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C. That the teaching will be as to the pious. Now, we have already refuted heretical blasphemies in other writings, taking each one separately, and stripping it of the veil of deceit, and showing the impiety naked; but now, God granting it, we shall set before the nurslings of the faith the God-given dogmas of the Church; neither inducing weariness in the readers by the length of the discourse, nor corrupting the accuracy by brevity, but choosing the middle way between both extremes; so that we might neither weary the hearers by the abundance, and might offer a clear teaching of the knowledge of God; I will begin from above, running to the very source of good things.

D. What sort of conceptions one ought to have concerning God the Father. We, the

lovers and worshippers and loud-voiced and high-minded heralds of the Trinity, believe in one God the Father, without beginning and unbegotten, always being the Father, not having acquired this later, for there was not when He was not, but from above He was Father; nor did He first become Son then Father, according to the sequence of bodies; but from when He is, and He always is, He both is and is called Father.

E. What one ought to think concerning the Son. We believe in one Son, co-eternal with the one who

begot him, not having received a beginning of being, but always being, and being with the Father; for from when there is a Father, and there is always a Father, from that moment there is a Son; for these things have an inseparable relation to each other, both the names and the realities; if the Son is not always, but there was when He was not, neither is the Father always; for from when He begot, He has this name; but if God is always also Father (for it is truly blasphemous to place the maker of times under time, and to declare the timeless and super-temporal generation to be secondary to a temporal interval), always is the Son, begotten of the Father ineffably, but always being with the Father, and being known with the Father. That the Scriptures teach the Son is co-eternal with the Father. "In the beginning," it says, "was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." But he who was in the beginning, when was he not? For it did not say, that in the beginning he came to be, but in the beginning he was; just as if we should strive with our reasonings to go beyond the "was," we will not have the strength to get beyond the beginning. All things are secondary to him who is in the beginning, both time, and age, and whatever other temporal interval might be conceived. But if the Son were not always with God the Father, but at some later time came to be, it would be necessary for time and age to mediate between Father and Son. But if someone should grant this, the creation will be found to pre-exist its creator; "For all things," says the evangelist, "came into being through the Son, and without him not one thing came into being." But one of all things is the age or time; and also the blessed Paul. "In the last," he says, "of days, he has spoken to us in a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also made the ages." But if the ages are creations of the Son, they do not pre-exist their maker; and if the ages do not exist, it is clear that neither does time, which days and nights make and measure; and the rising and setting of the light produces days and nights; and the light came into being after the heaven, and the earth, and the air; and all these things, and the things in them, God 75.1153 the Word created by word, with the good pleasure of the Father. Therefore, since times and ages along with all other things were made by the Word, there could be nothing between the Father and the Son, but always God is Father, and always the Son is with the Father; wherefore also the evangelist exclaims, "In the beginning was the Word." And the apostle Paul says: "Who being the radiance of his glory, and the express image of his person." And elsewhere: "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God." And neither does he omit the "was," nor this one the "being" and "existing"; since they proclaim him who always is; for which reason also after a little the evangelist says, "Life was," and "the life was the light of men." And

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Γ. Ὅτι ὡς πρὸς εὐσεβεῖς ἡ διδασκαλία γενή σεται. Τὰ μὲν οὖν αἱρετικὰς βλασφημίας ἐν ἑτέροις ἤδη συγγράμμασιν διηλέγξαμεν, χωρὶς ἑκάστην δια λαβόντες, καὶ τοῦ τῆς ἀπάτης γυμνώσαντες προκα λύμματος, καὶ γυμνὴν δείξαντες τὴν ἀσέβειαν· νῦν δὲ, Θεοῦ διδόντος, τοῖς τροφίμοις τῆς πίστεως τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας θεόσδοτα προθήσομεν δόγματα· μήτε τῷ μήκει τοῦ λόγου κόρον τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ἐπεισάγον τες, μήτε τῇ βραχυλογίᾳ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν παραφθεί ροντες, ἀλλ' ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἄκρων τὴν μέσην αἱρού μενοι· ἵνα μήτε τῷ πλήθει τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἀποκναί σωμεν, καὶ σαφῆ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς θεογνωσίας προσοίσωμεν· ἄρξομαι δὲ ἄνωθεν, πρὸς αὐτὴν δρα μὼν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν πηγήν.

