B. And indeed they do say that both Very God and Son is the One Christ, i. e., the Word out of God taking by connection him who is of David's seed.

A.  But if the Word out of God the Father is not He Who is also according to the flesh from a woman, but is Other with other , how will ho be called Christ who has not been anointed as we already said?

B.  Therefore if he who is of the seed of David is none other than the Word from forth God the Father, let him be called also before time: then how does the all-wise Paul, repelling the opinion, demand as it were with a question, and say, Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day, is he the same for ever too? Or in another way too: for Jesus, he says, who is yesterday and to-day, will be the same for ever too, i. e., recent and yesterday and to-day, albeit God the Word co-existeth with His own Father.

A. They do wrong exceedingly, turning aside the truth unto that which in their unwisdom seems good to them and corrupting the accuracy of the sacred Scriptures. If now one say that Christ Jesus is also before time, he will not miss of the truth, if the Word which is before time is One Son and Lord, Who in the last times underwent birth after the flesh of a woman. And that the Word made man as we has not been changed, the Spirit-clad has shewn saying, Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day, the Same too for ever. And yesterday indicates past time, to-day present time, for ever that which is future and to come.

But if they think that they have thought out something clever, in taking yesterday and to-day to mean recent, asserting and saying, He that is yesterday and to-day how will he be also for ever, WE too will transfer the force of the question unto the direct opposite: The Word which is for ever how will He take to Himself Yesterday and to-day, if Christ is One and has not been divided, as says the Divine Paul? For that thus He would be known by us, you will know hence also. For although seen in the flesh and having entered on the measures of the human nature, He has testified to Himself His Eternal Being saying, Verily I say to you, Before Abraham was I am, and again, If I told you the things of earth and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I tell you those of Heaven? and no one hath gone up into Heaven except He which descended from heaven, the Son of man. For as Word Which ever is and before the ages, come down from heaven, and then the Same appearing man as we; as One Christ and Lord even when He was made flesh, does He say these things.

B. Another argument too has been discovered by them, it is this: they say that he which is of the seed, of David, ought so to be called son of God as the Word Which is forth of God the Father is said to be son of David: for neither is so by nature .

A. Now let the mode of the true Union come in, that so the Word be believed to have been made flesh, i. e. man, and therefore son of David not falsely but as from forth him according to the flesh, having remained too what He was, i. e. God out of God. And verily the priests of the gospel preachings, knowing that the Same is God alike and man, have told us of Him. It is written of the blessed Baptist that, On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming to him andsaith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world: this it is of whom I said, After me cometh a Man which has been made before me because He is prior to me, and I knew Him not, but in order that He should be manifested to Israel, therefore came I baptizing in water. Understand therefore how he saying, a Man, and calling Him a Lamb, says that none other is He who taketh away the sin of the world, and hath allotted to Him this great and truly vast and God-befitting Dignity. And he says that He is before and prior to him, albeit made after him, I mean according to the time of the generation after the flesh. For if Emmanuel is late-born as man, yet was He before every time as God. His therefore is both the recent humanly and the Eternal Divinely: hence the all-excellent Peter too, looking on the Word not bare nor without flesh, but appearing in flesh and blood, clearly and unerringly made his tribute of faith in Him, saying, THOU art the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and heard in reply, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood revealed it not to thee, but My Father which is in Heaven. But were not the Mystery deep, and God in the flesh, but [only] a man having according to them the sonship by grace, how should he have needed an Initiator so great, that no one of them on the earth revealed it to the disciple, but that he had the Father Himself as his Instructor in this?

And the Divine Disciples too, seeing Him once traversing the expanse of the sea, were astonished at the miracle and confessed the Faith, saying, Truly Thou art the Son of God. Yet if he is bastard and falsely-called and has from adoption that he is son, let them accuse the disciples of falsehood, and that when they sware it. For they have added Truly, affirming that He is the Son of God the Father.

B. You speak most excellently.  

A. How too has the Son of man His own angels , and shines forth in the glory of His Father? for He says, The Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Fatherwith His angels, and again. And the Son of Man will send His Angels. And if they disbelieve yet, even seeing Him crowned in God-befitting glory and dignities so splendid and supreme, they shall hear Him say, If ye believe Me not believe My works, and again, If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not ^. For the beholding in a man the excellency of the unspeakable glory, supplied not as Another's nor in the light of a favour, but His very own: how will it not persuade us that He was God in likeness as we and truly Son of God Who is over all?

