and blood, not because He had changed their nature, but because to their nature He had added grace.

Eran.--The mysteries are spoken of in mystic language, and there is a clear declaration of that which is not known to all.

Orth.--Since then it is agreed that the body of the Lord is called by the patriarch "robe" and "mantle" and we have reached the discussion of the divine mysteries, tell me truly, of what do you understand the Holy Food to be a symbol and type? Of the godhead of the Lord Christ, or of His body and His blood?

Eran.--Plainly of those things of which they received the names.

Orth.--You mean of the body and of the blood?

Eran.--I do.

Orth.--You have spoken as a lover of truth should speak, for when the Lord had taken the symbol, He did not say "this is my godhead," but "this is my body;" and again "this is my blood" and in another place "the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world."

Eran.--These words are true, for they are the divine oracles.

Orth.--If then they are true, I suppose the Lord had a body.

Eran.--No; for I maintain him to be bodiless.

Orth.--But you confess that He had a body?

Eran.--I say that the Word was made flesh, for so I have been taught.

Orth.--It seems, as the proverb has it, as if we are drawing water in a pail with a hole in it. For after all our demonstrations and solutions of difficulties, you are bringing the same arguments round again.

Eran.--I am not giving you my arguments, but those of the gospels.

Orth.--And have I not given you the interpretation of the words of the gospels from those of prophets and apostles?

Eran.--They do not serve to clear up the point at issue.

Orth.--And yet we shewed how, being invisible, He was made manifest through flesh, and the relationship of this very flesh we have been taught by the sacred writers--"He took on Him the seed of Abraham." And the Lord God said to the patriarch, "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," and the apostle, "It is evident our Lord sprang out of Judah." We adduced further several similar testimonies; but, since you are desirous of hearing yet others, listen to the apostle when he says, "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer."

Eran.--Point out, then, how He offered after taking a body.

Orth.--The divine apostle himself clearly teaches in the very passage, for after a few words he says: "Wherefore, when He cometh into the world, He saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me." He does not say "into a body hast thou changed," but "a body hast thou prepared," and he shows plainly that the formation of the body was wrought by the Spirit in accordance with the utterance of the gospel, "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is generated in her is of the Holy Ghost."

Eran.--The virgin then gave birth only to a body?

Orth.--It appears that you do not even understand the composition of words, much less their meaning, for he is teaching Joseph the manner, not of the generation, but of the conception. For he does not say that which is generated of her, i.e. made, or formed, is of the Holy Ghost. Joseph, ignorant of the mystery, was suspicions of adultery; he was therefore plainly taught the formation by the Spirit. It is this which He signified through the prophet when He said "A body hast thou prepared me" for the divine Apostle being full of the Spirit interpreted the prediction. If then the offering of gifts is the special function of priests and Christ in His humanity was called priest and offered no other sacrifice save His own body, then the Lord Christ had a body.

Eran.--This even I have repeatedly affirmed, and I do not say that the divine Word appeared without a body. What I maintain is not that He took a body but that He was made flesh.

Orth.--So far as I see our contest lies with the supporters of Valentinus, of Marcion, and of Manes; but even they never had the hardihood to say that the immutable nature underwent mutation into flesh.

Eran.--Reviling is unchristian.

Orth.--We do not revile, but we are fighting for truth, and we are vexed at your arguing about the indisputable as though it could be disputed. However, I will endeavour to put an end to your ungracious contention. Answer now; do you remember the promises which God made to David?

Eran.--Which?