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our obedience, and measures all things by his own sufferings with an art of philanthropy, so that he might know our circumstances by his own, and how much is required of us, and how much is forgiven us, our weakness being taken into account along with his suffering. For if the Light was persecuted because of the covering, shining in the darkness, in this life, by the other darkness, I mean the evil one and the tempter, how much more the darkness, as being weaker? And what wonder is it, if when he escaped completely, we should be somewhat overtaken? For it was a greater thing for him to be persecuted, than for us to be overtaken, in the estimation of those who reason rightly on these matters. Further, I will add this to what has been said, having called to mind the text: For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted, which clearly bears on the same thought. And God will be all in all at the time of the restoration; not the Father, the Son being entirely resolved into him, like a torch that has been temporarily separated from a great fire and then rejoined, —for let not even the Sabellians be corrupted by this text— but God entire, when we are no longer many, as we are now by our impulses and passions, bearing in ourselves nothing at all of God, or very little, but are wholly godlike, capable of receiving all of God and of him alone. For this is the perfection, toward which we hasten. And Paul himself gives the strongest proof. For what he says here indefinitely about God, he elsewhere clearly restricts to Christ. What does he say? Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, slave, free: but Christ is all, and in all.

7 A third counts the word "greater"; a fourth, "my God and your God." Now, if he were said to be greater, but not equal, this might have been something for them; but if we clearly find both, what will these noble fellows say? What is their strong point? How will the incompatible things be reconciled? For it is impossible for the same thing to be at once greater than and equal to the same thing. Or is it not clear that the "greater" refers to the cause, and the "equal" to the nature? And this we confess out of great reverence. And perhaps someone else, contentiously arguing against our position, might say that to be from such a cause is no less than to be without cause. For he would share in the glory of the Unoriginate, because he is from the Unoriginate; and in addition there is the generation, so great a thing, at least to those who have understanding, and so venerable. For to say that he is greater than the man in him is true, but not great. For what is wonderful, if God is greater than man? So let these things have been said by us against those who boast of the "greater."

8 And He would be called God, not of the Word, but of the visible nature; for how could he be God of him who is properly God? just as he is Father, not of the visible, but of the Word. For he was twofold; so that one is said properly of both, and the other not properly, the reverse of how it is with us. For of us he is properly God, but not properly Father. And this is what causes the heretics' error, the coupling of the names, the names being interchanged because of the union. And a proof is this: when the natures are distinguished in thought, the names are also divided. Hear Paul saying: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. God of Christ, but Father of glory. For even if both together are one, it is not by nature, but by their conjunction. What could be clearer?

9 Fifth, let it be said that he receives life, or judgment, or the inheritance of the nations, or authority over all flesh, or glory, or disciples, or whatever is said. And this belongs to his humanity. But if you were to assign it also to the Godhead, it is not absurd. For you will not assign it as something acquired, but as co-existing from the beginning, and by reason of nature, not of grace.

10 Sixth, let it be set down that the Son can do nothing of himself, except what he sees the Father do. And this is as follows: "to be able" or "not to be able" is not used in one sense only; but it has many meanings. For one is said according to

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ἡμετέραν ὑπακοήν, καὶ πάντα μετρεῖ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ πάθεσι τέχνῃ φιλανθρωπίας, ὥστε ἔχειν εἰδέναι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ πόσον μὲν ἀπαιτούμεθα, πόσον δὲ συγχω ρούμεθα, λογιζομένης μετὰ τοῦ πάσχειν καὶ τῆς ἀσθενείας. εἰ γὰρ τὸ φῶς ἐδιώχθη διὰ τὸ πρόβλημα, φαῖνον ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, ὑπὸ τῆς ἄλλης σκοτίας, τοῦ πονηροῦ λέγω καὶ τοῦ πει ραστοῦ, τὸ σκότος πόσον, ὡς ἀσθενέστερον; καὶ τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ ἐκείνου διαφυγόντος παντάπασιν ἡμεῖς ποσῶς καὶ καταληφθείη μεν; μεῖζον γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τὸ διωχθῆναι, ἤπερ ἡμῖν τὸ καταληφθῆναι, παρὰ τοῖς ὀρθῶς ταῦτα λογιζομένοις. ἔτι δὲ προσθήσω τοῖς εἰρη μένοις ἐκεῖνο, ἐνθυμηθεὶς τό· Ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθεν αὐτὸς πειρα σθείς, δύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι, σαφῶς πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν φέρον διάνοιαν. ἔσται δὲ ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως· οὐχ ὁ πατήρ, πάντως εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναλυθέντος τοῦ υἱοῦ, ὥσπερ εἰς πυρὰν μεγάλην λαμπάδος πρὸς καιρὸν ἀποσπασθείσης, εἶτα συναφθείσης, -μηδὲ γὰρ Σαβέλλιοι τῷ ῥητῷ τούτῳ παραφθειρέσθωσαν, -ἀλλ' ὅλος θεός, ὅταν μηκέτι πολλὰ ὦμεν, ὥσπερ νῦν τοῖς κινήμασι καὶ τοῖς πάθεσιν, οὐδὲν ὅλως θεοῦ, ἢ ὀλίγον, ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς φέροντες, ἀλλ' ὅλοι θεοειδεῖς, ὅλου θεοῦ χωρητικοὶ καὶ μόνου. τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ τελείωσις, πρὸς ἣν σπεύδομεν· τεκμηριοῖ δὲ μάλιστα Παῦλος αὐτός. ὃ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα περὶ θεοῦ φησὶν ἀορίστως, ἀλλαχοῦ σαφῶς περιορίζει Χριστῷ. τί λέγων; Ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην, οὐδὲ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος· ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσι Χριστός.

7 Τρίτον ἀρίθμει τό· μεῖζον· τέταρτον τό· θεόν μου καὶ θεὸν ὑμῶν. εἰ μὲν οὖν μείζων μὲν ἐλέγετο, μὴ ἴσος δέ, τάχα ἂν ἦν τι τοῦτο αὐτοῖς· εἰ δὲ ἀμφότερα σαφῶς εὑρίσκομεν, τί φήσουσιν οἱ γεννάδαι; τί τὸ ἰσχυρὸν αὐτοῖς; πῶς συμβήσεται τὰ ἀσύμβατα; τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὁμοίως μεῖζον καὶ ἴσον εἶναι τῶν ἀδυνάτων· ἢ δῆλον ὅτι τὸ μεῖζον μέν ἐστι τῆς αἰτίας, τὸ δὲ ἴσον τῆς φύσεως; καὶ τοῦτο ὑπὸ πολλῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης ὁμολογοῦμεν ἡμεῖς. τάχα δ' ἂν εἴποι τις ἄλλος τῷ ἡμετέρῳ λόγῳ προσφιλονεικῶν, μὴ ἔλαττον εἶναι τὸ ἐκ τοιαύτης αἰτίας εἶναι τοῦ ἀναιτίου. τῆς τε γὰρ τοῦ ἀνάρχου δόξης μετέχοι ἄν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνάρχου· καὶ πρόσεστιν ἡ γέννησις, πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον, τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι, καὶ οὕτω σε βάσμιον. τὸ γὰρ δὴ λέγειν, ὅτι τοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον νοουμένου μείζων, ἀληθὲς μέν, οὐ μέγα δέ. τί γὰρ τὸ θαυμαστόν, εἰ μείζων ἀνθρώπου θεός; ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω πρὸς τοὺς τὸ μεῖζον κομπάζοντας.

8 Θεὸς δὲ λέγοιτο ἄν, οὐ τοῦ Λόγου, τοῦ ὁρωμένου δέ· πῶς γὰρ ἂν εἴη τοῦ κυρίως θεοῦ θεός; ὥσπερ καὶ πατήρ, οὐ τοῦ ὁρωμένου, τοῦ λόγου δέ. καὶ γὰρ ἦν διπλοῦς· ὥστε τὸ μὲν κυρίως ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν, τὸ δὲ οὐ κυρίως, ἐναντίως ἢ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἔχει. ἡμῶν γὰρ κυρίως μὲν θεός, οὐ κυρίως δὲ πατήρ. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ ποιεῖ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς τὴν πλάνην, ἡ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἐπίζευξις, ἐπαλλαττομένων τῶν ὀνο μάτων διὰ τὴν σύγκρασιν. σημεῖον δέ· ἡνίκα αἱ φύσεις διίστανται, ταῖς ἐπινοίαις συνδιαιρεῖται καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα. Παύλου λέγοντος ἄκουσον· Ἵνα ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ πατὴρ τῆς δόξης. Χριστοῦ μὲν θεός, τῆς δὲ δόξης πατήρ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ συναμφότερον ἕν, ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ φύσει, τῇ δὲ συνόδῳ τούτων. τί ἂν γένοιτο γνωριμώτερον;

9 Πέμπτον λεγέσθω τὸ λαμβάνειν αὐτὸν ζωήν, ἢ κρίσιν, ἢ κληρονομίαν ἐθνῶν, ἢ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός, ἢ δόξαν, ἢ μαθη τάς, ἢ ὅσα λέγεται. καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος. εἰ δὲ καὶ τῷ θεῷ δοίης, οὐκ ἄτοπον. οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἐπίκτητα δώσεις, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς συνυπάρχοντα, καὶ λόγῳ φύσεως, ἀλλ' οὐ χάριτος.

10 Ἕκτον τιθέσθω τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τὸν υἱὸν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖν μηδέν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα. τοῦτο δὲ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· οὐ τῶν καθ' ἕνα τρόπον λεγομένων τὸ δύνασθαι ἢ μὴ δύνα σθαι· πολύσημον δέ. τὸ μὲν γάρ τι λέγεται κατὰ