Chapter V.—Apostrophe to Satan.
For if the Lord were a mere man, possessed of a soul and body only, why dost thou
mutilate and explain away His being born with the common nature of humanity? Why dost
thou call the passion a mere appearance, as if it were any strange thing happening to a [mere]
man? And why dost thou reckon the death of a mortal to be simply an imaginary death?
But if, [on the other hand,] He is both God and man, then why dost thou call it unlawful to
style Him “the Lord of glory,”845 who is by nature unchangeable? Why dost thou say that
it is unlawful to declare of the Lawgiver who possesses a human soul, “The Word was made
flesh,”846 and was a perfect man, and not merely one dwelling in a man? But how came this
magician into existence, who of old formed all nature that can be apprehended either by
the senses or intellect, according to the will of the Father; and, when He became incarnate,
healed every kind of disease and infirmity?847
845 1 Cor. ii. 8.
846 John i. 14.
847 Matt. iv. 23, Matt. ix. 35.
Chapter V.—Apostrophe to Satan.
321
Chapter V.—Apostrophe to Satan.