B. He affirmed (he says) that His were the angels, and He was made the worker of these signs, the Word indwelling Him and having imparted to Him His own glory and operation: for it is written, Jesus of Nazareth how God anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and power, Who went about doing good and healing all that are oppressed by the devil. Anointed therefore both with power and with the Spirit, was He a wonder-worker .

A.  Then, since the Word being God, both Holy and having Essentially and by Nature All-Might, will never need either power from another or an imparted holiness: who now is He Who has been anointed with power and the Holy Ghost?

B.  They will perhaps say, The man who is assumed by connection.

A. He therefore is Jesus Christ by himself and separately, of Whom too the all-wise Paul says, Yet to us One Godthe Father from Whom all things and we from Him and One Lord Jesus Christ through Whom all things and we through Him. How then (tell me) are all things through a man? why is he ranked as Son with the Father and that immediately, no one intervening? and wherever shall we put the Only-Begotten when we have brought into His place the man; and that (as he says) inwrought by Him and honoured because of Him?

Has not their argument outstepped what is reasonable, is it not borne beyond bound, and as having utterly missed of the truth, will it not reasonably incur laughter?

B. The Word of God (he says) has been called man in some such way as this: as the man who was assumed by Him was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, but is called a Nazarene because he dwelt at Nazareth , so too God the Word is called man because He dwelt in man.

A. O understanding senile and mind unstrung and knowing how to stutter and nought else! Rouse ye, ye drunkards, from their wine, let one say to the opponents: why do ye violence to the truth and, turning aside the force of the Divine doctrines, are borne forth of the King's way? The Word (as it seems) has no longer been made flesh, according to the Scriptures, but rather a dweller in man, and it were meet that He should be called, of-man, not man, just as he who dwelt at Nazareth was called, of-Nazareth, not Nazareth. And I think that there is nothing at all to hinder, if they think that their foolish invention is right, that together with the Son, the Father and also the Holy Ghost should be called man: for the fulness of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity dwelleth in us through the Spirit. And verily Paul saith, Do ye not know that ye are God's Temple and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you, yea, and Christ Himself, If a man love Me he will keep My word, and My Father will love him and we w ill come to him and make Our Abode with him. Yet the Father has never been called man, nor yet has the Holy Ghost, by reason of indwelling in us: but those men laugh at the Mystery of the Incarnation and twist round unto what is discordant, the doctrines of the Church which are so right and worthy of being heard.

But let our argument proceed again on its course, bidding farewell to their vomit. For if, because of the Word being in him, he have been made a worker of signs, they perchance say that he is one of the holy Prophets, for [the Word] has wrought Divine signs through the hands of the saints too: but if they say that the Son is in these, they lower Him into the measure of Prophets or Apostles.

B. Yea, they say, for has He not been called Prophet and Apostle?

A.  You are not wrong; for Moses said to them of the race of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you out of your brethren, as me: the Divine Paul too has written, Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High priest of our confession Jesus.

Let them tell then, for I will ask: Would the grace of Prophecy or the being vouchsafed apostolic prerogative, and being called High Priest too, be an honour to a man?

B.  Yes.

A. Yet they would say that to Christ in that He is conceived of as God these things are petty and not worthy of receiving, even though through these very things He is seen emptied and receiving them with the manhood. But as being God by Nature and Lord in truth, He took bondman's form, made therein and assuming our estate, so, both giving the Spirit of Prophecy and ordaining Apostles and establishing Priests, He was made like in all things to His brethren: for thus was He named, Prophet, Apostle, High Priest.  

B. But even though they grant that He was a Prophet, they say that He was not so as one of the Prophets, but that He was placed far above their measure . For they had the grace meted to them and accruing to them in time, He was full of the Godhead even straightway from His very Birth, for the Word being God was with Him.

A. It was then in the amount of grace and in length of time that Christ has surpassed the holy Prophets which were before Him, and it is this which is His special privilege. The point for investigation is whether He was a Prophet at all, and not His having more or less or even excelling, seeing that in His being a Prophet and in His not passing beyond our measure does His low estate consist, even though He be conceived of as this from the beginning, just as was the holy Baptist too, of whom the blessed angel says, And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. How then was the one a servant, the Other All-glorious in the dignity of Lord? And of himself blessed John says, He that is of the earth of the earth he speaketh, but of Emmanuel, He that cometh from above is superior to all.

Β: Καὶ μὴν καὶ Θεὸν καὶ Υἱὸν ἀληθινὸν εἶναί φασι τὸν ἕνα Χριστόν, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγον, λαβόντα κατὰ συνάφειαν τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ ∆αυείδ.

