4

a lack of power, and sometimes, and in relation to something, as in the child not being able to contend, or the puppy to see, or to compete against this person. For perhaps he will contend someday, and will see, and will compete against this person, even if he is unable against another. And that which is for the most part, as in: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. For perhaps one might even be hidden, if something greater stands in front. And that which is unreasonable: The sons of the bridechamber cannot fast, as long as the bridegroom is present; whether He who is seen bodily; for the time of His presence is not a time of affliction, but of rejoicing; or as the Word is understood. For why must those who are cleansed by the Word fast bodily? And that which is unwilling, as in His not being able to do signs there, because of the unbelief of those who received Him. For since both are needed for the healings, both the faith of those being healed, and the power of the healer, the one was not possible when its partner was lacking. But I do not know, if this should not also be added to what is reasonable; for healing is not reasonable for those who will be harmed by unbelief. And of the same reasoning is this: The world cannot but hate you; and, How can you speak good things, being evil? For how is any of these impossible, except that it is unwilling? But there is also something of this sort among the things said, which is by nature impossible, but possible for God if He willed it, as for the same person not to be able to be born a second time; and a needle not admitting a camel. For what would prevent these things from happening if God willed it?

11

But apart from all these is that which is completely impossible and inadmissible, such as what we are now examining. For just as we say it is impossible for God to be evil, or not to exist—for this would be a weakness of God rather than a power—or for what is not to be, or for twice two and four to be also ten; so it is impossible and inconceivable for the Son to do anything which the Father does not do. For all things that the Father has are the Son’s; as conversely the Son’s are the Father’s; nothing therefore is particular, because they are common. Since even being itself is common and of equal honor, even if it is for the Son from the Father. Wherefore it is also said: I live because of the Father. Not as if His living and being are sustained from there, but as being from there timelessly and without cause. But how does He see the Father doing, and so does it? Is it as those who draw forms and letters, because it is not possible to attain the truth otherwise, except by looking to the archetype, and being guided from there? And how does Wisdom need someone to teach it, or will it not do something without being taught? But how does the Father do, or has He done? Did He bring forth another world before the present one, and will He bring forth the one to come, and by looking at those things, the Son brought forth the one, and will bring forth the other? Therefore according to this reasoning there are four worlds, some the Father’s, and some the Son’s creations. O the unreasonableness! But He cleanses lepers, and delivers from demons and diseases, and gives life to the dead, and walks upon the sea, and does the other things that He has done, on whose or when did the Father pre-work these things? Or is it clear that the Father indicates the types of the same things, and the Word accomplishes them, not slavishly, nor ignorantly, but knowledgeably and masterfully, and to speak more properly, paternally? For thus I understand that whatever things are done by the Father, these the Son also does likewise; not according to the likeness of the things done, but according to the equal honor of authority. And this would be that until now both the Father works, and the Son; and not only this, but also the economy and preservation of what they have made, as is shown by the making of His angels spirits; and the founding of the earth upon its own security; things established and made once; and the establishing of thunder, and the creation of spirit, which the Word indeed established once, but the working is continuous even now.

12

Seventh, let it be said that the Son came down from heaven, not to do His own will, but that of Him who sent Him. If then not from the

4

δυνάμεως ἔλλειψιν, καί ποτε, καὶ πρός τι, ὡς τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τὸ παιδίον ἀθλεῖν, ἢ τὸ σκυλάκιον βλέπειν, ἢ πρὸς τόνδε διαγωνίζεσθαι. ἀθλήσει γὰρ ἴσως ποτέ, καὶ ὄψεται, καὶ διαγωνιεῖται πρὸς τόνδε, κἂν πρὸς ἕτερον ἀδυνάτως ἔχῃ. τὸ δέ, ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, ὡς τό· Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπ' ἄνω ὄρους κειμένη. τάχα γὰρ ἂν καὶ κρυφθείη τις, ἐπιπροσθοῦντος μείζονος. τὸ δέ, ὡς οὐκ εὔλογον· Οὐ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος νηστεύειν, ἐφ' ὅσον ἔνδημος ὁ νυμφίος· εἴτε ὁ σωματικῶς ὁρώμενος· οὐ γὰρ κακοπαθείας, ἀλλ' εὐφροσύνης καιρὸς ὁ τῆς ἐπιδημίας· εἴτε ὡς ὁ λόγος νοούμενος. τί γὰρ δεῖ νηστεύειν σωματικῶς τοὺς λόγῳ καθαιρομένους; τὸ δέ, ὡς ἀβούλητον, ὡς τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἐκεῖ σημεῖα ποιῆσαι, διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν τῶν δεχο μένων. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦ συναμφοτέρου χρεία πρὸς τὰς ἰάσεις, καὶ τῆς τῶν θεραπευομένων πίστεως, καὶ τῆς τοῦ θεραπευτοῦ δυνά μεως, οὐκ ἐνεδέχετο τὸ ἕτερον τοῦ συζύγου ἐλλείποντος. οὐκ οἶδα δέ, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο τῷ εὐλόγῳ προσθετέον· οὐ γὰρ εὔλογος ἴασις τοῖς βλαβησομένοις ἐξ ἀπιστίας. τοῦ δὲ αὐτοῦ λόγου καὶ τό· Οὐ δύναται ὁ κόσμος μὴ μισεῖν ὑμᾶς· καί, Πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, πονηροὶ ὄντες; πῶς γὰρ ἀδύνατόν τι τούτων, ἢ ὅτι ἀβούλη τον; ἔστι δέ τι καὶ τοιοῦτον ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις, ὃ τῇ φύσει μὲν ἀδύνατον, θεῷ δὲ δυνατὸν βουληθέντι, ὡς τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τὸν αὐτὸν γεννηθῆναι δεύτερον· καὶ ῥαφὶς οὐκ εἰσδεχομένη κάμηλον. τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ κωλύσειε γενέσθαι ταῦτα θεοῦ θελήσαντος;

