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with no one revealing it to him; He is not created, but begotten. XII. If the Scriptures know Him to be equal to the Father; for Paul writes: “He did not consider it robbery to be equal to God;” and: “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead;” and the evangelist says that “the Son made Himself equal to God;” and if Jeremiah calls Him God, with whom no other will be reckoned; and Isaiah, God, mighty, ruler; how is He inferior according to the heretics, and not equal in all things to the Father? XIII. If Paul considers the saving proclamation of Christ and the Holy Spirit superior to the older law, because it possesses perfection, as was shown in the 30th discourse; it is fitting in every way and by all means that the Son and the Spirit are in no way inferior to God the Father. XIV. If Paul warns those who believe in the Son to escape the charge of creature-worship, and moreover also calls 'atheists' those who before this, apart from 39.793 the Son, had known only God the Father; God the Word is not a creature. XV. If the Jews, disbelieving in Christ who made Himself equal to God, and for this reason crucifying Him, were condemned, but Christians, having believed, have become superior to them; the Son is not in any way less than His own Father. XVI. If it is the exclusive right of God alone to be praised as “great God,” but Paul exclaims, “Of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” and David, “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?” He is not more excellent than the Son, nor incomparable to Him. XVII. If the same Paul does not number Him among the created gods, but ranks Him with the Father, writing to the Corinthians, “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'—yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came;” He will not be ranked among created things, but will be glorified with the Father. XVIII. If the Son is the creator of all things, and of the ages themselves, as it is written, He is before all activity; and He who is before all activity was not created. For nothing pre-eternal or before activity is conceived of as created, but only the unbegotten Trinity in unity. And otherwise: If He is the originator of all existing things, He is not created like them. For in no way can or should the creator be similar to created things. But neither does a creating creature give substance, nor make rational beings. XIX. If He was in the beginning God with God, He Himself has no other beginning, being more ancient than any beginning. Since it would be entirely necessary to give a beginning also to the Father. For, it says, “He was in the beginning God with God.” But there is no beginning of the one Godhead which was in the beginning. XX. If it is removed from all understanding how a Virgin, without flux, gave birth, remaining again a virgin; much more unattainable is it, how the self-begotten God and Father, without beginning, and without passion, begot from His whole self the whole Son in equal measure. XXI. If, having formed us, He made us with free will, decreeing judgment for good and evil action; how does He Himself not have this, which He gave to us, who is, according to the prophecy, God, mighty, ruler; XXII. If Peter is to be believed in the Acts 39.796 crying out: “To Him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name;” He has a true name, that is, “God,” and, “Only-begotten Son of God;” for a false name benefits nothing. XXIII. If the God who does not lie speaks truth, He who also destroys those who lie, as the sacred psalmist says, having said through the Theologian: “All things that the Father has are mine;” and, “Mine are yours, and yours are mine;” He is God, the Lord without beginning, whose kingdom is without end, and all things that the Father is, having received nothing from Him according to the divine nature, but according to the later form of a servant. But let us also hear what the Greeks have declared both concerning the truth that ever prevails above, and concerning the untruth below: The mind of the great God is without falsehood; but among mortals He has given harsh woes to liars. XXIV. If He has been appointed heir of all things, He is not a servant, but a genuine Son. And if not a servant, but a Son, He is God

