Letter 169

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Zosimus
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore uses the effects of the Incarnation — its effect on both humans and demons — to rebuke someone whose conduct is worse than either.

On the coming of God in the flesh.

The incarnate appearing of the Son of God terrified both human beings and demons alike — for different reasons. Human beings, it persuaded to spare the human nature they share with him, since that nature was now united to God. Demons, it compelled to stop plotting against it, since it was now beyond their reach — no longer susceptible to the sin that gave them their opening.

But none of these things has softened you. None of it has made you fear. None of it has taught you self-control.

So I will say this: if you are a human being, be taught by what it did to human beings. If you are a demon, be taught by what it did to demons. Because you are clearly not learning from the fact that you are neither one nor the other.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.