11 Τούτων δὲ πάντων ἐκτὸς τὸ παντελῶς ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀνεπίδεκτον, ὡς ὃ νῦν ἐξετάζομεν. ὡς γὰρ ἀδύνατον εἶναι λέγομεν πονηρὸν εἶναι θεόν, ἢ μὴ εἶναι· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀδυναμίας ἂν εἴη μᾶλλον θεοῦ, ἤπερ δυνάμεως· ἢ τὸ μὴ ὂν εἶναι, ἢ τὰ δὶς δύο καὶ τέσσαρα εἶναι καὶ δέκα· οὕτως ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀνεγχώρητον ποιεῖν τι τὸν υἱόν, ὧν οὐ ποιεῖ ὁ πατήρ. πάντα γὰρ ὅσα ἔχει ὁ πατήρ, τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐστίν· ὡς ἔμπαλιν τὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρός· οὐδὲν οὖν ἴδιον, ὅτι κοινά. ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι κοινὸν καὶ ὁμότιμον, εἰ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ παρὰ τοῦ πατρός. καθ' ὃ καὶ λέγεται καὶ τό· Ἐγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα. οὐχ ὡς ἐκεῖθεν αὐτῷ τοῦ ζῆν καὶ τοῦ εἶναι συνεχομένου, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐκεῖθεν ὑπάρχοντος ἀχρόνως καὶ ἀναιτίως. βλέπει δὲ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα πῶς, καὶ οὕτω ποιεῖ; ἆρα ὡς οἱ τὰς μορφὰς γράφοντες καὶ τὰ γράμματα, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι τῆς ἀληθείας ἄλλως ἐπιτυχεῖν, εἰ μὴ πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον βλέποντας, κἀκεῖθεν χειραγωγουμένους; καὶ πῶς ἡ σοφία δεῖται τοῦ διδάξοντος, ἢ οὐ ποιήσει τι μὴ διδασκομένη; ποιεῖ δὲ πῶς ὁ πατήρ, ἢ πεποίηκεν; ἆρα ἄλλον προυπέστησε κόσμον ἀντὶ τοῦ παρόντος, καὶ ὑποστήσει τὸν μέλλοντα, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνα βλέπων ὁ υἱός, τὸν μὲν ὑπέστησε, τὸν δὲ ὑποστήσει; τέσσαρες οὖν κόσμοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, οἱ μὲν πατρός, οἱ δὲ υἱοῦ ποιήματα. ὢ τῆς ἀλογίας. καθαίρει δὲ λέπρας, καὶ δαιμόνων καὶ νόσων ἀπαλ λάττει, καὶ ζωοποιεῖ νεκρούς, καὶ ὑπὲρ θαλάσσης ὁδεύει, καὶ τἄλλα ποιεῖ ὅσα πεποίηκεν, ἐπὶ τίνος ἢ πότε τοῦ πατρὸς ταῦτα προενεργή σαντος; ἢ δῆλον ὅτι τῶν αὐτῶν πραγμάτων τοὺς τύπους ἐνσημαίνεται μὲν ὁ πατήρ, ἐπιτελεῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, οὐ δουλικῶς, οὐδὲ ἀμαθῶς, ἀλλ' ἐπιστημονικῶς τε καὶ δεσποτικῶς, καὶ οἰκειότερον εἰπεῖν, πατρι κῶς; οὕτω γὰρ ἐγὼ δέχομαι τὸ ἅπερ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς γίνεται, ταῦτα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ὁμοίως ποιεῖν· οὐ κατὰ τὴν τῶν γινομένων ὁμοίωσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἐξουσίας ὁμοτιμίαν. καὶ τοῦτο ἂν εἴη τὸ ἕως ἄρτι καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ τὸν υἱόν· οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὧν πεποιήκασιν οἰκονομίαν τε καὶ συν τήρησιν, ὡς δηλοῖ τὸ ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα· καὶ θεμελιοῦσθαι τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτῆς· ἅπαξ ἡδρασ μένα τε καὶ γενόμενα· καὶ στερεοῦσθαι βροντήν, καὶ κτίζεσθαι πνεῦμα, ὧν ἅπαξ μὲν ὁ λόγος ὑπέστη, συνεχὴς δὲ καὶ νῦν ἡ ἐνέργεια.

12 Ἕβδομον λεγέσθω τὸ καταβεβηκέναι ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν υἱόν, οὐχ ἵνα ποιῇ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ πέμψαντος. εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ παρὰ τοῦ