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οὐδενὸς ἀποκαλύπτοντος αὐτῷ· οὐκ ἔστιν κτιστὸς, ἀλλὰ γεννητός. ΙΒʹ. Εἰ τῷ Πατρὶ ἴσον αὐτὸν ἴσασιν αἱ Γραφαί· Παῦλος γὰρ γράφει· «Οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ·» καὶ· «Ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος·» καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγει, ὅτι «Ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ὁ Υἱὸς ἐποίει τῷ Θεῷ·» καὶ εἰ Θεὸν, πρὸς ὃν οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος, λέγει αὐτὸν Ἱερεμίας· καὶ Ἡσαΐας Θεὸν, ἰσχυρὸν, ἐξουσιαστήν· πῶς ὑστερεῖ κατὰ αἱρετικοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσος κατὰ πάντα τῷ Πατρί; ΙΓʹ. Εἰ Παῦλος τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου νόμου τὸ σωτήριον κήρυγμα, τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, προφερέστερον ἡγεῖται, διὰ τὸ ἔχειν τὸ τέλειον, ὡς ἐν τῷ λʹ ἐδείχθη λόγῳ· πρέπει πάντη τε καὶ πάντως τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς κατὰ μηδὲν τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα μειονεκτεῖν. Ι∆ʹ. Εἰ ἐκφεύγειν τὸ ἔγκλημα τῆς κτισματολατρείας τοὺς πιστεύοντας τῷ Υἱῷ παρεγγυᾷ Παῦλος, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀθέους ἀποκαλεῖ τοὺς πρὸ τούτου ἐκτὸς 39.793 τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα μόνον ἐγνωκότας· οὐ κτίσμα ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος. ΙΕʹ. Εἰ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἀπιστήσαντες τῷ Χριστῷ, ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιοῦντι τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σταυρώσαντες αὐτὸν κατεκρίθησαν, Χριστιανοὶ δὲ πιστεύσαντες ἀνωτέρω ἐκείνων γεγόνασιν· οὐ μικρότερος ἔν τινι τοῦ ἰδίου Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱός. Ιςʹ. Εἰ τοῦ μόνου Θεοῦ ἐξαίρετον τὸ ὑμνεῖσθαι «μέγας Θεὸς,» ἀναφθέγγεται δ' ὁ Παῦλος, «Τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,» καὶ ὁ ∆αυΐδ, «Τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς, Κύριε;» οὐκ ἐξοχώτερος τοῦ Υἱοῦ, οὐδὲ ἀπαράβλητος πρὸς αὐτόν. ΙΖʹ. Εἰ ὁ αὐτὸς Παῦλος οὐ συναριθμεῖ αὐτὸν τοῖς κτιστοῖς θεοῖς, συντάττει δὲ μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, Κορινθίοις γράφων, «Καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ εἰσὶ λεγόμενοι θεοὶ πολλοὶ, καὶ κύριοι πολλοὶ ἔν τε οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν εἷς Θεὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα· καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα·» οὐκ ἐν ποιήμασι συντετάξεται, μετὰ δὲ Πατρὸς συνδοξασθήσεται. ΙΗʹ. Εἰ δημιουργὸς πάντων, καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν αἰώνων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, ὡς ἐγράφη, πρὸ πάσης ἐνεργείας ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ πρὸ πάσης ἐνεργείας οὐκ ἐδημιουργήθη. Οὐδὲν γὰρ προαιώνιον, ἢ πρὸ ἐνεργείας νοεῖται κτιστὸν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐν ἑνάδι ἀγένητος Τριὰς μόνη. Καὶ ἄλλως· Εἰ πάντων γενεσιουργός ἐστι τῶν ὄντων, οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ταῦτα κτιστός. Κατ' οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῖς κτίσμασιν ὁ κτίστης παραπλήσιος εἶναι δύναται, ἢ ὀφείλει. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κτίσμα δημιουργοῦν οὐσιοῖ, ἢ λογικὸν ἀποτελεῖ. ΙΘʹ. Εἰ ἦν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἀρχὴν ἄλλην αὐτὸς οὐκ ἔχει, ἀρχαιότερος ὢν πάσης ἀρχῆς. Ἐπεὶ ἀνάγκη πᾶσα δοῦναι ἀρχὴν καὶ τῷ Πατρί. «Ἦν» γὰρ, φησὶν, «ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.» Οὐκ ἔστιν δὲ ἀρχὴ τῆς μιᾶς θεότητος τῆς οὔσης ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ. Κʹ. Εἰ νοῦ παντὸς ἀνῴκισται, πῶς Παρθένος ῥεύσεως ἐκτὸς ἔτεκεν, μείνασα πάλιν παρθένος· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀνεφικτότερον, πῶς αὐτογενὴς Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, ἀνάρχως, καὶ δίχα πάθους ἐξ ὅλου ἑαυτοῦ ὅλον ἰσομέτρως τέτοκε τὸν Υἱόν. ΚΑʹ. Εἰ ἡμᾶς πλάσας, αὐτεξουσίους ἐποίησεν, κρίσιν ὁρίσας ἐπὶ καλῇ καὶ κακῇ πράξει· πῶς αὐτὸς οὐκ ἔχει τοῦτο, ὃ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν ὢν Θεὸς, ἰσχυρὸς, ἐξουσιαστής· ΚΒʹ. Εἰ πιστός ἐστι Πέτρος ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι 39.796 βοῶν· «Τούτῳ πάντες οἱ προφῆται μαρτυροῦσιν, ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν λαβεῖν διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ πάντα τὸν πιστεύοντα εἰς αὐτόν·» ἀληθινὸν ὄνομα ἔχει τὸ, «ὁ Θεὸς,» καὶ, «Υἱὸς μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ·» ψευδώνυμον γὰρ οὐδὲν ὀνίνησιν. ΚΓʹ. Εἰ ἀληθεύει ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεὸς, ὁ καὶ τοὺς ψευδομένους ἀπολλύων, ὡς ὁ Ἱεροψάλτης λέγει, παρὰ τῷ Θεολόγῳ εἰπών· «Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστιν·» καὶ, «Τὰ ἐμὰ σά ἐστιν, καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά·» Θεός ἐστιν ἄναρχος Κύριος, οὗ ἡ βασιλεία ἀτελεύτητος, καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἐστὶν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὐδὲν λαβὼν παρ' αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν θείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὕστερον τοῦ δούλου μορφήν. Οἷα δὲ περί τε τῆς ἄνω ἀεὶ κρατούσης ἀληθείας, περί τε τῆς κάτω οὐκ ἀληθείας ἐφθέγξαντο καὶ Ἕλληνες, ἐπαΐωμεν· Ἀψευδὴς μεγάλοιο Θεοῦ νόος· ἐν δὲ βροτοῖσι Ψευδομένοις χαλεπὰ ὤπασε δυσμοραπαθ. Κ∆ʹ. Εἰ κληρονόμος πάντων καθέστηκεν, οὐ δοῦλος, ἀλλὰ γνήσιος Υἱός. Εἰ δὲ μὴ δοῦλος, ἀλλ' Υἱὸς, Θεός ἐστιν