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since it used words that were added, it did not seem reasonable to say and teach these things. Since this also seemed good to him, we agreed, since not even in the time before this were we accustomed to use these expressions.

16 Furthermore, the anathema against "he was not before he was begotten" was not considered unreasonable, because it is confessed by all that the Son of God is before his generation according to the flesh. And then our most God-beloved emperor was establishing by argument that also according to his divine generation he is before all ages, since even before he was begotten in actuality he was in the Father unbegottenly in potentiality, the Father being always Father, as also always King and always Savior, being all things in potentiality, and always being in the same state and in like manner.

17 We have of necessity sent these things to you, beloved, making clear to you the decision of our examination and assent, and how reasonably at that time, and until the last hour, we resisted, when the things written differently were an offense to us; but then we accepted without contention the things that did not cause pain, when, as we benevolently examined the meaning of the words, it appeared to agree with what was by us ourselves confessed in the faith previously set forth.

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ἐπιλεγομένοις κεχρημένης οὐκ εὔλογον ἐφάνη ταῦτα λέγειν καὶ διδάσκειν. ᾧ καὶ αὐτῷ καλῶς δόξαντι συνεθέμεθα, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου χρόνῳ τούτοις εἰώθαμεν συγχρῆσθαι τοῖς ῥήμασιν.

16 Ἔτι μὴν τὸ ἀναθεματίζεσθαι τὸ «πρὸ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν» οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐνομίσθη τῷ παρὰ πᾶσιν ὁμολογεῖσθαι τὸ εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως. ἤδη δὲ ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἡμῶν βασιλεὺς τῷ λόγῳ κατεσκεύαζε καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔνθεον αὐτοῦ γέννησιν τὴν πρὸ πάντων αἰώνων εἶναι αὐτόν, ἐπεὶ καὶ πρὶν ἐνεργείᾳ γεννηθῆναι δυνάμει ἦν ἐν τῷ πατρὶ ἀγεννήτως, ὄντος τοῦ πατρὸς ἀεὶ πατρὸς ὡς καὶ βασιλέως ἀεὶ καὶ σωτῆρος ἀεί, δυνάμει πάντα ὄντος, ἀεί τε κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχοντος.

17 Ταῦτα ὑμῖν ἀναγκαίως διεπεμψάμεθα, ἀγαπητοί, τὸ κεκριμένον τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐξετάσεώς τε καὶ συγκαταθέσεως φανερὸν ὑμῖν καθιστῶντες καὶ ὡς εὐλόγως τότε μὲν καὶ μέχρις ἐσχάτης ὥρας ἐνιστάμεθα, ὅθ' ἡμῖν τὰ ἑτεροίως γραφέντα προσέκοπτε, τότε δὲ ἀφιλονείκως τὰ μὴ λυποῦντα κατεδεξάμεθα, ὅθ' ἡμῖν εὐγνωμόνως τῶν λόγων ἐξετάζουσι τὴν διάνοιαν ἐφάνη συντρέχειν τοῖς ὑφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ προεκτεθείσῃ πίστει ὡμολογημένοις.