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Again, we do not doubt that the true light, which is inaccessible to falsehood, is to be understood as the Only-begotten, in whom we learned from the Truth itself that the Father is. From these things, let the hearer choose what is more pious, whether one ought to think thus in a manner worthy of God concerning the Only-begotten or to say he is perishable and temporary, as the heresy suggests.

33 Not the essence, he says, in virtue of which he is one, being separated or divided into many, or at another time becoming another, or changing from being what he is, nor being split from one essence into a threefold hypostasis; for he is in every way and altogether one, alone remaining in the same state and in the same way. From these things which have been set forth, it is fitting for the intelligent hearer to distinguish first the empty words thrown into the argument without thought from those that seem to have meaning, and after this to examine the meaning found in the remainder of what was said, 34 if it accords with piety concerning Christ. Now, the first of the things set forth are entirely separated from all meaning, both good and bad. For what meaning does it have: "not the essence, in virtue of which he is one, being separated into many, or at another time becoming another, or changing from being what he is," — neither could he himself say nor do I think any of his allies could find any shadow of meaning in the things said. "not the essence, in virtue of which he is one, being separated." Does he mean that he is not separated from his own essence, or does he mean the essence is not divided in his case? It is some noise and an empty sound put together at random, this meaningless statement. And why should we persist in the examination of these unintelligible words?

35 For how does someone, having been separated from his own essence, remain in being? Or how is someone's essence, having been divided, shown by itself? Or how is it possible for one who has departed from that in which he is to become another, having become outside of himself? But not even, he says, being split from one essence into three hypostases; for he is in every way and altogether one, alone remaining in the same state and in the same way. Now, the unintelligibility in what has been said is, I think, clear to everyone even before our arguments; but let him contradict these things who thinks there is any sense or meaning in what is said; for one who has considered how to judge the force of an argument will deem 36 it unworthy to grapple with what is unsubstantial. For what force does it have against our doctrine to say "not the essence, in virtue of which he is one, being separated or divided into many, or at another time becoming another, or changing from being what he is, nor being split from one essence into three hypostases," things which are neither said by Christians nor believed nor understood as a consequence through the things confessed by us? For who ever said this or heard someone say it in the church of God, that the Father in his essence is either separated or divided or at another time becomes another, by becoming outside of himself, or 37 is split into three hypostases? Eunomius speaks these things to himself, not fighting against us, but stringing together his own nonsensical talk, having mixed much folly with the impiety of his words. For we say it is equally impious and godless both to call the Lord of creation created and to suppose that the Father, in that he is, is separated or cut or departs from himself or is split into three hypostases, like some clay or wax being molded into different forms.

38 But let us examine the subsequent arguments; for he is in every way and altogether one, alone remaining in the same state and in the same way. If he is speaking about the Father, we also agree with this; for the Father is truly one and alone and in every way altogether in the same state and in the same way, and never not being what he is, nor not going to be. If, therefore, such a statement refers to the Father, let it not fight with the doctrine of piety, being in agreement with the church in this respect. For he who confesses that the Father, being one and alone, is always in the same state and in the same way, strengthens the argument of piety, seeing in the Father the Son, without whom the Father neither is nor is so called. But if he fashions some other god besides the Father,

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πάλιν τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τῷ ψεύδει ἀπρόσιτον, τὸν μονογενῆ νοεῖσθαι οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλομεν, ἐν ᾧ τὸν πατέρα εἶναι παρ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐμάθομεν. ἐκ τούτων δὲ ὁ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλεξάσθω τὸ εὐσεβέστερον, εἴτε οὕτω χρὴ περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεο πρεπῶς δοξάζειν εἴτε φθαρτόν τε καὶ πρόσκαιρον εἶναι λέγειν, ὡς ὑφηγεῖται ἡ αἵρεσις.

