Chapter XIII.—Texts Explained; Thirdly, Hebrews i. 4. Additional texts brought as objections; e.g. Heb. i. 4; vii. 22. Whether the word ‘better’ implies likeness to the Angels; and ‘made’ or ‘become’ implies creation. Necessary to consider the circumstances under which Scripture speaks. Difference between ‘better’ and ‘greater;’ texts in proof. ‘Made’ or ‘become’ a general word. Contrast in Heb. i. 4, between the Son and the Works in point of nature. The difference of the punishments under the two Covenants shews the difference of the natures of the Son and the Angels. ‘Become’ relates not to the nature of the Word, but to His manhood and office and relation towards us. Parallel passages in which the term is applied to the Eternal Father.

53. But it is written, say they, in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord created me the beginning of His ways, for His Works314    Prov. viii. 22. vid. Orat. ii. §§19–72.;’ and in the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle says, ‘Being made so much better than the Angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they315    Heb. i. 4; iii. 1..’ And soon after, ‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him that made Him316    Vid. Orat. ii. §§2–11..’ And in the Acts, ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ317    Acts ii. 36. vid. Orat. ii. §§11–18..’ These passages they brought forward at every turn, mistaking their sense, under the idea that they proved that the Word of God was a creature and work and one of things originate; and thus they deceive the thoughtless, making the language of Scripture their pretence, but instead of the true sense sowing upon it the poison of their own heresy. For had they known, they would not have been irreligious against ‘the Lord of glory318    1 Cor. ii. 8.,’ nor have wrested the good words of Scripture. If then henceforward openly adopting Caiaphas’s way, they have determined on judaizing, and are ignorant of the text, that verily God shall dwell upon the earth319    Zech. ii. 10; vid. 1 Kings viii. 27; Bar. iii. 37, let them not inquire into the Apostolical sayings; for this is not the manner of Jews. But if, mixing themselves up with the godless Manichees320    Vid. the same contrast, de Syn. §33; supr. §8; Orat. iv. §23., they deny that ‘the Word was made flesh,’ and His Incarnate presence, then let them not bring forward the Proverbs, for this is out of place with the Manichees. But if for preferment-sake, and the lucre of avarice which follows321    §8, note 6., and the desire for good repute, they venture not on denying the text, ‘The Word was made flesh,’ since so it is written, either let them rightly interpret the words of Scripture, of the embodied presence of the Saviour, or, if they deny their sense, let them deny that the Lord became man at all. For it is unseemly, while confessing that ‘the Word became flesh,’ yet to be ashamed at what is written of Him, and on that account to corrupt the sense.

54. For it is written, ‘So much better than the Angels;’ let us then first examine this. Now it is right and necessary, as in all divine Scripture, so here, faithfully to expound the time of which the Apostle wrote, and the person322    De Decr. 14, note 2., and the point; lest the reader, from ignorance missing either these or any similar particular, may be wide of the true sense. This understood that inquiring eunuch, when he thus besought Philip, ‘I pray thee, of whom doth the Prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other man323    Acts viii. 34.?’ for he feared lest, expounding the lesson unsuitably to the person, he should wander from the right sense. And the disciples, wishing to learn the time of what was foretold, besought the Lord, ‘Tell us,’ said they, ‘when shall these things be? and what is the sign of Thy coming324    Matt. xxiv. 3.?’ And again, hearing from the Saviour the events of the end, they desired to learn the time of it, that they might be kept from error themselves, and might be able to teach others; as, for instance, when they had learned, they set right the Thessalonians325    Vid. 1 Thess. iv. 13; 2 Thess. ii. 1, &c., who were going wrong. When then one knows properly these points, his understanding of the faith is right and healthy; but if he mistakes any such points, forthwith he falls into heresy. Thus Hymenæus and Alexander and their fellows326    2 Tim. ii. 17, 18; 1 Tim. i. 20. were beside the time, when they said that the resurrection had already been; and the Galatians were after the time, in making much of circumcision now. And to miss the person was the lot of the Jews, and is still, who think that of one of themselves is said, ‘Behold, the Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and they shall call his Name Emmanuel, which is being interpreted, God with us327    Is. vii. 14; Matt. i. 23.;’ and that, ‘A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you328    Deut. xviii. 15.,’ is spoken of one of the Prophets; and who, as to the words, ‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter329    Is. liii. 7.,’ instead of learning from Philip, conjecture them spoken of Isaiah or some other of the former Prophets330    The more common evasion on the part of the Jews was to interpret the prophecy of their own sufferings in captivity. It was an idea of Grotius that the prophecy received a first fulfilment in Jeremiah. vid. Justin Tryph. 72 et al., Iren. Hær. iv. 33. Tertull. in Jud. 9, Cyprian. Testim. in Jud. ii. 13, Euseb. Dem. iii. 2, &c. [cf. Driver and Neubauer Jewish commentaries on Is. lii. and Is. liii. and Introduction to English Translation of these pp. xxxvii. sq.].

55. (3.) Such has been the state of mind under which Christ’s enemies have fallen into their execrable heresy. For had they known the person, and the subject, and the season of the Apostle’s words, they would not have expounded of Christ’s divinity what belongs to His manhood, nor in their folly have committed so great an act of irreligion. Now this will be readily seen, if one expounds properly the beginning of this lection. For the Apostle says, ‘God who at sundry times and divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son331    Heb. i. 1, 2.;’ then again shortly after he says, ‘when He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the Angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they332    Ib. 3, 4..’ It appears then that the Apostle’s words make mention of that time, when God spoke unto us by His Son, and when a purging of sins took place. Now when did He speak unto us by His Son, and when did purging of sins take place? and when did He become man? when, but subsequently to the Prophets in the last days? Next, proceeding with his account of the economy in which we were concerned, and speaking of the last times, he is naturally led to observe that not even in the former times was God silent with men, but spoke to them by the Prophets. And, whereas the prophets ministered, and the Law was spoken by Angels, while the Son too came on earth, and that in order to minister, he was forced to add, ‘Become so much better than the Angels,’ wishing to shew that, as much as the son excels a servant, so much also the ministry of the Son is better than the ministry of servants. Contrasting then the old ministry and the new, the Apostle deals freely with the Jews, writing and saying, ‘Become so much better than the Angels.’ This is why throughout he uses no comparison, such as ‘become greater,’ or ‘more honourable,’ lest we should think of Him and them as one in kind, but ‘better’ is his word, by way of marking the difference of the Son’s nature from things originated. And of this we have proof from divine Scripture; David, for instance, saying in the Psalm, ‘One day in Thy courts is better than a thousand333    Ps. lxxxiv. 10.:’ and Solomon crying out, ‘Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it334    Prov. viii. 10, 11..’ Are not wisdom and stones of the earth different in essence and separate in nature? Are heavenly courts at all akin to earthly houses? Or is there any similarity between things eternal and spiritual, and things temporal and mortal? And this is what Isaiah says, ‘Thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep My sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My Covenant; even unto them will I give in Mine house, and within My walls, a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off335    Is. lvi. 4, 5..’ In like manner there is nought akin between the Son and the Angels; so that the word ‘better’ is not used to compare but to contrast, because of the difference of His nature from them. And therefore the Apostle also himself, when he interprets the word ‘better,’ places its force in nothing short of the Son’s excellence over things originated, calling the one Son, the other servants; the one, as a Son with the Father, sitting on the right; and the others, as servants, standing before Him, and being sent, and fulfilling offices.

