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Again: “The true light was, which enlightens every man coming into the world.” And again: “The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.” And in the epistle, “He who was,” it says, “from the beginning.” Thus were they who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word taught by the divine Spirit to speak of the only-begotten Word of God; wherefore they did not number the creator with the creation; they did not rank the maker with the things made; nowhere did they call the precious offspring of God a creature; nowhere did they conjoin “was made” with the Godhead; but this one, “In the beginning was the Word;” not “in the beginning the Word was made.” And that one, “Being the radiance of his glory, and the character of his substance;” not, “he was made the radiance and character.” And again: “Who, being in the form of God,” not “having become the form of God,” but “Being in the form of God.” And elsewhere: “Who is the image of the invisible God,” it did not say, “who became the image of the invisible God,” but, “who is.”

7. Proof from the Old Testament, that the Son is eternal. Thus everywhere to theology

is conjoined “was,” and “being,” and “subsisting,” and “is;” thus, speaking with the great Moses, he named himself: “I am the one who is.” And again: “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel: He who is has sent me to you.” But that these are the words of the Son, even the champions of the blasphemy themselves testify, saying that the Father is incomprehensible, but calling the Son the mediator between the Father and the creation, and affirming that he both appeared to and spoke with the patriarchs and the prophets; but the God Word himself clearly teaches us through Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “In those days, and at that time, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the days when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt.” 75.1156 Let us ask, therefore, who gave the new covenant. Is it not clear to all that the Lord Christ is its giver? For he himself cries out in the holy Gospels: “It was said to the ancients, You shall not murder; but I say to you, Everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be liable to the judgment; it was said to the ancients, You shall not swear falsely; but I say to you, do not swear at all.” And he sets down the other things likewise, that this was said, but I legislate this in such a way, not overturning the established law, but making the legislation more precise, and teaching the manner of its observance. Therefore, the Lord Christ has given us the new covenant; but he who has furnished this one, also gave the old one to Israel after the deliverance from Egypt; and he who gave that one, and delivered them from Egyptian slavery, he it is, clearly, who sent Moses to Pharaoh; he himself said: “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel: He who is has sent me to you;” and this the prophet makes clear elsewhere: “For this,” he says, “is our God; no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him; he found out every way of knowledge, and gave it to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved; afterward he was seen upon earth, and conversed with men.” Beginning, therefore, from below, let us investigate the prophetic meaning. Who is he who was seen upon earth, and conversed with men? It is plain, I think, to all who have understanding, that it is the God Word who took up our nature, who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, and took the form of a servant. This one, therefore, gave the way of knowledge to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved, having proclaimed the old law in the wilderness through Moses. And he who gave that law, before giving the law, speaking with Moses said: “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel. He who is has sent me to you.” Wherefore the prophet cried out: “This is our God, no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him;” testifying of him, not the lesser, but the incomparable. See how it resembles the

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αὖθις· «Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κό σμον.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός.» Καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ, «Ὁ ἦν, φησὶν, ἀπ' ἀρχῆς.» Οὕτω θεολογεῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ἐδιδάχθησαν οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται τοῦ Λόγου γενό μενοι· διὸ οὐ συνηρίθμησαν τῇ κτίσει τὸν κτίσαντα· οὐ συνέταξαν τὸν ποιητὴν τοῖς ποιήμασιν· οὐδαμοῦ κτίσμα τὸ τίμιον τοῦ Θεοῦ προσηγόρευσαν γέννημα· οὐδαμοῦ τὸ ἐγένετο συνέζευξαν τῇ Θεότητι· ἀλλ' οὗ τος μὲν, «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος·» οὐκ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὁ Λόγος ἐγένετο. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ, «Ὡς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆςδόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως·» οὐκ, ἐγέ νετο ἀπαύγασμα καὶ χαρακτήρ. Καὶ πάλιν· «Ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων,» οὐ μορφὴ Θεοῦ γενόμενος, ἀλλ' «Ὑπάρχων ἐν Θεοῦ μορφῇ.» Καὶ ἑτέρωθι· «Ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου,» οὐκ εἶπεν, ὃς ἐγένετο εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, ἀλλ', ὃς ἐστίν.

