Chapter Seven

On Incorporeal and Bodily Beings

All the above considerations are expressed by us in the form of ordinary considerations: after expounding the doctrine of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we, to the best of our ability, interpreted and reasoned about rational beings, guided more by a sequence of thoughts than by a definite dogma. Now let us consider what we should further discuss in accordance with our dogma, i.e., with the faith of the Church. All souls, and all rational beings in general, both holy and sinful, are created, or created; all of them, by their nature, are incorporeal, but for all this, even with their incorporeality, they are nevertheless created, because everything was created by God through Christ, as John generally teaches in the Gospel, in the following words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God. It was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:1-3). And the Apostle Paul, describing all created things according to types, orders and order, and at the same time wishing to show that all things were created through Christ, reason as follows: "By Him were created all things, both in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him" (Col. 1:16-18). Thus the Apostle clearly declares that in Christ and through Christ all things are created and created, that is, the visible, that is, the corporeal, and the invisible, by which, in my opinion, we must understand nothing else but incorporeal and spiritual powers. Having named the corporeal and the incorporeal in general, the Apostle, it seems to me, further enumerates the types of beings (incorporeal), namely, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, powers. We have said this with a view to proceeding further in order to the question of the sun, and the moon, and the stars. The question arises, is it necessary to number them among the principalities, in view of the fact that, according to the Scriptures, they were created as (arhas), i.e., for the rulers of day and night? Or should we think that they have only authority over day and night, since it is their duty to illuminate them, but that they do not belong to the rank of principalities?

When it is said that everything, both heavenly and earthly, was created through Him Himself and created in Him, then without a doubt, that which is in the firmament, which is called heaven and in which these luminaries are established, is also reckoned as heavenly. Further, if it is already evident by reasoning that everything is created and created, and that there is nothing among the created that does not perceive good and evil, and is not capable of both, it may be asked, whether it is consistent to think as some of our own do, namely, that the sun, moon, and stars are immutable, and incapable of the contrary? Some even thought the same about the holy angels, and heretics also about souls, which they call spiritual natures. But let us first of all see what reason itself finds about the sun, moon, and stars, whether the opinion of some about their immutability is correct, and how far this opinion can be confirmed by the Holy Scriptures. Job seems to show that not only can the stars be given over to sin, but that they are not even free from the contagion of sin; for it is written: "The stars are not pure in His sight" (Job 25:5). Of course, this saying cannot be understood in relation to the splendor of their body alone, as we speak, for example, of unclean clothing. For if we were to understand it in this sense, then the reproach of impurity in the splendor of the body of the luminaries would undoubtedly lead us to offend their Creator. Moreover, if the stars can obtain neither a brighter body through diligence, nor a less pure body through sloth, why blame them for impurity, if they do not receive praise for purity?

But in order to understand this (saying) more clearly, it is necessary first of all to investigate whether the luminaries can be considered animate and rational; secondly, whether their souls originated together with their bodies, or whether they appeared before the bodies; and also – will these Souls be freed from their bodies after the end of the Age, so that the luminaries will cease to illuminate the world, just as we also end this life? It is true that it seems rather bold to investigate these questions; but since our confession consists in a zealous investigation of the truth, it will hardly be superfluous to consider and examine them, as far as it will be possible for us, with the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Thus we think that the luminaries may be regarded as animate on the ground that they receive commandments from God, according to the Scriptures, and this receiving of commandments can only apply to intelligent animate beings. And God says so: "I have prescribed a commandment to all the stars." But, the question arises, what are these commandments? Of course, these are the commandments concerning that each star, in its order and in its movements, should give the world a certain amount of light; for the so-called planets move in a different order, and the luminaries, which are called motionless, move in a different order. But it is quite clear that neither the motion of the body can take place without a soul, nor animate beings can be at any time without motion. And the stars move in such an order and in such regularity that there is never any confusion at all in their motions; In view of this, it would certainly be utterly foolish to say that such order, such observance of correctness and measure, is carried out by irrational beings, or required of them. Jeremiah calls the moon the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18). If, therefore, the stars are animated and intelligent, then undoubtedly they also have some progress and fall. The words of Job: "The stars are not pure in His sight" (Job 25:5), I think, express this very idea.

