3

Only, do not dare to belittle the Son, with the names set against each other, to the Father, 'true God', and to the Son, 'God'; but conversely 'He was the true light' to the Son, but to the Father only 'light'. As therefore one must not dare to say concerning the Father, that he is not true light, and concerning the Son, true God; for he himself said, I am the truth; so also concerning the Holy Spirit, that he is the Spirit of truth. Through these testimonies learn to worship the undivided Trinity; All things that the Father has are mine, said the only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father. Moses says: He who is has sent me. He who is is the Father, he who is is the Son, he who is with Him who is, begotten without beginning and without time. The Father has all things, truly life, and immortality, and light, and almighty, and God, and Lord; which things the Son also has. For I am, he says, the truth and the life; and, He was the true light; and, the Word was God; and Thomas the apostle says: My Lord and my God; as also the psalmist says: With my hands I sought out God, and I was not deceived. Thomas touched the Word in unbelief, and was not deceived, confessing him Lord and God in faith. Yes, he says; I call the Son of God, God, but not without beginning, but created; therefore also a servant. And how, Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant? If therefore he is a servant, for every creature is a servant, how, being a servant, did he take the form of a servant? how did he empty himself, 48.1090 if he was not perfect God? For he took what he did not have, remaining what he was; he did not become what he was, but being in the form of God, through love for mankind unchangeably took the form of a servant. But if you do not want to confess him without beginning, therefore was there a time when the Son was not? Yes, he says. See then, I speak according to your argument: there was a time when the Father was not; for he who does not have a son, is not called a father. And the Father had a beginning of being Father; for from the son is the father known, Therefore then there was a time when the Father himself was also the son of another father. Alas for such blasphemy! For thinking to worship the Father perfectly, you are impious towards him. If therefore the Son himself made the times and seasons, for all things were made through him, how do you dare to say, that there was a time when the Son was not? Therefore according to your argument, time is greater than the Word of God; for that which is first is of necessity also greater.

2. But do you wish to know that the Son is co-eternal with the Father? Isaiah says: I am God

the first, and I am after these things; before me there was no other God, and after me there will be none. If therefore you say the Son is after the Father, how does the Father say, that After me there will be no other God? but if you take this to refer to the Son, how does he say: Before me there was no other God? See therefore through these things that the Son is co-eternal with the Father. And hear the testimonies concerning the Son, and flee from blaspheming him: The Lord rained fire from the Lord, and fire upon Sodom. He calls the Father Lord, the Son Lord, the Holy Spirit Lord; as he says, Now the Lord is the Spirit; and he did not say: The lesser Lord from the greater Lord. And Moses says, And let all the angels of God worship him; but an angel does not worship a creature. And that you may learn that this was spoken concerning the Son, hear Paul saying: But when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says: And let all the angels of God worship him. And David also cried out: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. And he did not say, Lord of my Lord; but he said, Lord to my Lord; Behold, says Isaiah, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which is interpreted, God with us. Yes, I call him Son, yet subordinate and less than the Father.