Ζʹ. Ἀπόδειξις ἐκ τῆς Παλαιᾶς, ὅτι ἀΐδιος ὁ Υἱός. Οὕτω τῇ θεολογίᾳ πανταχοῦ

συνέζευκται τὸ ἦν, καὶ τὸ ὢν, καὶ τὸ ὑπάρχων, καὶ τὸ ἔστιν· οὕτω τῷ μεγάλῳ Μωϋσῇ ἑαυτὸν διαλεγόμενος προσηγόρευσεν· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Τάδε ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· Ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέ με πρὸς ὑμᾶς.» Ὅτιδὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν μαρτυ ροῦσι τῆς βλασφημίας οἱ πρόμαχοι, ἀχώρητον μὲν τὸν Πατέρα λέγοντες, μεσίτην δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τῆς κτί σεως τὸν Υἱὸν ἀποκαλοῦντες, καὶ φάσκοντες αὐτὸν τοῖς πατριάρχαις καὶ τοῖς προφήταις ὀφθῆναί τε καὶ διαλεχθῆναι· σαφῶς δὲ ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος διδάσκει διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγων· «Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ δια θήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰούδα διαθήκην καινὴν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην ἢν διεθέμην τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέραις ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου.» 75.1156 Ζητήσωμεν τοίνυν τίς τὴν καινὴν ἔδωκε διαθήκην. Ἦ οὐχὶ δῆλον ἅπασιν ὡς ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ταύτης ἐστὶ χορηγός; Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις βοᾷ· «Ἐῤῥέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐ φονεύσεις· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, Πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῆ, ἔν οχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ἐῤῥέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐκ ἐπιορ κήσεις· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως.» Καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ ὁμοίως τίθησιν, ὅτι ἐῤῥέθη μὲν τόδε, ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο τοιῶσδε νομοθετῶ, οὐκ ἀνατρέπων τὸν κεί μενον νόμον, ἀλλὰ τὴν νομοθεσίαν ἀκριβεστέραν ποιῶν, καὶ τῆς φυλακῆς τὸν τρόπον διδάσκων. Τὴν νέαν τοίνυν διαθήκην ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῖν δέδωκε Χρι στός· ὁ δὲ ταύτην παρεσχηκὼς, καὶ τὴν παλαιὰν μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς Αἰγύπτου δέδωκε τῷ Ἰσ ραήλ· ὁ δὲ ἐκείνην δεδωκὼς, καὶ τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς δουλείας ἀπαλλάξας, αὐτὸς ἀπέστειλε δηλονότι πρὸς Φαραὼ τὸν Μωϋσέα· αὐτὸς εἶπε· «Τάδε ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· Ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέ με πρὸς ὑμᾶς·» τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθι ὁ προφήτης σαφὲς ποιεῖ· «Οὗτος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη.» Κάτωθεν τοίνυν ἀρξάμενοι, τὴν προφητικὴν ἐρευ νήσωμεν ἔννοιαν. Τίς ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὀφθεὶς, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συναναστραφείς; εὔδηλον, ὡς οἶμαι, πᾶσι τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν, ὡς ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν ἀναλαβὼν, ὁ μὴ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγησάμενος τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν κενώσας, καὶ μορφὴν δούλου λαβών. Οὗτος τοίνυν τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ἐπιστήμης ἔδωκεν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, τὸν παλαιὸν διαγορεύσας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διὰ Μωϋσέως νόμον. Ὁ δὲ τὸν νόμον ἐκεῖνον δεδωκὼς, πρὸ τοῦ δοῦναι τὸν νόμον, τῷ Μωϋσῇ διαλεγόμενος ἔφη· «Τάδε ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ. Ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέ με πρὸς ὑμᾶς.» ∆ιὸ ὁ προφήτης ἐβόα· «Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν·» μαρτυ ρῶν αὐτῷ, οὐ τὸ ἔλαττον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀσύγκριτον. Ὁρᾶτε πῶς ἔοικε τοῖς