Isidore of Pelusium→Dorotheus|c. 390 AD|Isidore of Pelusium|Human translated
monasticism
To Paul. On the text, "Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests."
"Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests" — this the Lord replied to the one who asked to follow him, being a knower of hearts, as the one who fashioned the hearts of human beings each one alone. "Each one alone" is said because he made them without needing any helper. And seeing that the man was held captive by deceitful reasonings and inhabited by wicked spirits, and was incorrigibly disposed toward wickedness — for this reason he dismissed him from his own company, lest the persistence of that man's depravity become a cause of scandal to believers, who would gaze at him and condemn the Master's power as weakness, as though it had been unable to transform the disciple toward virtue.
To Herminos the Count. On the saying about the Theotokos, "And he did not know her," and the rest.
Since you said that the Jews consider it a scandal, the word spoken in the divine oracles, "He did not know her until she bore her son," as though after this, they say, there was union between the betrothed man and the Virgin — let the blasphemous and ungrateful people know that the word "until" we frequently find used in divine Scripture to mean "perpetually." "Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet" — and this means perpetually. "And the raven did not return to Noah, until the earth was dried" — and for all time it did not return. And, "Until you grow old, I am he," says God. And this means perpetually. And many other such examples are found scattered throughout divine Scripture. But the divine mind, correcting your malice, O Jews — you who supposed and declared that the Lord was born of fornication — was zealous to show that the worshipped birth was untouched, having occurred without any desire or intercourse, being God-befitting and beyond comprehension. For that those falsely accused of fornication did not afterward come together, the vision of the angel prevented it, who declared that the one being formed in the Virgin existed from the Holy Spirit; and the grandeur of the miracles of the birth did not permit it — the virginity that followed after it, the hymnody of the angels, the gift-bearing of the Magi, the light-giving of the star, the guidance into Egypt, the captivity of the idols, and the righteousness of those very persons attested by divine Scripture. The final disposition of the Lord also makes this clear, when he entrusted the Theotokos to John the virgin and joined the virginities of both, while on the cross enduring life-giving death. If these things do not persuade the grumbling and wickedness-loving people, for whom fighting against God has now become second nature, you are sowing upon rocks and writing upon water — cease laboring in vain.
To Heracleides the Bishop. Why Daniel was not condemned together with Ananias and his companions in the furnace.
Why, you asked, was the great Daniel not condemned to the fire together with the three holy youths by the Babylonian king, though he was of one mind with them, of the same tribe, sharing the same way of life, and even more a teacher of piety? Because, I say, this was arranged by divine providence, lest the impious attribute the quenching of the flame to the name of the Babylonian god — for they called him Belteshazzar, in honor of his ability to interpret mysteries. And such a belief prevailed among them, that their god worked wonders even when merely named. Therefore, in order to destroy this opinion, God separated Daniel in this judgment, and the self-control of the youths was found standing on its own merit, and the help of God extinguished the roaring furnace.
To Pakis the Most Illustrious. Against the Macedonians, that is, those who fight against the Spirit.
If the heretic who disputes with you accepts, as you have written, the Son of God as a trustworthy teacher of doctrine, he himself teaches the essence of the worshipped Spirit of unity, having declared one name of the divine Trinity, signifying the union of one essence. But if he does not believe the Son, who reveals the exact nature of the kindred Spirit and teaches things beyond the human mind, then the support of our arguments is superfluous — since the earthly tabernacle can scarcely find the things at its feet. But the hidden things in heaven, which surpass our perception, he himself both reveals and knows, the one who dwells in heaven.
Burning coals were set ablaze by[5]it.[6] Burning coals were set ablaze by[7] it; namely, the saints are set ablaze by the fire from[8] God. For since our God is a consuming fire, those who contemplate God with purity are likewise called burning coals. Being set ablaze in union with him, they appear as stars in the world.[9] 3. To the scholar Neilammon[10]. Concerning an active life of good works. Having learned quite clearly from the ancients, that to be is not to think, what then is to be? Do more, and do not just talk.
To Paul. On the text, "Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests."
"Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests" — this the Lord replied to the one who asked to follow him, being a knower of hearts, as the one who fashioned the hearts of human beings each one alone. "Each one alone" is said because he made them without needing any helper. And seeing that the man was held captive by deceitful reasonings and inhabited by wicked spirits, and was incorrigibly disposed toward wickedness — for this reason he dismissed him from his own company, lest the persistence of that man's depravity become a cause of scandal to believers, who would gaze at him and condemn the Master's power as weakness, as though it had been unable to transform the disciple toward virtue.
To Herminos the Count. On the saying about the Theotokos, "And he did not know her," and the rest.
Since you said that the Jews consider it a scandal, the word spoken in the divine oracles, "He did not know her until she bore her son," as though after this, they say, there was union between the betrothed man and the Virgin — let the blasphemous and ungrateful people know that the word "until" we frequently find used in divine Scripture to mean "perpetually." "Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet" — and this means perpetually. "And the raven did not return to Noah, until the earth was dried" — and for all time it did not return. And, "Until you grow old, I am he," says God. And this means perpetually. And many other such examples are found scattered throughout divine Scripture. But the divine mind, correcting your malice, O Jews — you who supposed and declared that the Lord was born of fornication — was zealous to show that the worshipped birth was untouched, having occurred without any desire or intercourse, being God-befitting and beyond comprehension. For that those falsely accused of fornication did not afterward come together, the vision of the angel prevented it, who declared that the one being formed in the Virgin existed from the Holy Spirit; and the grandeur of the miracles of the birth did not permit it — the virginity that followed after it, the hymnody of the angels, the gift-bearing of the Magi, the light-giving of the star, the guidance into Egypt, the captivity of the idols, and the righteousness of those very persons attested by divine Scripture. The final disposition of the Lord also makes this clear, when he entrusted the Theotokos to John the virgin and joined the virginities of both, while on the cross enduring life-giving death. If these things do not persuade the grumbling and wickedness-loving people, for whom fighting against God has now become second nature, you are sowing upon rocks and writing upon water — cease laboring in vain.
To Heracleides the Bishop. Why Daniel was not condemned together with Ananias and his companions in the furnace.
Why, you asked, was the great Daniel not condemned to the fire together with the three holy youths by the Babylonian king, though he was of one mind with them, of the same tribe, sharing the same way of life, and even more a teacher of piety? Because, I say, this was arranged by divine providence, lest the impious attribute the quenching of the flame to the name of the Babylonian god — for they called him Belteshazzar, in honor of his ability to interpret mysteries. And such a belief prevailed among them, that their god worked wonders even when merely named. Therefore, in order to destroy this opinion, God separated Daniel in this judgment, and the self-control of the youths was found standing on its own merit, and the help of God extinguished the roaring furnace.
To Pakis the Most Illustrious. Against the Macedonians, that is, those who fight against the Spirit.
If the heretic who disputes with you accepts, as you have written, the Son of God as a trustworthy teacher of doctrine, he himself teaches the essence of the worshipped Spirit of unity, having declared one name of the divine Trinity, signifying the union of one essence. But if he does not believe the Son, who reveals the exact nature of the kindred Spirit and teaches things beyond the human mind, then the support of our arguments is superfluous — since the earthly tabernacle can scarcely find the things at its feet. But the hidden things in heaven, which surpass our perception, he himself both reveals and knows, the one who dwells in heaven.
Human translation - Roger Pearse (additional translations)