Α: Ἀλλ' εἰ μή ἐστιν αὐτὸς ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος ὁ καὶ κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γυναικός, ἀλλ' ἕτερος μεθ' ἑτέρου, πῶς ἂν λέγοιτο Χριστὸς ὁ μὴ κεχρισμένος, καθὰ καὶ φθάσαντες εἴπομεν;

Β: Οὐκοῦν, εἰ μή ἐστιν ἕτερος παρὰ τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον ὁ ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ ∆αυείδ, λεγέσθω καὶ προαιώνιος. Εἶτα πῶς ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος, ἐκβάλλων τὴν δόξαν, ὡς ἐν ἐρωτήσεσίν ἐστιν ἀπαιτῶν καὶ λέγων· Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτός, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἢ γοῦν καὶ ἑτέρως ὁ γὰρ χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, φησίν, Ἰησοῦς ὁ αὐτὸς ἔσται καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, πρόσφατος δηλονότι καὶ χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, καίτοι τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τῷ ἰδίῳ Πατρὶ συνυφεστηκότος.

Α: Μάλιστα μὲν ἀδικοῦσι, παροχετεύοντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπὶ τό γε σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀσυνέτως δοκοῦν, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων τὸ ἀκριβὲς παραφθείροντες. Εἰ δὲ δή τις λέγοι καὶ προαιώνιον Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι τἀληθοῦς, εἴπερ ἐστὶν εἷς Υἱὸς καὶ Κύριος, ὁ προαιώνιος Λόγος, τὴν ἐν ἐσχάτοις τοῦ αἰῶνος καιροῖς κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γυναικὸς ὑπομείνας γέννησιν. Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἠλλοίωται γεγονὼς ἄνθρωπος καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Λόγος, διαμεμήνυκε λέγων ὁ Πνευματοφόρος· Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτός, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Καὶ σημαντικὸν μὲν τοῦ παρῳχηκότος χρόνου ποιεῖται τὸ χθές, τοῦ γε μὴν ἐνεστῶτος τὸ σήμερον, τοῦ δὲ ἐσομένου καὶ μέλλοντος τὸ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Εἰ δὲ οἴονταί τι σοφὸν ἐννενοηκέναι, τὸ χθές καὶ σήμερον ἀντὶ τοῦ προσφάτου δεχόμενοι, διατεινόμενοί τε καὶ λέγοντες· Ὁ χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, πῶς ἂν εἴη καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας; μεταστήσομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν τῆς ἐρωτήσεως δύναμιν εἰς τὸ ἔχον ἐναντίως. Ὁ γὰρ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ὢν Λόγος, πῶς ἂν λάβοι τὸ χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, εἴπερ ἐστὶν εἷς ὁ Χριστός, καὶ οὐ μεμέρισται κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλου φωνήν; Ὅτι γὰρ οὕτω πρὸς ἡμῶν ἐθέλει γνωρίζεσθαι, κἀντεῦθεν εἴσῃ τοι. Καίτοι γὰρ ὁρώμενος ἐν σαρκί, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις ἐμβεβηκώς, τὴν προαιώνιον ὕπαρξιν ἑαυτῷ προσμεμαρτύρηκε λέγων· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ἐγὼ εἰμί. Καὶ πάλιν· Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε; Καὶ Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ὡς γὰρ ὑπάρχων ἀεὶ καὶ προαιώνιος Λόγος καθιγμένος ἐξ οὐρανῶν, εἶτα πεφηνὼς ὁ αὐτὸς ἄνθρωπος καθ' ἡμᾶς, ὡς εἷς Χριστὸς καὶ Κύριος καὶ ὅτε γέγονε σάρξ, τὰ τοιάδε φησίν.

Β: Ἐξεύρηταί τις αὐτοῖς καὶ ἕτερος λόγος. Ἔστι δὲ οὗτος· οὕτω γὰρ χρῆναί φασιν Υἱὸν νοεῖσθαι Θεοῦ τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ ∆αυεὶδ ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος Υἱὸς εἶναι λέγοιτο τοῦ ∆αυείδ. Φύσει γὰρ οὐδ' ἕτερος.

