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and to create what is produced through a mediator is not entirely free from arrogance and weakness at the same time, since the one who produces it through himself reveals a greater glory than the one who does so through another. 8.5 For what is not yet obeys the nods of the one who always is, and it is all but accomplished and receives fitting measures and has no deficiency in anything; not only arrogant is the… but now… may all things be shown whatever authority and from… But if Jesus says to the dead Lazarus: “Come forth.” and to another: 8.6 “Your sins are forgiven you,” and to another: “I command you, come out of him,” then for God to do these things through another, according to their mind, shows that God the Father, whose thoughts are creations, is not able to accomplish everything by himself without the assistance of him through whom or in whom he creates; but the Son as some soulless instrument. 8.7 How will he not, having spat greatly and set his upturned hands against such savage blasphemies, withdraw, fearing lest he become liable to the divine tribunal, even for the sake of an unintentional hearing?

9.v Concerning what the heretics say: “When was the Son begotten and the Spirit

proceeded?” and the rest. 9.1 Therefore, with so many and such clear proofs existing, and Scripture exhorting “not to be carried away by varied and strange teachings,” but to flee “empty talk,” the heterodox, being at a loss to establish their religion from the scriptures and… as if drunk, having their argument on each point scattered here and there, propose various sophisms, composed for them maliciously and much rehearsed, among which are these: 9.2 “Are not all things, then,” he says, “from God?” 9.3 To whom one must answer: But the Son is not so by way of generation, nor the Spirit of God by way of procession, nor is he of such energies or thus being circumspect was he deemed worthy of substances. 9.4 Then: “When, therefore, was the Son begotten and the Spirit proceeded?” At that time, when the Father was not begotten. For though he is from him, he is not after him. 9.5 And just as it is unlawful to seek in place—since neither the one who begets nor the one who is begotten is circumscribed—, so neither in time. 9.6 For the Son, being God and Word of th…, but of creating. Likewise also the Spirit. 9.7 “But how,” he says, “was he begotten?” This—although it was written concerning the Son: “From the womb before the morning star I have begotten you,” and concerning the Holy Spirit: “a spirit proceeds from me,” and though David sings: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made firm, and by the spirit of his mouth all their powers,” and though Job says: “The divine Spirit is what made me, and the breath of the Almighty teaches me,” and though the Lord teaches: “the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father,” and though Paul writes that it is the Spirit of God, as a man has his own spirit— 9.8 nevertheless it so transcends all understanding that the same apostle writes to the Corinthians: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and has manifested through us the aroma of knowledge,” as if we have partaken not of all knowledge, because it is incomprehensible, but of some kind of image or breeze, as it were. 9.9 And again: “For we see through a mirror and in a riddle” the things concerning him. And very fittingly. “For the glory of the Lord hides a word,” according to the divine saying, surpassing with an ineffable and infinite word every created sense. 9.10 Not only because it is unbearable, but because that which is before the ages and before all creation, if it had not been revealed by the scriptures, would be unknown to creation; 9.11 And again to the same, the second on this is most excellent: “But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the rule, a measure which God has apportioned to us, to reach even to you.” And in the first epistle he says: “If anyone thinks he has known anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know.” 9.12 What is the difference between the begetting and the procession? As the manner is unknown, so also is the difference, if indeed it is permitted it

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καὶ ὑπερηφανία̣ς̣ ἀδυναμίας τε ἅμ̣α παντάπασιν οὐκ ἀπήλλακται τὸ διὰ μεσίτου ποιεῖν τὸ παραγόμενον, τοῦ παράγοντος αὐτὸ δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἤπερ τοῦ δι' ἑτέρου ποιοῦντος μείζονα τὴν δόξαν ἐκφαίνει. 8.5 οὔπω γὰρ ὂν τοῦ ἀεὶ ὄντος νεύμασιν ὑπακούει καὶ ὅσον οὐδέπω διαπεραίνεται καὶ μέτρα προσήκοντα δέχεται καὶ οὐκ ἔχει ἔν τινι τὸ ἐλλεῖπον οὐχ ὑπερήφανος μόνον ὁ ὑπερη ἀλλ' ἤδη καταν̣ τ̣ ι δειχθείη πάν̣τ̣α ὁ´̣σα ἂν ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἀπ ρωμ τ εἰ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει τῷ Λαζα´̣ρ̣ῳ τεθνηκότι· «δεῦρο ἔξω.» καὶ ἄλλῳ· 8.6 «ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου» καὶ ἄλλῳ· «ἐγώ σο̣ι̣ ἐπιτάσσω. ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ» τὸ δὲ τὸν θεὸν ταῦτα ποιεῖν δι' ἄλλου κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνων νοῦν δείκνυσι τὸν μὲν θεὸν πατέρα, οὗ αἱ νοήσεις ποιήσεις εἰσίν, μὴ δύνασθαι δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ πᾶν διαπεραίνειν δίχα τῆς ἐπικουρίας ἐκείνου τοῦ δι' οὗ ἢ ἐν ᾧ ποιεῖ· τὸν δέ γε υἱὸν ὥς τι ἄψυχον ὄρ̣γ̣ανον. 8.7 πῶς οὐ μέγα προσπτύσας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ὑπτι´̣ας ἀντιθεὶς ταῖς οὑτωσι`̣ ἀγρίαις δυσφημίαις ἀναχωρήσει δεδιὼς μὴ ὑπόδικος γένηται τοῦ θείου δικαστ̣ηρίου καὶ ἀκοη῀̣ς ἀπροαιρέτου χα´̣ρι̣ν;