∆ʹ. Ὁποίας δεῖ διαλήψεις ἔχειν περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Ἡμεῖς οἱ τῆς

Τριάδος ἐρασταὶ καὶ προσκυνη ταὶ καὶ κήρυκες μεγαλόφωνοί τε καὶ μεγαλόφρονες, πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα ἄναρχον καὶ ἀγέν νητον, ἀεὶ ὄντα Πατέρα, οὐχ ὕστερον τοῦτο κτησά μενον, οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν ἦν Πατήρ· οὐδὲ γέγονε πρῶτον Υἱὸς εἶτα Πατὴρ, κατὰ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ἀκολουθίαν· ἀλλ' ἀφ' οὗπερ ἔστιν, ἀεὶ δὲ ἔστι, Πατὴρ καὶ ἔστι καὶ καλεῖται.

Εʹ. Ὁποῖα δεῖ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φρονεῖν. Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Υἱὸν συναΐδιον τῷ

γεννήσαντι, οὐκ ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι λαβόντα, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ὄντα, καὶ σὺν Πατρὶ ὄντα· ἀφ' οὗ γὰρ Πατὴρ, ἀεὶ δὲ Πατὴρ, ἐξ ἐκείνου Υἱός· ἀχωρίστως γὰρ ἔχει ταῦτα πρὸς ἄλλη λα, τά τε ὀνόματα, καὶ τὰ πράγματα· εἰ οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀλλ' ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, οὐδὲ ἀεὶ ὁ Πατήρ· ἀφ' οὗ γὰρ ἐγέννησε, τοῦτο ἔχει τὸ ὄνομα· εἰ δὲ ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ (βλάσφημον γὰρ τῷ ὄντι, ὑπὸ χρόνους ποιῆσαι τὸν τῶν χρόνων ποιητὴν, καὶ χρονικοῦ δια στήματος ἀποφῆναι δευτέραν τὴν ἄχρονον καὶ ὑπὲρ χρόνον γέννησιν), ἀεὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μὲν ἀῤ ῥήτως γεννηθεὶς, μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς δὲ ἀεὶ ὢν, καὶ σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ γνωριζόμενος. Ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ συναΐδιον διδάσκου σιν αἱ Γραφαί. «Ἐν ἀρχῇ, φησὶν, ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος· οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.» Ὁ δὲ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὢν, πότε οὐκ ἦν; Οὔτε γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν· οἷον ἂν φιλονεικήσωμεν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ὑπερβῆναι τὸ ἦν, ἐπέκεινα γενέσθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς οὐκ ἰσχύσομεν. Πάντα δεύτερα τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντος, καὶ χρόνος, καὶ αἰὼν, καὶ εἴ τι ἂν ἕτερον χρονικὸν ἐπινοηθείη διάστημα. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀεὶ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ συνῆν ὁ Υἱὸς, ὕστερον δέ ποτε προσεγένετο, ἀνάγκη χρόνον καὶ αἰῶνα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ μεσιτεύειν. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο δοίη τις, εὑρεθήσεται τὸ ποίημα τοῦ ποιητοῦ προϋπάρχον· «Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν.» Ἓν δὲ τῶν πάντων ὁ αἰὼν ἢ ὁ χρόνος· καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλος. «Ἐπ' ἐσχάτων, φησὶ, τῶν ἡμερῶν, ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ, ὃν ἔθηκε κληρονόμον πάντων, δι' οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν.» Εἰ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ οἱ αἰῶνες ποιήματα, οὐ προϋπάρχουσι τοῦ ποιήσαντος· αἰώνων δὲ μὴ ὑπαρ χόντων, εὔδηλον ὡς οὐδὲ ὁ χρόνος, ὃν ἡμέραι τε καὶ νύκτες ποιοῦσι καὶ μετροῦσιν· ἡμέρας δὲ καὶ νύκτας ἡ τοῦ φωτὸς ἀνατολὴ καὶ δύσις ἐργάζεται· τὸ δὲ φῶς μετὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὸν ἀέρα, ἐγένετο· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα, καὶ τὰ ἐν τούτοις, ὁ Θεὸς 75.1153 Λόγος εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐδημιούργησε λόγῳ. Τοίνυν τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν αἰώνων μετὰ τῶν ἄλ λων ἁπάντων ποιηθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ Λόγου, οὐδὲν ἂν ἦν μεταξὺ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ μὲν Πατὴρ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀεὶ δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς σὺν Πατρί· διὸ καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελι στὴς, «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος» βοᾷ. Καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλός φησι· «Ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ἑτέρωθεν· «Ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγή σατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ.» Καὶ οὔτε ἐκεῖνος τὸ ἦν, οὔτε οὗτος τὸ ὢν καὶ ὑπάρχων, ἐᾷ· ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἀεὶ ὄντα κηρύττουσιν· οὗ χάριν καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα ὁ εὐαγ γελιστὴς, «Ζωὴ ἦν, φησὶ, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.» Καὶ