56. Scripture, in speaking thus, implies, O Arians, not that the Son is originate, but rather other than things originate, and proper to the Father, being in His bosom. (4.) Nor336    There is apparently much confusion in the arrangement of the paragraphs that follow; though the appearance may perhaps arise from Athan.’s incorporating some passage from a former work into his text, cf. note on §32. It is easy to suggest alterations, but not anything satisfactory. The same ideas are scattered about. Thus συγκριτικῶς occurs in (3) and (5). The Son’s seat on the right, and Angels in ministry, (3) fin. (10) (11). ‘Become’ interpreted as ‘is originated and is,’ (4) and (11). The explanation of ‘become,’ (4) (9) (11) (14). The Word’s ἐπιδημία is introduced in (7) and (8) παρουσία being the more common word; ἐπιδημία occurs Orat. ii. §67 init. Serap. i. 9. Vid. however, §61, notes. If a change must be suggested, it would be to transfer (4) after (8) and (10) after (3). does even the expression ‘become,’ which here occurs, shew that the Son is originate, as ye suppose. If indeed it were simply ‘become’ and no more, a case might stand for the Arians; but, whereas they are forestalled with the word ‘Son’ throughout the passage, shewing that He is other than things originate, so again not even the word ‘become’ occurs absolutely337    ἀπολελυμένως. vid. also Orat. ii. 54. 62. iii. 22. Basil. contr. Eunom. i. p. 244. Cyril. Thesaur. 25, p. 236. διαλελυμένως. Orat. iv. 1., but ‘better’ is immediately subjoined. For the writer thought the expression immaterial, knowing that in the case of one who was confessedly a genuine Son, to say ‘become’ is the same with saying that He had been made, and is, ‘better.’ For it matters not even if we speak of what is generate, as ‘become’ or ‘made;’ but on the contrary, things originate cannot be called generate, God’s handiwork as they are, except so far as after their making they partake of the generate Son, and are therefore said to have been generated also, not at all in their own nature, but because of their participation of the Son in the Spirit338    [The note, referred to above, p. 169, in which Newman defends the treatment of γενητὸν and γεννητὸν as synonymous, while yet admitting that they are expressly distinguished by Ath. in the text, is omitted for lack of space.]. And this again divine Scripture recognises; for it says in the case of things originate, ‘All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be339    John i. 3.,’ and, ‘In wisdom hast Thou made them all340    Ps. civ. 24.;’ but in the case of sons which are generate, ‘To Job there came to be seven sons and three daughters341    Job i. 2.,’ and, ‘Abraham was an hundred years old when there came to be to him Isaac his son342    Gen. xxi. 5.;’ and Moses said343    Cf. Deut. xxi. 15., ‘If to any one there come to be sons.’ Therefore since the Son is other than things originate, alone the proper offspring of the Father’s essence, this plea of the Arians about the word ‘become’ is worth nothing.

(5.) If moreover, baffled so far, they should still violently insist that the language is that of comparison, and that comparison in consequence implies oneness of kind, so that the Son is of the nature of Angels, they will in the first place incur the disgrace of rivalling and repeating what Valentinus held, and Carpocrates, and those other heretics, of whom the former said that the Angels were one in kind with the Christ, and Carpocrates that Angels are framers of the world344    These tenets and similar ones were common to many branches of the Gnostics, who paid worship to the Angels, or ascribed to them the creation; the doctrine of their consubstantiality with our Lord arose from their belief in emanation. S. Athanasius here uses the word ὁμογενής, not ὁμοούσιος which was usual with them (vid. Bull. D. F. N. ii. 1, §2) as with the Manichees after them, Beausobre, Manich. iii. 8.. Perchance it is under the instruction of these masters that they compare the Word of God with the Angels.

57. Though surely amid such speculations, they will be moved by the sacred poet, saying, ‘Who is he among the gods that shall be like unto the Lord345    Ps. lxxxix. 7.,’ and, ‘Among the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord346    Ib. lxxxvi. 8..’ However, they must be answered, with the chance of their profiting by it, that comparison confessedly does belong to subjects one in kind, not to those which differ. No one, for instance, would compare God with man, or again man with brutes, nor wood with stone, because their natures are unlike; but God is beyond comparison, and man is compared to man, and wood to wood, and stone to stone. Now in such cases we should not speak of ‘better,’ but of ‘rather’ and ‘more;’ thus Joseph was comely rather than his brethren, and Rachel than Leah; star347    Orat. ii. §20. is not better than star, but is the rather excellent in glory; whereas in bringing together things which differ in kind, then ‘better’ is used to mark the difference, as has been said in the case of wisdom and jewels. Had then the Apostle said, ‘by so much has the Son precedence of the Angels,’ or ‘by so much greater,’ you would have had a plea, as if the Son were compared with the Angels; but, as it is, in saying that He is ‘better,’ and differs as far as Son from servants, the Apostle shews that He is other than the Angels in nature.

(6.) Moreover by saying that He it is who has ‘laid the foundation of all things348    Heb. i. 10.,’ he shews that He is other than all things originate. But if He be other and different in essence from their nature, what comparison of His essence can349    De Syn. 45, note 9. there be, or what likeness to them? though, even if they have any such thoughts, Paul shall refute them, who speaks to the very point, ‘For unto which of the Angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And of the Angels He saith, Who maketh His Angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire350    Heb. i. 7..’

58. Observe here, the word ‘made’ belongs to things originate, and he calls them things made; but to the Son he speaks not of making, nor of becoming, but of eternity and kingship, and a Framer’s office, exclaiming, ‘Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever;’ and, ‘Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thine hands; they shall perish, but Thou remainest.’ From which words even they, were they but willing, might perceive that the Framer is other than things framed, the former God, the latter things originate, made out of nothing. For what has been said, ‘They shall perish,’ is said, not as if the creation were destined for destruction, but to express the nature of things originate by the issue to which they tend351    §29, note 10.. For things which admit of perishing, though through the grace352    De Decr. 19, note 3. of their Maker they perish not, yet have come out of nothing, and themselves witness that they once were not. And on this account, since their nature is such, it is said of the Son, ‘Thou remainest,’ to shew His eternity; for not having the capacity of perishing, as things originate have, but having eternal duration, it is foreign to Him to have it said, ‘He was not before His generation,’ but proper to Him to be always, and to endure together with the Father. And though the Apostle had not thus written in his Epistle to the Hebrews, still his other Epistles, and the whole of Scripture, would certainly forbid their entertaining such notions concerning the Word. But since he has here expressly written it, and, as has been above shewn, the Son is Offspring of the Father’s essence, and He is Framer, and other things are framed by Him, and He is the Radiance and Word and Image and Wisdom of the Father, and things originate stand and serve in their place below the Triad, therefore the Son is different in kind and different in essence from things originate, and on the contrary is proper to the Father’s essence and one in nature with it353    Here again is a remarkable avoidance of the word ὁμοούσιον. He says that the Son is ἑτερογενὴς καὶ ἑτεροούσιος τῶν γενητῶν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίας ἴδιος καὶ ὁμοφυής. vid. §§20, 21, notes.. And hence it is that the Son too says not, ‘My Father is better than I354    John xiv. 28.,’ lest we should conceive Him to be foreign to His Nature, but ‘greater,’ not indeed in greatness, nor in time, but because of His generation from the Father Himself355    Athan. otherwise explains this text, Incarn. contr. Arian. 4. if it be his. This text is thus taken by Basil. contr. Eun. iv. p. 289. Naz. Orat. 30. 7, &c. &c., nay, in saying ‘greater’ He again shows that He is proper to His essence.

59. (7). And the Apostle’s own reason for saying, ‘so much better than the Angels,’ was not any wish in the first instance to compare the essence356    §§60. 62. 64. ii. §18. of the Word to things originate (for He cannot be compared, rather they are incommeasurable), but regarding the Word’s visitation in the flesh, and the Economy which He then sustained, he wished to show that He was not like those who had gone before Him; so that, as much as He excelled in nature those who were sent afore by Him, by so much also the grace which came from and through Him was better than the ministry through Angels357    He also applies this text to our Lord’s economy and ministry de Sent. D. 11. in Apoll. ii. 15.. For it is the function of servants, to demand the fruits and no more; but of the Son and Master to forgive the debts and to transfer the vineyard.

(8.) Certainly what the Apostle proceeds to say shews the excellence of the Son over things originate; ‘Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him358    Heb. ii. 1–3..’ But if the Son were in the number of things originate, He was not better than they, nor did disobedience involve increase of punishment because of Him; any more than in the Ministry of Angels there was not, according to each Angel, greater or less guilt in the transgressors, but the Law was one, and one was its vengeance on transgressors. But, whereas the Word is not in the number of originate things, but is Son of the Father, therefore, as He Himself is better and His acts better and transcendent, so also the punishment is worse. Let them contemplate then the grace which is through the Son, and let them acknowledge the witness which He gives even from His works, that He is other than things originated, and alone the very Son in the Father and the Father in Him. And the Law359    Part of this chapter, as for instance (7) (8) is much more finished in point of style than the general course of his Orations. It may be indeed only the natural consequence of his warming with his subject, but this beautiful passage looks very much like an insertion. Some words of it are found in Sent. D. 11. written few years sooner [cf. supr. 33, note 2.] was spoken by Angels, and perfected no one360    Heb. vii. 19., needing the visitation of the Word, as Paul hath said; but that visitation has perfected the work of the Father. And then, from Adam unto Moses death reigned361    Rom. v. 14.; but the presence of the Word abolished death362    2 Tim. i. 10.. And no longer in Adam are we all dying363    1 Cor. xv. 22.; but in Christ we are all reviving. And then, from Dan to Beersheba was the Law proclaimed, and in Judæa only was God known; but now, unto all the earth has gone forth their voice, and all the earth has been filled with the knowledge of God364    Is. xi. 9; vid. Ps. lxxvi. 1, and xix. 4., and the disciples have made disciples of all the nations365    Matt. xxviii. 19., and now is fulfilled what is written, ‘They shall be all taught of God366    John vi. 45; Is. liv. 13..’ And then what was revealed was but a type; but now the truth has been manifested. And this again the Apostle himself describes afterwards more clearly, saying, ‘By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament;’ and again, ‘But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.’ And, ‘For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did.’ And again he says, ‘It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these367    Heb. vii. 22; viii. 6; vii. 19; ix. 23.’ Both in the verse before us, then, and throughout, does he ascribe the word ‘better’ to the Lord, who is better and other than originated things. For better is the sacrifice through Him, better the hope in Him; and also the promises through Him, not merely as great compared with small, but the one differing from the other in nature, because He who conducts this economy, is ‘better’ than things originated.

60. (9.) Moreover the words ‘He is become surety’ denote the pledge in our behalf which He has provided. For as, being the ‘Word,’ He ‘became flesh368    John i. 14.’ and ‘become’ we ascribe to the flesh, for it is originated and created, so do we here the expression ‘He is become,’ expounding it according to a second sense, viz. because He has become man. And let these contentious men know, that they fail in this their perverse purpose; let them know that Paul does not signify that His essence369    §45, note. has become, knowing, as he did, that He is Son and Wisdom and Radiance and Image of the Father; but here too he refers the word ‘become’ to the ministry of that covenant, in which death which once ruled is abolished. Since here also the ministry through Him has become better, in that ‘what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh370    Rom. viii. 3.,’ ridding it of the trespass, in which, being continually held captive, it admitted not the Divine mind. And having rendered the flesh capable of the Word, He made us walk, no longer according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and say again and again, ‘But we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,’ and, ‘For the Son of God came into the world, not to judge the world, but to redeem all men, and that the world might be saved through Him371    John iii. 17..’ Formerly the world, as guilty, was under judgment from the Law; but now the Word has taken on Himself the judgment, and having suffered in the body for all, has bestowed salvation to all372    Vid. Incarn. passim. Theod. Eranist. iii. pp. 196–198, &c. &c. It was the tendency of all the heresies concerning the Person of Christ to explain away or deny the Atonement. The Arians, after the Platonists, insisted on the pre-existing Priesthood, as if the incarnation and crucifixion were not of its essence. The Apollinarians resolved the Incarnation into a manifestation, Theod. Eran. i. The Nestorians denied the Atonement, Procl. ad Armen. p. 615. And the Eutychians, Leont. Ep. 28, 5.. With a view to this has John exclaimed, ‘The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ373    John i. 17..’ Better is grace than the Law, and truth than the shadow.

61. (10.) ‘Better’ then, as has been said, could not have been brought to pass by any other than the Son, who sits on the right hand of the Father. And what does this denote but the Son’s genuineness, and that the Godhead of the Father is the same as the Son’s374    De Syn. 45, note 1.? For in that the Son reigns in His Father’s kingdom, is seated upon the same throne as the Father, and is contemplated in the Father’s Godhead, therefore is the Word God, and whoso beholds the Son, beholds the Father; and thus there is one God. Sitting then on the right, yet He does not place His Father on the left375    Cf. August. de Fid. et Symb. 14. Does this passage of Athan.’s shew that the Anthropomorphites were stirring in Egypt already?; but whatever is right376    δεξιόν and precious in the Father, that also the Son has, and says, ‘All things that the Father hath are Mine377    John xvi. 15..’ Wherefore also the Son, though sitting on the right, also sees the Father on the right, though it be as become man that He says, ‘I saw the Lord always before My face, for He is on My right hand, therefore I shall not fall378    Ps. xvi. 8..’ This shews moreover that the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son; for the Father being on the right, the Son is on the right; and while the Son sits on the right of the Father, the Father is in the Son. And the Angels indeed minister ascending and descending; but concerning the Son he saith, ‘And let all the Angels of God worship Him379    Heb. i. 6..’ And when Angels minister, they say, ‘I am sent unto thee,’ and, ‘The Lord has commanded;’ but the Son, though He say in human fashion, ‘I am sent380    Vid. John xvii. 3; Mark x. 45.,’ and comes to finish the work and to minister, nevertheless says, as being Word and Image, ‘I am in the Father, and the Father in Me;’ and, ‘He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father;’ and, ‘The Father that abideth in Me, He doeth the works381    John xiv. 10, 9.;’ for what we behold in that Image are the Father’s works.

(11.) What has been already said ought to shame those persons who are fighting against the very truth; however, if, because it is written, ‘become better,’ they refuse to understand ‘become,’ as used of the Son, as ‘has been and is382    Of His divine nature, (4) (8).;’ or again as referring to the better covenant having come to be383    Of His human nature, and (10)., as we have said, but consider from this expression that the Word is called originate, let them hear the same again in a concise form, since they have forgotten what has been said.

62. If the Son be in the number of the Angels, then let the word ‘become’ apply to Him as to them, and let Him not differ at all from them in nature; but be they either sons with Him, or be He an Angel with them; sit they one and all together on the right hand of the Father, or be the Son standing with them all as a ministering Spirit, sent forth to minister Himself as they are. But if on the other hand Paul distinguishes the Son from things originate, saying, ‘To which of the Angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son?’ and the one frames heaven and earth, but they are made by Him; and He sitteth with the Father, but they stand by ministering, who does not see that he has not used the word ‘become’ of the essence of the Word, but of the ministration come through Him? For as, being the ‘Word,’ He ‘became flesh,’ so when become man, He became by so much better in His ministry, than the ministry which came by the Angels, as Son excels servants and Framer things framed. Let them cease therefore to take the word ‘become’ of the substance of the Son, for He is not one of originated things; and let them acknowledge that it is indicative of His ministry and the Economy which came to pass.

(12.) But how He became better in His ministry, being better in nature than things originate, appears from what has been said before, which, I consider, is sufficient in itself to put them to shame. But if they carry on the contest, it will be proper upon their rash daring to close with them, and to oppose to them those similar expressions which are used concerning the Father Himself. This may serve to shame them to refrain their tongue from evil, or may teach them the depth of their folly. Now it is written, ‘Become my strong rock and house of defence, that Thou mayest save me384    Ps. xxx. 3..’ And again, ‘The Lord became a defence for the oppressed385    Ib. ix. 9.,’ and the like which are found in divine Scripture. If then they apply these passages to the Son, which perhaps is nearest to the truth, then let them acknowledge that the sacred writers ask Him, as not being originate, to become to them ‘a strong rock and house of defence;’ and for the future let them understand ‘become,’ and ‘He made,’ and ‘He created,’ of His incarnate presence. For then did He become ‘a strong rock and house of defence,’ when He bore our sins in His own body upon the tree, and said, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest386    Matt. xi. 28..’

63. But if they refer these passages to the Father, will they, when it is here also written, ‘Become’ and ‘He became,’ venture so far as to affirm that God is originate? Yea, they will dare, as they thus argue concerning His Word; for the course of their argument carries them on to conjecture the same things concerning the Father, as they devise concerning His Word. But far be such a notion ever from the thoughts of all the faithful! for neither is the Son in the number of things originated, nor do the words of Scripture in question, ‘Become,’ and ‘He became,’ denote beginning of being, but that succour which was given to the needy. For God is always, and one and the same; but men have come to be afterwards through the Word, when the Father Himself willed it; and God is invisible and inaccessible to originated things, and especially to men upon earth. When then men in infirmity invoke Him, when in persecution they ask help, when under injuries they pray, then the Invisible, being a lover of man, shines forth upon them with His beneficence, which He exercises through and in His proper Word. And forthwith the divine manifestation is made to every one according to his need, and is made to the weak health, and to the persecuted a ‘refuge’ and ‘house of defence;’ and to the injured He says, ‘While thou speakest I will say, Here I am387    Is. lviii. 9..’ Whatever defence then comes to each through the Son, that each says that God has come to be to himself, since succour comes from God Himself through the Word. Moreover the usage of men recognises this, and every one will confess its propriety. Often succour comes from man to man; one has undertaken toil for the injured, as Abraham for Lot; and another has opened his home to the persecuted, as Obadiah to the sons of the prophets; and another has entertained a stranger, as Lot the Angels; and another has supplied the needy, as Job those who begged of him. And then, should one and the other of these benefited persons say, ‘Such a one became an assistance to me,’ and another ‘and to me a refuge,’ and ‘to another a supply,’ yet in so saying would not be speaking of the original becoming or of the essence of their benefactors, but of the beneficence coming to themselves from them; so also when the saints say concerning God, ‘He became’ and ‘become Thou,’ they do not denote any original becoming, for God is without beginning and unoriginate, but the salvation which is made to be unto men from Him.

64. This being so understood, it is parallel also respecting the Son, that whatever, and however often, is said, such as, ‘He became’ and ‘become,’ should ever have the same sense: so that as, when we hear the words in question, ‘become better than the Angels’ and ‘He became,’ we should not conceive any original becoming of the Word, nor in any way fancy from such terms that He is originate; but should understand Paul’s words of His ministry and Economy when He became man. For when ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us388    John i. 14.’ and came to minister and to grant salvation to all, then He became to us salvation, and became life, and became propitiation; then His economy in our behalf became much better than the Angels, and He became the Way and became the Resurrection. And as the words ‘Become my strong rock’ do not denote that the essence of God Himself became, but His loving kindness, as has been said, so also here the ‘having become better than the Angels,’ and, ‘He became,’ and, ‘by so much is Jesus become a better surety,’ do not signify that the essence of the Word is originate (perish the thought!), but the beneficence which towards us came to be through His becoming Man; unthankful though the heretics be, and obstinate in behalf of their irreligion.

Γεγράφθαι τοίνυν, φασὶν, ἐν μὲν ταῖς Παροιμίαις· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ· ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῇ, τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενό μενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ' αὐ τοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα· καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κα τανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμο λογίας ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν· καὶ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι δὲ, Γνωστὸν οὖν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι καὶ Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ τον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε. Ταῦτα ἄνω καὶ κάτω προφέροντες, καὶ πλανώμενοι περὶ τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐνόμισαν ἐκ τούτων κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα εἶναι καὶ ἕνα τῶν γενητῶν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον· οὕτω τε ἀπατῶσι τοὺς ἀνοήτους, πρόφασιν μὲν προβαλλόμενοι τὰ ῥητὰ, ἀντὶ δὲ τῆς ἀληθι νῆς διανοίας τὸν ἴδιον τῆς αἱρέσεως ἰὸν ἐπισπείρον τες· εἰ γὰρ ἐγίνωσκον, οὐκ ἂν ἠσέβουν εἰς τὸν Κύ ριον τῆς δόξης, οὐδὲ τὰ καλῶς γραφέντα παρηρμήνευον. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐκ φανεροῦ λοιπὸν ἀναδεξάμενοι τὸν τοῦ Καϊάφα τρόπον, Ἰουδαΐζειν ἔκριναν, ὥστε ἀγνοεῖν τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὅτι ὄντως ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατ οικήσει· μὴ ἐξεταζέτωσαν τὰς ἀποστολικὰς λέξεις· οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαίων τοῦτο· εἰ δὲ καὶ, τοῖς ἀθέοις Μανι χαίοις ἑαυτοὺς ἐγκαταμίξαντες, ἀρνοῦνται τὸ, Ὁ Λό γος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν, μὴ προφερέτωσαν τὰς Παροιμίας· ἀλλότριον γὰρ καὶ τῶν Μανιχαίων τοῦτο· εἰ δὲ διὰ τὸ πρόβλημα, καὶ ὅπερ ἐκ τούτου κέρδος τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἐσχή κασι, διά τε τὴν ἐν τῷ δοκεῖν φιλοδοξίαν οὐ τολμῶ σιν ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸ, Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἐπειδὴ καὶ γέγραπται· ἢ καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τὰ περὶ τούτου γε γραμμένα διανοείσθωσαν ὀρθῶς εἰς τὴν ἐνσώματον παρουσίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος· ἢ εἰ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀρνοῦν ται, ἀρνείσθωσαν, ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν ὁ Κύριος. Ἀπρεπὲς γὰρ ὁμολογεῖν μὲν, ὅτι ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἐρυθριᾷν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν τούτων διάνοιαν δια φθείρειν. Γέγραπται μὲν γὰρ, τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐξετάσαι πρῶτον ἀναγκαῖον· δεῖ δὲ, ὡς ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς θείας Γραφῆς προσήκει ποιεῖν, καὶ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐν ταῦθα, καθ' ὃν εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος καιρὸν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα, διόπερ ἔγραψε, πι στῶς ἐκλαμβάνειν, ἵνα μὴ παρὰ ταῦτα ἢ καὶ παρ' ἕτερόν τι τούτων ἀγνοῶν ὁ ἀναγινώσκων ἔξω τῆς ἀληθινῆς διανοίας γένηται. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ φιλομα θὴς εὐνοῦχος ἐκεῖνος εἰδὼς, παρεκάλει τὸν Φίλιππον λέγων· ∆έομαί σου, περὶ τίνος ὁ προφήτης λέγει τοῦτο; περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ περὶ ἑτέρου τινός; Ἐφοβεῖτο γὰρ μὴ, παρὰ πρόσωπον ἐκλαβὼν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν, πλανηθῇ τῆς ὀρθῆς διανοίας. Καὶ οἱ μα θηταὶ δὲ θέλοντες τὸν καιρὸν τῶν λεγομένων μαθεῖν, παρεκάλουν τὸν Κύριον λέγοντες· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, πότε ταῦτα ἔσται; καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς σῆς παρου σίας; Καὶ αὐτοὶ, ἀκούοντες παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὰ περὶ τοῦ τέλους, ἤθελον μαθεῖν καὶ τὸν καιρὸν, ἵνα μήτε αὐτοὶ πλανῶνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους δι δάσκειν δυνηθῶσι. Μαθόντες γοῦν, διωρθώσαντο μέλ λοντας πλανᾶσθαι τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης. Ὅταν μὲν οὖν τῶν τοιούτων τις ἔχῃ καλῶς τὴν γνῶ σιν, ὀρθὴν ἔχει καὶ ὑγιαίνουσαν τὴν τῆς πίστεως διάνοιαν· ἐὰν δὲ παρ' ἕτερόν τις ἐκλαμβάνῃ τι τούτων, εὐθὺς εἰς αἵρεσιν ἐκπίπτει. Παρὰ καιρὸν μὲν οὖν ἐπλανήθησαν οἱ μὲν περὶ Ὑμέναιον καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον λέγοντες τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι· οἱ δὲ Γαλάται μετὰ τὸν καιρὸν, ἀγαπήσαντες νῦν τὴν περιτομήν. Παρὰ πρόσωπον δὲ πεπόνθασι καὶ πά σχουσι μέχρι νῦν Ἰουδαῖοι, νομίζοντες περὶ ἑνὸς ἐξ αὐτῶν λέγεσθαι τὸ, Ἰδοὺ ἡ Παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμε νον, μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός· καὶ ὅταν τὸ μὲν, Προφήτην ἡμῖν ἀναστήσει ὁ Θεὸς, νομίζωσι περὶ ἑνὸς τῶν προφητῶν λέγεσθαι· τὸ δὲ, Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, μὴ μανθάνωσι παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου, ἀλλ' ὑπολαμβάνωσι περὶ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λέγεσθαι, ἢ περὶ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν γενομένων προφητῶν. Τοιαῦτα δὴ οὖν καὶ οἱ χριστομάχοι παθόντες, εἰς μυσαρὰν αἵρεσιν ἐκπεπτώκασιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγνώκει σαν τό τε πρόσωπον καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ ῥητοῦ, οὐκ ἂν, τὰ ἀνθρώπινα εἰς τὴν θεότητα ἐκλαμβάνοντες, τοσοῦτον ἠσέβουν οἱ ἄφρονες. Τοῦτο δὲ δυνατὸν ἰδεῖν, εἰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ ἀναγνώσμα τός τις καλῶς ἐκλάβοι. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλή σας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ· εἶτα μετ' ὀλίγα φησί· ∆ι' ἑαυτοῦ καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ποιησάμενος, ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ' αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα. Περὶ τοῦ καιροῦ ἄρα καθ' ὃν ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ, ὅτε καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καθαρισμὸς γέγονε, μνημονεύει τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ῥητόν. Πότε δὲ ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ; καὶ πότε γέγονε καθαρισμὸς τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν; πότε δὲ γέ γονεν ἄνθρωπος ἢ μετὰ τοὺς προφήτας ἐπ' ἐσχά των τῶν ἡμερῶν; Εἶτα τοῦ διηγήματος ὄντος περὶ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίας, λέγων περὶ τῶν ἐσχά των καιρῶν, ἀκολούθως ἐμνημόνευσεν, ὅτι μήτε τοὺς προτέρους χρόνους ἐσιώπησε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ Θεός· ἐλάλησε γὰρ αὐτοῖς διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ καὶ προφῆται διηκόνησαν, καὶ δι' ἀγγέλων ὁ νό μος ἐλαλήθη, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς δὲ ἐπεδήμησε, καὶ ἦλθε δια κονῆσαι, ἀναγκαίως ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, δεῖξαι θέλων, ὅτι ὅσον ὁ Υἱὸς διαφέρει δούλου, τοσοῦτον καὶ τῆς δια κονίας τῶν δούλων ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ διακονία κρείττων γέ γονε. Τὴν διακονίαν ἄρα διακρίνων ὁ Ἀπόστολος τήν τε παλαιὰν καὶ τὴν καινὴν, παῤῥησιάζεται πρὸς Ἰουδαίους γράφων καὶ λέγων· Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γε νόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὐδὲ τὸ ὅλον συγκριτικῶς εἴρηκε, μείζων, ἢ, τιμιώτερος γενό μενος, ἵνα μὴ ὡς περὶ ὁμογενῶν τούτου κἀκείνων τις λογίσηται· ἀλλὰ, κρείττων, εἴρηκεν, ἵνα τὸ διαλλάτ τον τῆς φύσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὰ γεννητὰ γνω ρίσῃ. Καὶ τούτων ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, τοῦ μὲν ∆αβὶδ ψάλλοντος, Κρείσσων ἡμέρα μία ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας· τοῦ δὲ Σο λομῶνος ἀναφωνοῦντος· Λάβετε παιδείαν, καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον, καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκι μασμένον· κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν· πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστι. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἑτερούσια καὶ ἄλλα τὴν φύσιν ἡ σοφία καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ γῆς λίθοι; Ποία δὲ συγγένεια ταῖς οὐρανίοις αὐλαῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς οἴκοις; Ἢ τί ὅμοιον τῶν αἰω νίων καὶ πνευματικῶν τὰ πρόσκαιρα καὶ τὰ θνητά; Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ὃ Ἡσαΐας φησί· Τάδε λέγει Κύριος τοῖς εὐνούχοις· Ὅσοι ἂν φυλάξωνται τὰ Σάββατά μου, καὶ ἐκλέξωνται ἃ ἐγὼ θέλω, καὶ ἀντέχωνται τῆς διαθήκης μου, δώσω αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου καὶ ἐν τῷ τείχει μου τόπον ὀνομαστόν· κρεῖσσον υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων ὄνομα αἰώνιον δώσω αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐκ ἐκλείψει. Οὕτως ἄρα οὐδε μία συγγένεια τῷ Υἱῷ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐστί· μηδεμιᾶς δὲ οὔσης τῆς συγγενείας, οὐκ ἄρα συγκρι τικῶς ἐλέχθη τὸ, κρείττων, ἀλλὰ διακριτικῶς διὰ τὸ ἀλλάττον τῆς τούτου φύσεως ἀπ' ἐκείνων. Καὶ αὐτὸς οὖν ὁ Ἀπόστολος τὸ, κρείττων, ἑρμηνεύων, οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἢ ἐν τῇ διαφορᾷ τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ τίθησι λέγων, ὅτι ὁ μὲν Υἱὸς, τὰ δὲ δοῦλα· καὶ ὁ μὲν ὡς Υἱὸς μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐν δεξιᾷ κάθη ται, τὰ δὲ ὡς δοῦλα παρέστηκε, καὶ ἀποστέλλεται, καὶ λειτουργεῖ. Τούτων δὲ οὕτως γεγραμμένων, οὐ γενητὸς ἐκ τούτων ὁ Υἱὸς σημαίνεται, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἄλλος μὲν τῶν γενητῶν, ἴδιος δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ὢν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ γεγραμμέ νον ἐνταῦθα, γενόμενος, οὔτε γενητὸν σημαίνει τὸν Υἱὸν, ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς νομίζετε. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἰ ρήκει τὸ, γενόμενος, καὶ ἐσιώπησεν, ἡ πρόφα σις ἦν τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν προείρηκε, δι' ὅλης τῆς περικοπῆς ἀποδείξας αὐτὸν ἄλλον εἶναι τῶν γενητῶν, οὐδὲ τὸ, γενόμενος, ἀπολελυμέ νως ἔθηκεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ, κρείττων, συνῆψε τῷ, γε νόμενος. Ἀδιάφορον γὰρ ἡγήσατο τὴν λέξιν, εἰδὼς, ὡς ἐπὶ ὁμολογουμένου γνησίου Υἱοῦ ὁ λέγων τὸ, γε νόμενος, ἴσον τῷ γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ ὅτι ἐστὶ κρείτ των, λέγει. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ γεννητὸν οὐ διαφέρει, κἂν λέγῃ τις, γέγονεν, ἢ, πεποίηται· τὰ δὲ γενητὰ ἀδύνατον, δημιουργήματα ὄντα, λέγεσθαι γεννητὰ, εἰ μὴ ἄρα, μετὰ ταῦτα μετασχόντα τοῦ γεννητοῦ Υἱοῦ, γεγεννῆσθαι καὶ αὐτὰ λέγονται· οὔτι γε διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν μετουσίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι. Καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν οἶδεν ἡ θεία Γραφή· ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν γενητῶν λέγουσα, Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν· καὶ, Πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν γεννητῶν, Ἐγένοντο τῷ Ἰὼβ υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ θυγατέρες τρεῖς· καὶ, Ἀβραὰμ δὲ ἦν ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν, ὅτε ἐγένετο αὐτῷ Ἰσαὰκ ὁ υἱὸς αὐ τοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Μωϋσῆς ἔλεγεν· Ἐὰν γένωνταί τινι υἱοί. Οὐκοῦν εἰ μὲν τῶν γενητῶν ἄλλος ἐστὶ, τῆς δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας μόνον ἴδιον γέννημα ὁ Υἱὸς, με ματαίωται τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς ἡ περὶ τοῦ, γενόμενος, πρόφασις. Κἂν γὰρ ἐν τούτοις αἰσχυνθέντες βιάζων ται πάλιν λέγειν συγκριτικῶς εἰρῆσθαι τὰ ῥητὰ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἶναι τὰ συγκρινόμενα ὁμογενῆ, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων εἶναι φύσεως· αἰσχυνθήσονται μὲν προηγουμένως ὡς τὰ Οὐαλεντίνου καὶ Καρπο κράτους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων αἱρετικῶν ζηλοῦντες καὶ φθεγγόμενοι, ὧν ὁ μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὁμογενεῖς εἴ ρηκε τῷ Χριστῷ· ὁ δὲ Καρποκράτης ἀγγέλους τοῦ κόσμου δημιουργοὺς εἶναί φησι. Παρ' αὐτῶν γὰρ ἴσως μαθόντες καὶ οὗτοι, συγκοίνουσι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον τοῖς ἀγγέλοις. Ἀλλ' ἐντραπήσονται τοιαῦτα φανταζόμενοι παρὰ μὲν τοῦ ὑμνῳδοῦ λέγοντος, Τίς ὁμοιωθήσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν υἱοῖς Θεοῦ; καὶ, Τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς, Κύριε; Ἀκούσονται δὲ ὅμως, ἐὰν ἄρα κἂν οὕτω μάθωσιν, ὡς ἐν μὲν τοῖς ὁμογενέσιν ὁμολογουμένως φιλεῖ τὰ τῆς συγκρίσεως γίνεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ἑτερογενέσιν. Οὐδεὶς γοῦν Θεὸν συγκρίνοι πρὸς ἄνθρωπον, οὐδὲ πάλιν ἄνθρωπον πρὸς τὰ ἄλογα, οὐδὲ ξύλα πρὸς λίθους, διὰ τὸ ἀνόμοιον τῆς φύσεως· ἀλλὰ Θεὸς μὲν ἀσύγκριτόν ἐστι πρᾶγμα· ἄνθρωπος δὲ πρὸς ἄνθρωπον συγκρίνεται, καὶ ξύλον πρὸς ξύλον, καὶ λίθος πρὸς λίθον· καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἐπὶ τούτων εἴ ποι τὸ, κρεῖττον, ἀλλὰ τὸ, μᾶλλον, καὶ τὸ, πλέον· οὕτως Ἰωσὴφ ὡραῖος ἦν μᾶλλον παρὰ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ῥαχὴλ τῆς Λείας· ἀστὴρ δὲ ἀστέρος οὐχὶ κρείσσων, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἑτερογενῶν, ὅταν ταῦτά τις παραβάλλῃ πρὸς ἄλληλα, τότε τὸ, κρεῖττον, πρὸς τὸ διαλλάττον λέγε ται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῶν λίθων εἴρηται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰρηκὼς ἦν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων προάγει, ἢ, τοσούτῳ μείζων ἐστίν· ἦν ἂν ὑμῖν πρόφασις, ὡς συγκρινομένου τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους· νῦν δὲ λέγων κρείττονα αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ τοσούτῳ διαφέρειν, ὅσῳ διέστηκεν υἱὸς δούλων, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ἄλλον εἶναι τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσεως. Λέγων δὲ πάλιν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν θεμελιώσαντα τὰ πάντα, δείκνυσιν ἄλλον αὐτὸν εἶναι πάντων τῶν γενητῶν. Ἄλλου δὲ καὶ ἑτερουσίου αὐ τοῦ ὄντος παρὰ τὴν τῶν γενητῶν φύσιν, ποία τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ σύγκρισις ἢ ὁμοιότης πρὸς τὰ γενητά; Κἂν γὰρ πάλιν ἐνθυμηθῶσί τι τοιοῦτον, διελέγξει τούτους τὰ αὐτὰ λέγων ὁ Παῦλος· Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ· ἐγὼ σήμε ρον γεγέννηκά σε; Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέ λους λέγει· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύ ματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλό γα Ἰδοὺ τῶν μὲν γενητῶν τὸ ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα ποιήματα εἶναι λέγει· πρὸς δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν οὐ ποίησιν, οὐδὲ τὸ γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀΐδιον, καὶ τὸ βασιλέα, καὶ τὸ εἶναι δημιουργὸν, προσφωνεῖ λέγων· Ὁ θρό νος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ σὺ κατ' ἀρχὰς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου εἰσὶν οἱ οὐρανοί. Αὐτοὶ ἀπ ολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις. Ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ συνιδεῖν ἠδύναντο, εἴπερ ἤθελον, ὅτι ἄλλος μέν ἐστιν ὁ δημιουργῶν, ἄλλα δὲ τὰ δημιουργήματα· καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεός ἐστι, τὰ δὲ γενητά ἐστιν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων πε ποιημένα. Τὸ γὰρ λεγόμενον νῦν, αὐτοὶ ἀπ ολοῦνται, οὐχ ὡς εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἐσομένης τῆς κτίσεώς φησιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους τὴν τῶν γενητῶν δείξῃ φύσιν. Τὰ γὰρ δυνάμενα ἀπολέσθαι, κἂν μὴ ἀπόληται διὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ πεποιηκότος ταῦτα, ὅμως ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γέγονε, καὶ τὸ μὴ εἶναί ποτε αὐτὰ μαρτυρεῖται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν ὡς τούτων τοιαύτην ἐχόντων τὴν φύσιν, λέγεται ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ, Σὺ δὲ διαμένεις, ἵνα τὸ ἀΐδιον αὐτοῦ δειχθῇ· οὐ γὰρ ἔχων τὸ δύνασθαι ἀπολέσθαι, ὥσπερ ἔχει τὰ γενητὰ, ἔχων δὲ τὸ διαμένειν ἀεὶ, ἀλλότριον μέν ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ λέγεσθαι, Οὐκ ἦν, πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ἴδιον δὲ τὸ ἀεὶ εἶναι, καὶ συνδιαμένειν σὺν τῷ Πατρί. Εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ ταῦτα γράψας ἦν ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῇ, κἂν ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων Ἐπιστολῶναὐτοῦ, καὶ πάσης τῆς Γραφῆς ἀληθῶς ἐκωλύοντό τι τοιοῦτον φαντάζεσθαι περὶ τοῦ Λόγου· ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτός τε ἔγραψε, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δέδεικται γέννημα τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ὢν ὁ Υἱός· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν δημιουργὸς, τὰ δὲ δημιουργεῖται παρ' αὐ τοῦ· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἀπαύγασμα καὶ Λόγος, καὶ εἰκὼν, καὶ σοφία τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι, τὰ δὲ γενητὰ κάτω που τῆς Τριάδος ἐστὶ παραστήσοντα καὶ δουλεύοντα· ἑτερογενὴς ἄρα καὶ ἑτερούσιός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν γε νητῶν, καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἴδιος καὶ ὁμοφυὴς τυγχάνει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ εἴρηκεν, Ὁ Πατήρ μου κρείττων μοῦ ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ ξένον τις τῆς ἐκείνου φύσεως αὐτὸν ὑπολάβοι· ἀλλὰ μείζων εἶπεν, οὐ μεγέθει τινὶ, οὐδὲ χρόνῳ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς γέννησιν· πλὴν ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν, μείζων ἐστὶν, ἔδειξε πάλιν τὴν τῆς οὐσίας ἰδιότητα Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος δὲ αὐτὸς οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Λόγου προηγουμένως συγκρῖναι θέλων πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ ἔλεγε, Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων· ἀσύγκριτος γὰρ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο ἐστίν· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἔνσαρκον ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Λόγου βλέπων καὶ τὴν τότε παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην οἰκονομίαν, ἠθέλησε δεῖξαι οὐχ ὅμοιον εἶναι τοῦτον τοῖς πρότερον· ἵνα, ὅσῳ τῇ φύσει διαφέρει τῶν προ αποσταλέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλέον ἡ παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ γενομένη χάρις κρείττων τῆς δι' ἀγγέλων διακονίας γένηται. ∆ούλων μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἀπαιτεῖν μόνον τοὺς καρπούς· Υἱοῦ δὲ καὶ δεσπό του χαρίσασθαι τὰς ὀφειλὰς, καὶ μεταθεῖναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. Καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα γοῦν παρὰ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου δείκνυσι τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὰ γε νητὰ λέγοντος· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσι, μήποτε παραῤ ῥυῶμεν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δι' ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρ ακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν· πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα, τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτη ρίας; ἥτις, ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων, εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβε βαιώθη. Εἰ δὲ τῶν γενητῶν εἷς ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ κρείτ των αὐτῶν ἦν, οὔτε ἐν τῇ παρακοῇ τὸ μεῖζον τῆς τιμωρίας δι' αὐτὸν ἀπέκειτο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐνῆν καθ' ἕκαστον αὐτῶν τὸ μεῖζον καὶ ἔλαττον ἐν τοῖς παραβαίνουσιν· ἀλλ' εἶς ἦν ὁ νόμος, καὶ μία ἡ κατὰ τῶν παραβαινόντων ἐκδικία. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τῶν γενητῶν ὁ Λόγος, ἀλλ' Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς, διὰ τοῦτο ὅσῳ κρείττων αὐτὸς, καὶ τὰ δι' αὐτοῦ κρείττονα καὶ παρηλλαγμένα ἐστὶ, τοσούτῳ καὶ ἡ τιμωρία χείρων γένοιτο. Θεασά σθωσαν γοῦν τὴν διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ χάριν, καὶ ἐπιγνώτω σαν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μαρτυρούμενον αὐτὸν, ὅτι τῶν μὲν γενητῶν ἄλλος ἐστὶ, μόνος δὲ αὐτὸς Υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὁ νό μος δὲ δι' ἀγγέλων ἐλαλήθη, καὶ οὐδένα τετελείωκε δεόμενος τῆς τοῦ Λόγου ἐπιδημίας, ὡς εἴρηκεν ὁ Παῦ λος. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου ἐπιδημία τετελείωκε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ τότε μὲν ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωϋσέως ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσεν· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου παρουσία κατήργησε τὸν θάνατον· καὶ οὐκέτι μὲν ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκομεν· ἐν δὲ τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιούμεθα. Καὶ τότε μὲν ἀπὸ ∆ὰν μέχρι Βηρσαβεὲ ὁ νόμος κατηγγέλλετο, καὶ ἐν μόνῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ γνωστὸς ἦν ὁ Θεός· νῦν δὲ εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ πεπλήρωται τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ γνώσεως, οἵ τε μαθηταὶ ἐμαθήτευσαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ πεπλήρωται νῦν τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ Θεοῦ Καὶ τότε μὲν τύπος ἦν τὰ δεικνύμενα· ἄρτι δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια πεφανέρωται· καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀπό στολος μετὰ ταῦτα φανερώτερον ἐξηγεῖται λέ γων· Κατὰ τοσοῦτον κρείττονος ∆ιαθήκης γέγο νεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς· καὶ πάλιν· Νῦν δὲ διαφο ρωτέρας τετύχηκε λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείτ τονός ἐστι ∆ιαθήκης μεσίτης, ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται· καὶ, Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτε λείωσεν ὁ νόμος, ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος. Καὶ αὖθίς φησιν· Ἀνάγκη οὖν τὰ μὲν ὑποδείγματα τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τούτοις καθα ρίζεσθαι· αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια κρείττοσι θυ σίαις παρὰ ταύτας. Τὸ ἄρα κρεῖττον καὶ νῦν καὶ δι' ὅλων τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνατίθησι, τῷ κρείττονι καὶ ἄλλῳ παρὰ τὰ γενητὰ τυγχάνοντι. Κρείττων γὰρ ἡ δι' αὐτοῦ θυσία· κρείττων ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐλπίς· καὶ αἱ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγελίαι, οὐχ ὡς πρὸς μικρὰ μεγάλαι συγ κρινόμεναι, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄλλαι πρὸς ἄλλα τὴν φύσιν τυγχάνουσαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ταῦτα οἰκονομήσας κρείτ των τῶν γενητῶν ἐστι. Καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον πάλιν, γέγονεν ἔγγυος, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐγγύην τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην σημαίνει. Ὡς γὰρ Λόγος ὢν, σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸ γενέσθαι τῇ σαρκὶ λογιζόμεθα· (γενητὴ γάρ ἐστιν αὕτη καὶ κτιστὴ τυγχάνει οὖσα·) οὕτω καὶ ἐν ταῦθα τὸ, γέγονεν, ἵνα τοῦτο κατὰ δεύτερον σημαι νόμενον ἐκλάβωμεν, διὰ τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ γνῶσιν οἱ φιλονεικοῦντες, ὅτι καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς κακονοίας ἑαυτῶν ἐκπίπτουσιν, ἀκουέτωσαν, ὅτι οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι σημαίνει ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ εἰδὼς αὐτὸν Υἱὸν καὶ Σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπαύγασμα, καὶ εἰκόνα τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν τῆς ∆ιαθήκης δια κονίαν τὸ γενέσθαι καὶ νῦν λογίζεται, καθ' ἣν ὁ ποτὲ βασιλεύων θάνατος κατηργήθη. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο κρείττων ἡ δι' αὐτοῦ διακονία γέγονεν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, ἐκστήσας ἀπ' αὐτῆς τὸ παράπτωμα, ἐν ᾧ διαπαντὸς ᾐχμαλω τίζετο, ὥστε μὴ δέχεσθαι τὸν θεῖον νοῦν. Τὴν δὲ σάρκα δεκτικὴν τοῦ Λόγου κατασκευάσας, ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς μηκέτι κατὰ σάρκα περιπατεῖν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα, καὶ πολλάκις λέγειν· Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι· καὶ, Ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οὐχ ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἵνα πάντας λυτρώσηται, καὶ σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ. Τότε μὲν γὰρ ὡς ὑπεύθυνος ὁ κόσμος ἐκρίνετο ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου· ἄρτι δὲ ὁ Λόγος εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐδέξατο τὸ κρῖμα, καὶ τῷ σώματι παθὼν ὑπὲρ πάν των, σωτηρίαν τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐχαρίσατο. Τοῦτο δὲ βλέ πων κέκραγεν Ἰωάννης· Ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χρι στοῦ ἐγένετο. Κρείττων δὲ ἡ χάρις ἢ ὁ νόμος, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια παρὰ τὴν σκιάν. Τὸ οὖν, κρείττων, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν δι' ἑτέρου τινὸς γενέσθαι ἢ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ καθημένου ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρός. Τί δὲ τοῦτο ση μαίνει, ἢ τὸ γνήσιον τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Πατρὸς ταύτην εἶναι τοῦ Υἱοῦ; Τήν τε γὰρ τοῦ Πατρὸς βασιλείαν βασιλεύων ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν θρόνον τῷ Πατρὶ κάθηται, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς θεότητι θεωρούμενος, Θεός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ βλέπων τὸν Υἱὸν βλέπει τὸν Πατέρα· καὶ οὕτως εἷς Θεός ἐστιν. Ἐκ δεξιῶν γοῦν καθήμενος, ἀριστερὸν οὐ ποιεῖ τὸν Πατέρα· ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἐστὶ δεξιὸν καὶ τίμιον ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἔχει, καὶ λέγει· Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ καθ ήμενος ἐκ δεξιῶν ὁ Υἱὸς ὁρᾷ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ αὐ τὸς ἐκ δεξιῶν, κἂν ὡς ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος λέγῃ· Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριόν μου ἐνώπιόν μου διὰ παντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἐστὶν, ἵνα μὴ σα λευθῶ. ∆είκνυται γὰρ πάλιν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ, ὡς ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. ∆ε ξιοῦ γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός· καὶ καθημένου τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐκ δεξιῶν, ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄγγελοι διακονοῦσιν ἀνερχόμενοι καὶ κατερχόμενοι· περὶ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φησι· Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅτε μὲν ἄγγελοι διακονοῦσι, λέγουσιν ὅτι, Ἀπεστάλην πρὸς σέ· καὶ, Κύ ριος ἐνετείλατο· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς, κἂν λέγῃ ἀνθρωπίνως, ὅτι, Ἀπεστάλην, καὶ ἔρχεται τὸ ἔργον τελειῶσαι καὶ διακονῆσαι, λέγει ὅμως, ὡς Λόγος καὶ εἰκὼν ὑπάρχων· Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι· καὶ, Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα· καὶ, Ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων, αὐτὸς τὰ ἔργα ποιεῖ· ἃ γὰρ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι τις ταύτῃ θεωρεῖ, ταῦτα τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν ἔργα. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἱκανὰ ταῦτα δυσωπῆσαι τοὺς μαχομένους πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν· εἰ δ' ὅτι γέγραπται, γενόμενος κρείττων, τὸ, γενόμενος, οὐ θέλουσιν, ὡς περὶ Υἱοῦ λεγό μενον, ἴσον ἀκοῦσαι, γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ, ἔστιν, ἢ διὰ τὸ γεγενῆσθαι τὴν κρείττονα διακονίαν τὸ, γενόμενος, λαβεῖν καὶ νοεῖν, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν· ἀλλὰ νομίζουσιν ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως γενητὸν εἰρῆσθαι τὸν Λόγον· εἰρημένων ἐπελάθοντο. Εἰ μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔστω καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐπ' ἐκείνων τὸ, γενόμενος, καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῶν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν διαφερέτω· ἀλλ' ἔστω σαν ἢ καὶ οὗτοι υἱοὶ, ἢ κἀκεῖνος ἄγγελος, καὶ κοινῇ πάντες καθεζέσθωσαν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός· ἢ μετὰ πάντων καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς παρεστηκέτω ὡς λειτουργικὸν πνεῦμα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενος καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμοίως ἐκείνων. Εἰ δὲ διίστησιν ὁ Παῦ λος τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπὸ τῶν γενητῶν, λέγων· Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ; καὶ οὗτος μὲν δημιουργεῖ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, αὐτοὶ δὲ παρ' αὐτοῦ γίνονται· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καθέζεται, οἱ δὲ παρεστήκασι λειτουργοῦντες· τίνι πάλιν οὐκ ἔστι φανερὸν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Λόγου ἔλεγε τὸ, γενόμενος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς δι' αὐτοῦ γενομένης διακονίας; Ὡς γὰρ Λόγος ὢν, γέ γονε σὰρξ, οὕτω, γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, γέγονε το σούτῳ κρείττων ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων γενομένης διακονίας, ὅσῳ διαφέρει δούλων υἱὸς, καὶ δὲ δημιουργὸς τῶν δημιουργουμένων· ὥστε παυ σάσθωσαν ἐπὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Υἱοῦ λαμβάνειν τὸ, γενόμενος· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ τῶν γενητῶν· καὶ γνώτω σαν, ὅτι τῆς διακονίας καὶ τῆς γενομένης οἰκονομίας σημαντικόν ἐστι τὸ, γενόμενος. Πῶς δὲ γέγονε κρείτ των ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ, κρείττων ὢν τῇ φύσει παρὰ τὰ γενητὰ, δείκνυσι τὰ προειρημένα, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι μὲν κἂν οὕτως αὐτοὺς αἰσχύνεσθαι. Ἂν δ' ἄρα φιλονει κῶσιν, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη πρὸς τὴν ἀλόγιστον αὐτῶν τόλμαν ὁμόσε χωρῆσαι τούτοις, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ῥητὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰρημένα ἀντιθεῖναι τούτοις, ἵνα ἢ δυσωπηθέντες παύσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὴν γλῶτταν ἀπὸ κακῶν, ἢ γνῶσιν εἰς ὅσον βάθος εἰσὶν ἀνοίας. Γέγραπται τοίνυν· Γενοῦ μοι εἰς Θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν, καὶ εἰς οἶκον καταφυγῆς, τοῦ σῶσαί με· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐγένετο Κύριος καταφυγὴ τῷ πένητι· καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γρα φαῖς εὑρίσκεται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα λέγουσιν, ὃ καὶ τάχα καὶ μᾶλλον ἀληθές ἐστιν· ἐπιγνώτωσαν, ὅτι μὴ ὄντα γενητὸν αὐτὸν ἀξιοῦσι γε νέσθαι βοηθὸν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ οἶκον καταφυγῆς οἱ ἅγιοι· καὶ λοιπὸν τὸ, γενόμενος, καὶ τὸ, ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισεν, εἰς τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν λαμ βανέτωσαν. Τότε γὰρ γέγονε βοηθὸς καὶ οἶκος κατα φυγῆς, ὅτε τῷ σώματι ἑαυτοῦ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, καὶ ἔλεγε· ∆εῦτε πρὸς μὲ, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς. Ἂν δὲ εἰς τὸν Πατέρα λέγωσιν εἰρῆσθαι τὰ ῥητὰ, ἆρ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα γέγραπται τὸ, γενοῦ, καὶ τὸ, ἐγένετο, τοσούτῳ ἐπιχειρήσουσιν, ὥστε εἰπεῖν γενητὸν εἶναι τὸν Θεόν; Ναὶ τολμήσου σιν, ὥσπερ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα διαλογίζονται· φέρει γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἡ ἀκολουθία τοιαῦτα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπονοεῖν, οἷα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λό γου αὐτοῦ φαντάζονται. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο μηδὲ εἰς νοῦν ποτέ τινος τῶν πιστῶν ἐλθεῖν τὸ τοιοῦτον! Οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν γενητῶν ἐστιν, οὔτε τὸ γεγραμ μένον καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ὧδε, γενοῦ, καὶ, ἐγέ νετο, ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὴν γενομέ νην βοήθειαν τοῖς δεομένοις. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς ἀεὶ καὶ ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν· οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι μετὰ ταῦτα γεγό νασι διὰ τοῦ Λόγου, ὅτε αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ ἠθέλησε· καὶ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἀόρατος καὶ ἀπρόσιτος τοῖς γενη τοῖς, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώποις. Ὅταν τοίνυν ἀσθενοῦντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι παρακαλῶσιν, ὅταν διωκόμενοι δέωνται βοηθείας, ὅταν ἀδικούμενοι προσεύχωνται· τότε φιλάνθρωπος ὢν ὁ ἀόρατος ἐπιφαίνεται διὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ εὐεργεσίας, ἣν διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αὐτοῦ Λόγου καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ποιεῖται· καὶ λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἑκάστῳ γίνεται τὰ τῆς θεοφανείας· καὶ γίνεται τοῖς μὲν ἀσθενοῦσιν ἰσχὺς, τοῖς δὲ διωκο μένοις καταφυγὴ καὶ οἶκος σωτηρίας· τοῖς δὲ ἀδικου μένοις λέγει· Ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Ὅπερ οὖν εἰς ἀντίληψιν ἑκάστῳ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ γίνεται, τοῦτο τὸν Θεὸν ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ γεγενῆ σθαι λέγει· ἐπειδὴ καὶ βοήθεια παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου γίνεται. Τοῦτο οἶδε καὶ ἡ συνήθεια τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τοῦτο καὶ πᾶς ὁστισοῦν ὁμολογή σει καλῶς εἰρῆσθαι. Πολλάκις καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων γέγονεν ἀνθρώποις βοήθεια· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀδικουμένῳ συνέκαμεν, ὡς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Λώτ· ὁ δὲ διωκομένῳ τὸν οἶκον ἠνέῳξεν, ὡς ὁ Ἀβδίας τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν προφητῶν· καὶ ὁ μὲν τὸν ξένον ἀνέπαυσεν, ὡς ὁ Λὼτ τοὺς ἀγγέλους· ὁ δὲ τοῖς δεομένοις κεχορήγηκεν, ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἕκαστος τῶν εὖ παθόντων εἰ λέγοι, Ὁ δεῖνά μοι γέγονε βοηθός· καὶ ἄλλος εἰ λέγοι, Κἀμοὶ καταφυγὴ, καὶ τούτῳ χο ρηγός· λέγοντες δὲ ταῦτα, οὐ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς γε νέσεως, οὐδὲ τὴν οὐσίαν τῶν εὖ ποιησάντων σημαί νουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς αὐτοὺς γινομένην παρ' ἐκεί νων εὐεργεσίαν· οὕτως ὅταν λέγωσι περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ ἅγιοι τὸ, ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸ, γενοῦ, οὐκ ἀρχήν τινα γε νέσεως σημαίνουσιν· ἄναρχος γὰρ καὶ οὐ γενητὸς ὁ Θεός· ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομέ νην σωτηρίαν. Τούτου δὲ οὕτως νοουμένου, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὅσα δ' ἂν καὶ ὁσάκις ἂν λέγηται, ἐγένετο, καὶ, γενοῦ, τὴν αὐτὴν διάνοιαν σώζειν· ὥστε καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον, γενόμενος κρείττων τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ, ἐγένετο, ἀκούοντας, μὴ ἀρχήν τινα τοῦ γίνεσθαι ἐπινοεῖν τοῦ Λόγου, μηδὲ ὅλως ἐκ τούτων γενητὸν αὐτὸν φαντάζεσθαι· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς διακονίας καὶ οἰκονομίας, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, νοεῖν τὸ λεγόμενον παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου. Ὅτε γὰρ ὁ Λό γος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἦλθέ τε ἵνα διακονήσῃ καὶ πᾶσι σωτηρίαν χαρίσηται· τότε ἡμῖν ἐγένετο σωτηρία, καὶ ἐγένετο ζωὴ, καὶ ἐγένετο ἱλασμός· τότε ἡ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτοῦ οἰκονομία κρείτ των γέγονε τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁδὸς, καὶ ἐγένετο ἀνάστασις. Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ, Γενοῦ μοι εἰς Θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν, οὐκ οὐσίας γένεσιν σημαίνει αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὥσπερ εἴ ρηται· οὕτως καὶ νῦν τὸ, γενόμενος κρείττων τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ, ἐγένετο, καὶ, τοσούτῳ κρείτ των γέγονεν ἔγγυος ὁ Ἰησοῦς, οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Λόγου γενητὴν σημαίνει, μὴ γένοιτο! ἀλλὰ τὴν γενομένην ἐκ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς εὐερ γεσίαν· κἂν ἀχάριστοι τυγχάνωσιν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ, καὶ φιλόνεικοι πρὸς ἀσέβειαν.