3

μόνον, μὴ τολμήσῃς σμικρῦναι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀντιπαρακειμένων ἀλλήλοις τῶν ὀνομάτων, τῷ Πατρὶ τὸ Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς, τῷ Υἱῷ τὸ, Θεός· ἀνάπαλιν δὲ Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, τῷ Υἱῷ, τῷ δὲ Πατρὶ τὸ φῶς μόνον. Ὡς οὖν οὐ τολμητέον εἰπεῖν περὶ Πατρὸς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι φῶς ἀληθινὸν, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, Θεὸς ἀληθινός· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, ὅτι Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας. ∆ιὰ τούτων τῶν μαρτυριῶν μάνθανε εὐσεβεῖν ἀδιαίρετον Τριάδα· Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστιν, εἶπεν ὁ μονογενὴς Θεὸς, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός. Μωϋσῆς λέγει· Ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέ με. Ὁ ὤν ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, ὁ ὤν ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, ὁ ὢν πρὸς τὸν ὄντα, ἀνάρχως καὶ ἀχρόνως γεγενημένος. Πάντα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀληθῶς ζωὴ, καὶ ἀθανασία, καὶ φῶς, καὶ παντοδύναμος, καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ Κύριος· ἅπερ ἔχει καὶ ὁ Υἱός. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶν, ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή· καὶ, Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν· καὶ, Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος· καὶ Θωμᾶς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου· καθὼς καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς λέγει· Ταῖς χερσί μου τὸν Θεὸν ἐξεζήτησα, καὶ οὐκ ἠπατήθην. Ἐψηλάφησεν ὁ Θωμᾶς τὸν Λόγον ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ, καὶ οὐκ ἠπατήθη Κύριον καὶ Θεὸν ὁμολογήσας αὐτὸν ἐν πίστει. Ναὶ, φησί· λέγω τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Θεὸν, οὐκ ἄναρχον δὲ, ἀλλὰ κτιστόν· οὐκοῦν καὶ δοῦλον. Καὶ πῶς, Ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών; Εἰ οὖν δοῦλός ἐστι, πᾶν γὰρ κτίσμα δοῦλον, πῶς δοῦλος ὢν, μορφὴν δούλου ἔλαβε; πῶς δὲ ἑαυτὸν 48.1090 ἐκένωσεν, εἰ οὐκ ἦν Θεὸς τέλειος; Ὃ γὰρ οὐκ εἶχεν ἔλαβε, μείνας ὃ ἦν· οὐχ ὃ ἦν γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ἀτρέπτως ἔλαβε μορφὴν δούλου. Εἰ δὲ οὐ θέλεις αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖν ἄναρχον, οὐκοῦν ἦν καιρὸς ὅτε οὐκ ἦν Υἱός; Ναὶ, φησίν. Ἴδε οὖν, κατὰ τὸν σὸν λόγον λέγω· ἦν καιρὸς ὅτε οὐκ ἦν Πατήρ· ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἔχων υἱὸν, πατὴρ οὐ καλεῖται. Καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἀρχὴν ἔσχε τοῦ εἶναι πατήρ· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ υἱοῦ πατὴρ γινώσκεται, Ἆρα οὖν καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἦν καιρὸς ὅτε καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν υἱὸς ἑτέρου πατρός. Φεῦ τῆς τοιαύτης βλασφημίας! δοκῶν γὰρ τὸν Πατέρα σέβειν τελείως, εἰς αὐτὸν ἀσεβεῖς. Εἰ οὖν ὁ Υἱὸς αὐτὸς ἐποίησε τοὺς χρόνους καὶ καιροὺς, πάντα γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, πῶς τολμᾷς λέγειν, ὅτι ἦν καιρὸς ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱός; Οὐκοῦν κατὰ τὸν σὸν λόγον, μείζων ὁ χρόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου· τὸ γὰρ πρῶτον ἀνάγκῃ καὶ μεῖζον.

βʹ. Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι ὅτι συναΐδιος τῷ Πατρὶ ὁ Υἱός; Λέγει Ἡσαΐας· Ἐγὼ Θεὸς

πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγὼ εἰς τὰμετὰ ταῦτα· πρὸ ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος Θεὸς, καὶ μετ' ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔσται. Εἰ οὖν ὕστερον τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγεις τὸν Υἱὸν, πῶς λέγει ὁ Πατὴρ, ὅτι Μετ' ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔσται ἄλλος Θεός; εἰ δὲ εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν ἐκλάβῃς τοῦτο, πῶς λέγει· Πρὸ ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος Θεός; Βλέπε οὖν διὰ τούτων συναΐδιον εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρί. Ἄκουε δὲ τὰς μαρτυρίας τὰς περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ φεῦγε τοῦ δυσφημεῖν αὐτόν· Ἔβρεξε Κύριος πῦρ παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ πῦρ ἐπὶ Σόδομα. Κύριον καλεῖ τὸν Πατέρα, Κύριον τὸν Υἱὸν, Κύριον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· ὥς φησιν, Ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι· καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν· Ὁ Κύριος ὁ μικρότερος παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ μεγάλου. Καὶ ὁ Μωϋσῆς φησι, Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ· ἄγγελος δὲ κτίσματι οὐ προσκυνεῖ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦτο λελέχθαι, ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Ὅταν δὲ εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει· Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ. Καὶ ∆αυῒδ δὲ ἐβόα· Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Κύριος τοῦ Κυρίου μου· ἀλλ' εἶπε, Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Ἰδοὺ, φησὶν Ἡσαΐας, ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ· ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός. Ναὶ, λέγω αὐτὸν Υἱὸν, ὑποτακτικὸν μέντοι καὶ μικρότερον τοῦ Πατρός.