Α: Οὐκοῦν ὁ τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἑνώσεως εἰσίτω τρόπος, ἵν' οὕτω πιστεύηται σὰρξ γεγονὼς ὁ Λόγος, τουτέστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο υἱὸς τοῦ ∆αυεὶδ οὐ κατεψευσμένος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ πεφηνὼς κατὰ σάρκα, καὶ μεμενηκὼς ὅπερ ἦν, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γοῦν οἱ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν κηρυγμάτων ἱερουργοί, τὸν αὐτὸν γινώσκοντες Θεόν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπον, τοὺς περὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς πεποίηνται λόγους. Γέγραπται γοῦν περὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Βαπτιστοῦ ὅτι Τῇ ἐπαύριον βλέπει τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ λέγει· Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Οὗτός ἐστι περὶ οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον· Ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεται ἀνὴρ ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μού ἐστι, κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλ' ἵνα φανερωθῇ τῷ Ἰσραήλ, διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον ἐγὼ ἐν ὕδατι βαπτίζων. Σύνες οὖν ὅπως ἄνδρα λέγων καὶ ἀμνὸν ὀνομάζων αὐτόν, οὐχ ἕτερον εἶναί φησι τὸν αἴροντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τὸ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ ἐξαίσιον ἀληθῶς καὶ θεοπρεπὲς ἀξίωμα προσνενέμηκεν αὐτῷ. Ἔμπροσθεν δὲ καὶ πρῶτον γενέσθαι φησὶν αὐτοῦ, καίτοι κατόπιν γενόμενον, κατά γέ φημι τὸν τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως χρόνον. Εἰ γάρ ἐστιν ὀψιγενὴς καθὸ ἄνθρωπος ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ, ἀλλ' ἦν πρὸ παντὸς αἰῶνος ὡς Θεός. Αὐτοῦ τοιγαροῦν καὶ τὸ πρόσφατον ἀνθρωπίνως καὶ τὸ ἀΐδιον θεϊκῶς. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ὁ πανάριστος Πέτρος, οὐ γυμνὸν οὐδὲ ἄσαρκον καταθεώμενος τὸν Λόγον, ἀλλ' ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι πεφηνότα, σαφῶς τε καὶ ἀπλανῶς τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως τὴν ἀπόδοσιν ἐποιεῖτο λέγων· Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Ἀκήκοε δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο· Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βὰρ Ἰωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέ σοι, ἀλλ' ὁ Πατήρ μου, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ βαθὺ τὸ μυστήριον, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ἐν σαρκί, ἄνθρωπος δὲ κατ' αὐτοὺς χάριτι τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἔχων, πῶς ἂν ἐδεήθη τοσούτου μυσταγωγοῦ, ὡς μηδένα μὲν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀποκαλύψαι τῷ μαθητῇ, παιδευτὴν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο λαχεῖν αὐτὸν τὸν Πατέρα; Καὶ μὴν καὶ οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταί, διαθέοντά ποτε τῆς θαλάττης τὰ νῶτα βλέποντες, κατατεθήπεσαν μὲν τὴν θεοσημίαν, ὡμολόγουν δὲ τὴν πίστιν, λέγοντες· Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εἶ. Ἀλλ' εἰ νόθος ἐστὶ καὶ ψευδώνυμος, καὶ εἰσποιητὸν ἔχει τὸ εἶναι Υἱός, ἐγκαλείτωσαν αὐτοῖς τὴν ψευδηγορίαν, καὶ τοῦτο ὀμωμοκόσι. Προστεθείκασι γὰρ τὸ ἀληθῶς, Υἱὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι διαβεβαιούμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός.

Β: Ἄριστα ἔφης.

Α: Πῶς δὲ καὶ ἰδίους ἔχει τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, διαπρέπει δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ † ....† [Μέλλει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ] μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ; Καὶ πάλιν· Καὶ ἀποστελεῖ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπιστοῦσιν ἔτι καὶ δόξῃ θεοπρεπεῖ καὶ τοῖς οὕτω λαμπροῖς καὶ ὑπερτάτοις ἀξιώμασιν ὁρῶντες κατεστεμμένον, ἀκούσονται λέγοντος αὐτοῦ· Εἰ ἐμοὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, τοῖς ἔργοις μου πιστεύετε. Καὶ πάλιν· Εἰ οὐ ποιῶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Πατρός μου, μὴ πιστεύετέ μοι. Εἰ δὲ ποιῶ, κἂν ἐμοὶ μὴ πιστεύητε, τοῖς ἔργοις μου πιστεύετε. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ βλέπειν τῆς ἀφράστου δόξης τὴν ὑπεροχήν, οὐχ ὡς ἀλλοτρίαν μᾶλλον, ἢ γοῦν ἐν χάριτος μέρει προσπεπορισμένην, ἀλλ' ἰδίαν αὐτοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἀναπείσει ὅτι Θεὸς ἦν ἐν εἴδει τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ Υἱὸς ἀληθῶς τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ;