33 Οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν, φησί, καθ' ἥν ἐστιν εἷς, χωριζόμενον ἢ μεριζόμενον εἰς πλείους, ἢ ἄλ λοτε ἄλλον γινόμενον, ἢ τοῦ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι μεθ ιστάμενον, οὐδὲ ἐκ μιᾶς οὐσίας εἰς ὑπό στασιν τρισσὴν σχιζόμενον· πάντῃ γὰρ καὶ καθάπαξ ἐστὶν εἷς, κατὰ τὰ αὐτά τε καὶ ὡσαύτως διαμένων μόνος. ἐκ τούτων δὲ τῶν παρα τεθέντων προσήκει τὸν συνετὸν ἀκροατὴν διακρῖναι πρῶτον μὲν τὰ χωρὶς διανοίας ἐνριφέντα τῷ λόγῳ διάκενα ῥήματα ἀπὸ τῶν δοκούντων νοῦν ἔχειν, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ τὴν εὑρισκο μένην ἐν τοῖς ὑπολοίποις διάνοιαν τῶν εἰρημένων ἐπισκο 34 πεῖν, εἰ συμβαίνει τῇ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν εὐσεβείᾳ. τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα τῶν παρατεθέντων καθόλου πάσης καὶ καλῆς καὶ κακῆς διανοίας κεχώρισται. τίνα γὰρ διάνοιαν ἔχει τὸ οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν, καθ' ἥν ἐστιν εἷς, χωριζόμενον εἰς πλείους, ἢ ἄλλοτε ἄλλον γινόμενον, ἢ τοῦ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι μεθιστάμενον, οὔτ' ἂν αὐτὸς εἴποι οὔτε τινὰ τῶν συμμαχούντων αὐτῷ νομίζω δύνασθαι ἂν ἐξευρεῖν σκιάν τινα διανοίας ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις. οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν, καθ' ἥν ἐστιν εἷς, χωριζόμενον. αὐτὸν λέγει τῆς οὐσίας ἑαυτοῦ μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, ἢ τὴν οὐσίαν λέγει ἐπ' αὐτοῦ μὴ μερίζεσθαι; ψόφος τίς ἐστι καὶ ἦχος μάταιος εἰκῇ συγκείμενος ὁ ἀσήμαντος οὗτος λόγος. καὶ τί χρὴ παραμένειν τῇ ἐξετάσει τῶν ἀδιανοήτων τούτων ῥημάτων; 35 πῶς γάρ τις τῆς ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίας χωρισθεὶς ἐν τῷ εἶναι μένει; ἢ πῶς ἡ οὐσία τινὸς μερισθεῖσα ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς δεί κνυται; ἢ πῶς ἐστι δυνατὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἐκβάντα ἄλλον γενέσθαι ἔξω ἑαυτοῦ γενόμενον; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκ μιᾶς, φησίν, οὐσίας εἰς ὑποστάσεις τρεῖς σχι ζόμενον· πάντῃ γὰρ καὶ καθάπαξ ἐστὶν εἷς, κατὰ τὰ αὐτά τε καὶ ὡσαύτως διαμένων μό νος. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀδιανόητον ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις παντὶ δῆλον οἶμαι καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων εἶναι λόγων· τούτοις δὲ ἀντιλεγέτω ὁ νομίζων εἶναί τινα ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις νοῦν ἢ διάνοιαν· ὁ γὰρ κρίνειν ἐπεσκεμμένος λόγου δύναμιν ἀπα 36 ξιώσει τοῖς ἀνυποστάτοις συμπλέκεσθαι. τίνα γὰρ ἰσχὺν ἔχει κατὰ τοῦ ἡμετέρου δόγματος τὸ λέγειν οὐ τὴν οὐ σίαν, καθ' ἥν ἐστιν εἷς, χωριζόμενον ἢ μερι ζόμενον εἰς πλείους, ἢ ἄλλοτε ἄλλον γινόμενον, ἢ τοῦ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι μεθιστάμενον, οὐδὲ ἐκ μιᾶς οὐσίας εἰς ὑποστάσεις τρεῖς σχιζόμενον, ἃ μήτε λέγεται παρὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν μήτε πιστεύεται μήτε ἐκ τοῦ ἀκολούθου διὰ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ὁμολογουμένων νοεῖται; τίς γὰρ εἶπε τοῦτό ποτε ἢ λέγοντος ἤκουσεν ἐν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ τὴν οὐσίαν ἢ χωρίζεται ἢ μερίζεται ἢ ἄλλοτε ἄλλος γίνεται ἔξω ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενος ἢ 37 εἰς ὑποστάσεις τρεῖς σχίζεται; ἑαυτῷ ταῦτα λαλεῖ ὁ Εὐνόμιος, οὐ πρὸς ἡμᾶς μαχόμενος, ἀλλ' ἰδίους φληνά φους εἴρων, πολλὴν καταμίξας τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ τῶν λεγομένων τὴν ἄνοιαν. ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἐπίσης ἀσεβές τε καὶ ἄθεον λέ γομεν καὶ τὸ κτιστὸν λέγειν τὸν δεσπότην τῆς κτίσεως καὶ τὸ οἴεσθαι τὸν πατέρα, καθὸ ἔστι, χωρίζεσθαι ἢ τέμνε σθαι ἢ ἑαυτοῦ ἐξίστασθαι ἢ εἰς ὑποστάσεις τρεῖς σχί ζεσθαι, ὥσπερ τινὰ πηλὸν ἢ κηρὸν ἐν μορφαῖς διαφόροις διαπλασσόμενον.

38 Ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐφεξῆς λόγους σκεψώμεθα· πάντῃ γὰρ καὶ καθάπαξ ἐστὶν εἷς, κατὰ τὰ αὐτά τε καὶ ὡσαύτως διαμένων μόνος. εἰ περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς λέγει, τούτῳ καὶ ἡμεῖς συντιθέμεθα· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁ πατὴρ μόνος καὶ πάντῃ καθάπαξ κατὰ τὰ αὐτά τε καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων, καὶ οὐδέποτε, ὅπερ ἐστίν, οὔτε μὴ ὢν οὔτε μὴ ἐσόμενος. εἰ τοίνυν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα βλέπει ἡ τοιαύτη φωνή, μὴ μαχέσθω τῷ δόγματι τῆς εὐσεβείας, συμφωνῶν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος. ὁ γὰρ ὁμολογῶν τὸν πατέρα πάντοτε κατὰ τὰ αὐτά τε καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχειν ἕνα καὶ μόνον ὄντα, τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας κρατύνει λόγον, βλέπων ἐν τῷ πατρὶ τὸν υἱόν, οὗ χωρὶς πατὴρ οὔτε ἔστιν οὔτε λέγεται. εἰ δὲ ἄλλον τινὰ παρὰ τὸν πατέρα θεὸν ἀναπλάσσει,