9.ν Περὶ ὧν λέγουσιν αἱρετικοί· «πότε ὁ υἱὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα

ἐξεπορεύθη;» καὶ τὰ λοιπά. 9.1 Τοσούτων τοίνυν καὶ οὕτω σαφῶν ἀποδείξεων οὐσῶν καὶ τῆς γραφῆς παραινούσης «ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις διδαχαῖς μὴ παραφέρεσθαι», φεύγειν δὲ «τὰς κενοφωνίας», οἱ ἑτερόδο̣ξο̣ι συστῆσαι ἀπὸ γραφω῀̣ν̣ τὰ τῆς θρησκείας αὐτῶν ἀποροῦντες και`̣ ···· ὡσανεὶ μεθύοντες τῇδε κἀκεῖσε τὸν ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ λόγον διαριπτούμενον ἔχοντες διάφορα σοφίσματα συνταγέντα αὐτοῖς κακοτέχνως καὶ κατὰ πολὺ μελετηθέντα προβάλλουσιν, ἐν οἷς ἐστι ταῦτα· 9.2 «τὰ σύμπαντα οὖν, φησίν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ;» 9.3 οἷς ἀποκριτέον· ἀλλ' οὐ γεννητικῶς ὁ υἱὸς οὐδ' ἐκπορευτικῶς καθὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδὲ τοιούτων ἐστιν ἐνεργειῶν ἢ οὕτω περιβλέπτων ἠξιώθη συστάσεων . 9.4 εἶτα· «πότε οὖν ὁ υἱὸς ἐγεννήθη κ̣αὶ τὸ π̣νεῦμα ἐξεπορεύθη;» τότε, ὅτε ὁ πατὴρ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' οὐ μετ' αὐτόν. 9.5 καὶ ὡς ἀθέμιτον τὸ ζητεῖν γὰρ ἐν τόπῳ, ἐπειδὴ μήτε περι̣ορ ὁ γεν̣ν̣ήσας καὶ ὁ γεννηθείς̣-, οὕτως οὐδ χ̣ρόνῳ. 9.6 θεὸς γὰρ ὢν ὁ υἱὸς καὶ λόγος το̣ῦ υ̣το, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ποιεῖν. ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα . 9.7 πῶς δέ, φησίν, ἐγεννήθη; τοῦτο-εἰ καὶ ἐγράφη περὶ μὲν τοῦ υἱοῦ· «ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά σε», περὶ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος· «πνεῦμα παρ' ἐμοῦ ἐκπορεύεται», καὶ εἰ ∆αυὶδ ψάλλει· «τῷ λόγῳ κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτῶν», καὶ εἰ λέγει ὁ Ἰώβ· «πνεῦμα θεῖον τὸ ποιῆσάν με, πνοὴ δὲ παντοκράτορος ἡ διδάσκουσά με», καὶ εἰ κύριος διδάσκει: «τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται», καὶ εἰ Παῦλος γράφει, πνεῦμα εἶναι αὐτὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς ἀνθρώποις τὸ αὐτῶν- 9.8 ὅμως οὕτω πάντα νοῦν ὑπερβαίνει ὅτι ὁ αὐτὸς ἀπόστολος Κορινθίοις γράφει· «τῷ δὲ θεῷ χάρις τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν τῆς γνώσεως φανερώσαντι δι' ἡμῶν», ὡς μὴ πάσης τῆς γνώσεως ἡμᾶς διὰ τὸ ἀχώρητον, ἀλλ' οἷόν τινος ἰνδάλματος ἢ αὔρας ὥσπερ μετασχόντας. 9.9 καὶ πάλιν· «βλέπομεν δὲ δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι» τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. «δόξα γὰρ κυρίου κρύπτει λόγον» κατὰ τὸ θεῖον ῥητὸν ὑπερκειμένη ἀφράστῳ καὶ ἀπείρῳ λόγῳ πάσης αἰσθήσεως γενητῆς. 9.10 οὐ διὰ τὸ ἀβάστακτον μόνον. ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸ προαιώνιον καὶ πρὸ πάσης κτίσ̣ε̣ω̣ς, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ γραφῶν δεδήλωτο, τῇ κτίσει ἠγν̣οεῖτο· 9.11 καὶ πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς τὸ δεύτερον εἰς τοῦτο παγκαλο · «ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα καυχησόμεθα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τ̣ὸ μέτρον τοῦ κανόνος, οὗ ἐμέρισεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς μέτρου, ἐφικέσθαι ἄχρι καὶ ὑμῶν». καὶ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ δὲ ἐπιστολῇ φησιν· «εἴτις δοκεῖ ἐγνωκέναι τι, οὔπω ἔγνω κα θὼς θεῖ γνῶναι». 9.12 τίς ἡ διαφορὰ τῆς γεννήσεως καὶ τῆς ἐκ πορ̣εύσεως; ω῾̣ς ὁ τρ̣όπος ἄγνωστος οὕτω καὶ ἡ διαφορά, εἴγε δὴ ἄρα ἐξὸν αὐτὸ