Β: Ἑαυτοῦ, φησί, τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἶναι διϊσχυρίσατο, καὶ τῶνδε τῶν σημείων γέγονεν ἀποτελεστής, ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Λόγου, δόξαν δὲ τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἐνεργὲς ἐκνενεμηκότος. Γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάμει, ὃς διῆλθεν εὐεργετῶν καὶ ἰώμενος πάντας τοὺς καταδυναστευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου. Κεχρισμένος οὖν καὶ δυνάμει καὶ Πνεύματι, τερατουργὸς ἦν.

Α: Οὐκοῦν, ἐπειδήπερ Θεὸς ὢν ὁ Λόγος, ἅγιός τε καὶ κατὰ φύσιν καὶ οὐσιῶδες ἔχων τὸ παναλκές, δέοιτ' ἂν οὐδαμῶς ἢ τῆς παρ' ἑτέρου δυνάμεως ἢ γοῦν ὡς εἰσκεκριμένου τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ, τίς δὴ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ κεχρισμένος δυνάμει καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι;

Β: Φαῖεν ἂν ἴσως τὸν ληφθέντα κατὰ συνάφειαν ἄνθρωπον.

Α: Αὐτὸς οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἰδικῶς τε καὶ καταμόνας, καὶ περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος· Ἀλλ' ἡμῖν εἷς Θεὸς ὁ Πατὴρ ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτοῦ. Πῶς οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, δι' ἀνθρώπου τὰ πάντα; Ἀνθότου δὲ καὶ ἀμέσως ὡς Υἱὸς τῷ Πατρὶ συντάττεται, μεσολαβοῦντος οὐδενός; Εἶτα ὅποι ποτὲ τὸν Μονογενῆ θήσομεν, εἰς τὸν αὐτοῦ τόπον ἀναβιβάζοντες τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τοῦτο, καθά φησιν, ἐνεργούμενον παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν τιμώμενον; Ἆρ' οὐκ ἐκβέβηκε τὸ εἰκὸς ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἔξω φέρεται σκοποῦ, καὶ ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας ὁλοτρόπως ἡμαρτηκώς, γελῷτο ἂν ἐνδίκως;

Β: Ἄνθρωπος, φησίν, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Λόγος ὠνόμασται κατὰ τοιόνδε τινὰ τρόπον· ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ παρ' αὐτοῦ ληφθεῖς ἄνθρωπος ἐγεννήθη μὲν ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, εἴρηται δὲ Ναζωραῖος διὰ τὸ οἰκῆσαι τὴν Ναζαρέτ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος ἄνθρωπος ὀνομάζεται διὰ τὸ κατοικῆσαι ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ.

Α: Ὢ φρενὸς γραοπρεποῦς καὶ νοῦ παρειμένου καὶ βατταρίζειν εἰδότος, καὶ ἕτερον οὐδέν. Ἐκνήψατε, οἱ μεθύοντες, ἐξ οἴνου αὐτῶν, ἐπιφωνείτω τις τοῖς διεναντίας, τί παραβιάζεσθε τἀληθές, καὶ τῶν θείων δογμάτων τὴν δύναμιν παρευθύνοντες, ἔξω φέρεσθε τρίβου τῆς βασιλικῆς; Γέγονε γάρ, ὡς ἔοικεν, οὐκ ἔτι μὲν σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς, ἀνθρωποπολίτης δὲ μᾶλλον, καὶ ἦν ἀκόλουθον αὐτὸν ἀνθρωπαῖον μᾶλλον, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ὀνομάζεσθαι, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ κατοικήσας τὴν Ναζαρέτ, Ναζωραῖος ὠνόμασται, καὶ οὐ Ναζαρέτ. Εἴργει δέ, οἶμαι, παντελῶς οὐδέν, εἴπερ εὖ ἔχειν οἴονται τὸ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀσυνέτως ἐξευρημένον, ἄνθρωπον ὀνομάζεσθαι σὺν Υἱῷ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ προσέτι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Κατοικεῖ γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τῆς ἁγίας τε καὶ ὁμοουσίου Τριάδος τὸ πλήρωμα. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατοικεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; Καὶ μὴν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστός· Ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾶ με, τὸν λόγον μου τηρήσει, καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ἀγαπήσει αὐτόν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα, καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα. Ἀλλ' εἴρηται μὲν οὐδαμῶς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Πατήρ, οὔτε μὴν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἐν ἡμῖν. Γελῶσι δὲ οὗτοι τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τὸ μυστήριον, περιτρέποντες εἰς τὸ ἀπηχὲς τὰ οὕτως ὀρθὰ καὶ ἀξιάκουστα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δόγματα. Πλὴν ἴτω πάλιν ἡμῖν κατὰ ῥοῦν ὁ λόγος, τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐμετοῖς τὸ χαιρεῖν εἰπών. Εἰ γάρ, ἐπείπερ ἦν ὁ Λόγος ἐν αὐτῷ, σημείων γέγονεν ἀποτελεστής, ἕνα που τάχα τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν φασιν αὐτόν· ἐνήργηκε γὰρ καὶ διὰ χειρὸς ἁγίων τὰς θεοσημίας. Εἰ δὲ ἐν τούτοις εἶναί φασι τὸν Υἱόν, ἐν προφητικοῖς αὐτὸν ἢ γοῦν ἀποστολικοῖς κατακομίζουσι μέτροις.

