Homilies and Hymns, Volume 2

The fact is that all these were the product of the Platonic Paganist philosophy of the School of Alexandria, and their repercussions have continued within Western Christianity to this very day, culminating in the endless heresies and sects existing in our own day along with the new Atheistic theology of a "dead God," which claims as its basis the doctrine of a born and dead God as declared by the Council of Ephesus.

In this context, we are quoting a pertinent passage from the introduction which we wrote to the book of Marganitha PearlPage xi: "Interestingly enough, as will be observed from the arguments presented by Mar Audishau himself, this is the prime reason why the Church of the East has accused the Theopaschites those who hold the belief that God suffered or died of heresy; maintaining that the term 'Mother of God' and that of a 'born and dead God' is unscriptural, and also metaphysically impossible."

God is indivisible by nature and attributes and, therefore, if God died, He must have died by nature; then how could He rise again?

Our hope, then, is indeed in vain! In the words of St. Paul the Apostle: "But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than that we have preached to you, let him be khrim accursed." (Galatians 1:8.) If an angel is accursed, how much more man!Page 9

MINGANA’S INTRODUCTION

We have noticed that while Mingana speaks with the greatest admiration about Narsai's profound learning, unique style, his tremendous accomplishments, and his deep spirituality, he states: . . . "On this issue one is at a loss to find an appellation to honour this man of profound acumen who has amazed the whole world by his eloquence, power of reasoning, and renown. Only the titles given to him by the doctors that came after him can render him the praise and honour, though even these fall short of attributing such praise to the sweetness and perception with which all his homilies are tempered. They called him 'the harp of the spirit' and 'the tongue of the East.' Behold! The minuteness and the depth of his mind, the overflow of his abundant wisdom, the beauty of his discourse, the flaming warmth of his mind, the astounding learning of his words and phrases, have always left the reader and the hearer in perplexity of mind."

Mar Yacob Manna, a learned Chaldean Uniate bishop, says thus concerning Mar Narsai and his writings: . . . After enumerating his writings, which we have already listed elsewhere in this introduction, he says: "He became especially renowned by the twelve volumes of his awe-inspiring homilies of deep perception, numbering three hundred sixty in all, in which he showed the length of his arm, the beauty of his discourses, and the sublimity of his mind. Like an eagle of sharp vision, he soared higher and higher and was always ascending. Alas, but many of his writings were destroyed. And tho