If the luminaries are animate and rational beings, then the sequence of reasoning still requires consideration of the question whether they are animate together with the creation of bodies, at a time when, according to the words of the Scriptures, "And God created two great lights: a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night and the stars" (Gen. 1:16), or whether their souls were not created together with the bodies, but God had already placed spirit from outside after their bodies had been created. For my part, I assume that the spirit is invested from without; but this assumption still needs to be proved from the Holy Scriptures, because on the basis of the testimony of the Scriptures it is in any case more difficult than with the help of mere conjectures. And by means of conjectures, this proposition can be proved in the following way. If the human soul, which, like the soul of man, is certainly inferior, is not created together with bodies, but is imported from without, how much more must this be said of the souls of living beings, which are called heavenly. As for people, can it be thought that the soul of the one who kicked his brother in the womb, i.e., the soul of Jacob, is formed together with the body? (Gen. 25:22). Or was the soul of him created and formed together with the body, who, while still in his mother's womb, was filled with the Holy Spirit? I mean John, who leaped in his mother's womb and played with great admiration, when the voice of Mary's greeting reached the ears of Elizabeth his mother (Luke 1:41). Was the soul of him created and formed together with the body, who was known to God before he was formed in the womb and was sanctified by Him even before he came out of the womb? (Jeremiah 1:5) Of course, it is not without judgment and merit that God fills some people with the Holy Spirit, just as He sanctifies them not without merit. And, indeed, how can we avoid the voice that says: "Is it unrighteousness with God? No way!" (Jeremiah 1:5) or: Is there respect of persons with God? (Romans 9:14). But it is precisely this conclusion that follows from the proposition which affirms the existence of the soul together with the body. Now, so far as can be understood from the comparison with the human condition, I think that all that the very reason and authority of Scripture seem to show concerning men, must be much more consistently thought of the heavenly bodies.

(From the letter of Justinian: "That the soul of the sun is older than its condemnation into the body, this can be inferred from the comparison of man with the sun, and then, I think, this can be proved from the Holy Scriptures.")

But let us see if it is not possible to find in the Holy Scriptures evidence of the heavenly beings themselves. Such a testimony is given by the Apostle Paul: he says that "the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own free will, but according to the will of Him who subjected it, in the hope that the creation itself would be freed from slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:20-21). To what vanity, I ask, did the creature submit, and why not voluntarily, and in what hope? And how will the creation itself be freed from slavery to corruption? In another place the same Apostle says: "The creation awaits with hope the revelation of the sons of God" (Ibid., v. 19) – and again: not only we, but also "the whole creation groans together and is tormented until now" (Ibid., v. 23). And so, it is still necessary to inquire what this lamentation is, and what kind of suffering is meant here. But first of all, let us see what is the vanity to which the creation has submitted. I think that this vanity is nothing but bodies; for, although the body of the saints is ethereal, it is still material. That is why, it seems to me, Solomon also calls every bodily nature as burdensome in some way, and restraining the power of spirits; he says: "Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities – all is vanity! I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity of vanities and anguish of spirit!" (Ecclesiastes 1:2,14). It is to this vanity that creation is subjected, and especially the creature which has in its power the greatest and highest authority in this world, that is, the sun, the moon, and the stars; these luminaries are subject to vanity; they are clothed with bodies and are destined to shine on the human race. "Vanity," he says, "the creation does not obey voluntarily" (Romans 8:20); for the creation did not voluntarily accept the service of vanity, but because it was the desire of Him who subjected it, for the sake of the Conqueror, Who at the same time promised to beings who were involuntarily subject to vanity, that when the time came for the redemption of the glory of the sons of God, when the time came for the redemption of the glory of the sons of God, they would be freed from slavery to corruption and vanity. Having received this hope and hoping for the fulfillment of this promise, the whole creation now groans together, having nevertheless love for those whom it serves and sympathizes, patiently waiting for what was promised. See now, then, to these creatures, who are subject to vanity not voluntarily, but by the will of the Conqueror, and who are in the hope of promises, whether the following exclamation of Paul can be applied: "I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, because this is incomparably better" (Phil. 1:23). At least, I think that the sun could say in the same way: "I have a desire to depart or to return, and to be with Christ, for this is incomparably better." But Paul adds, "But it is more necessary for you to remain in the flesh" (ibid., v. 24). And the sun, indeed, can say: "It is more necessary to remain in this heavenly and bright body for the sake of the revelation of the sons of God." The same thing should be thought and said about the moon and the stars. Now let us see what the freedom of the creature and the liberation from slavery are. When Christ has delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father, then these animate beings, as having come before the kingdom of Christ, will be handed over to the Father's government together with the whole kingdom. Then God will be "all in all"; but these beings belong to everything; therefore God will be in them as in everything.