Β: Οὐ γὰρ εἴρηται, φασί, προφήτης καὶ ἀπόστολος;

Α: Οὐκ ἂν διαψεύσαιο. Ὁ Μωϋσῆς μὲν γὰρ ἔφη τοῖς ἐξ αἵματος Ἰσραήλ· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ. Γέγραφε δὲ καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος· Ὥστε, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν. Φραζόντων δὴ οὖν, ἐρήσομαι γάρ, ἆρ' ἂν γένοιτο πρὸς εὐκλείας ἀνθρώπῳ παντὶ τῆς προφητείας ἡ χάρις, ἢ γοῦν ἀποστολικῶν ἀξιωθῆναι γερῶν, χρηματίσαι δὲ καὶ ἱερουργόν;

Β: Φημί.

Α: Ἀλλὰ ταυτὶ δὴ μικρὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόληπτα φαῖεν ἂν εἶναι Χριστῷ καθὸ νοεῖται Θεός, κἂν διὰ τούτων αὐτῶν ὁρᾶται κεκενωμένος, καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος λαβὼν αὐτά. Ὥσπερ δὲ Θεὸς ὢν φύσει καὶ Κύριος ἀληθῶς, ἔλαβε δούλου μορφὴν ὡς ἐν αὐτῇ γεγονὼς καὶ ἐν προσλήψει τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς, οὕτω καὶ τῆς προφητείας τὸ Πνεῦμα διδούς, καὶ ἀποστόλους ἀναδεικνύς, καὶ καθιστὰς ἱερουργούς, ὡμοιώθη κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· ὠνομάσθη γὰρ οὕτω καὶ προφήτης καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ ἀρχιερεύς.

Β: Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ δοῖεν αὐτὸν εἶναι προφήτην, οὐχ ὡς ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν γενέσθαι φασίν, ὑπερκεῖσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον πολὺ τὰ ἐκείνων. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ μεμετρημένην κατὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ἐσχήκασι χάριν, καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ προσγενομένην αὐτοῖς, ὁ δὲ πλήρης ἦν τῆς θεότητος καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς εὐθὺς τῆς γεννήσεως· συνῆν γὰρ αὐτῷ Θεὸς ὢν ὁ Λόγος.

Α: Οὐκοῦν ἐν ποσότητι χάριτος, καὶ ἐν μήκει καιροῦ πεπλεονέκτηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ γεγονότας ἁγίους προφήτας, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ ἐξαίρετον. Πρόκειται δὲ πολυπραγμονεῖν εἰ προφήτης ὅλως, καὶ οὔτι που τὸ μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ μεῖον ἔχων ἢ καὶ ὑπερκείμενος, ὡς ἔν γε τῷ εἶναι προφήτην καὶ τῷ μὴ πέρα μέτρου τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς, τὸ σμικροπρεπές ἐστιν αὐτῷ, κἂν εἰ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς νοοῖτο τοῦτο ὑπάρχων, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Βαπτιστὴς περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ μακάριος ἄγγελος· Καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθήσεται ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα πῶς ὁ μὲν ἦν οἰκέτης, ὁ δὲ τοῖς δεσποτικοῖς ἀξιώμασιν ἐναβρύνεται; Καὶ ἑαυτοῦ μὲν πέρι φησὶν ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης· Ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκ τῆς γῆς λαλεῖ. Περὶ δέ γε τοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ· Ὁ ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστί.