Lecture XI.

On the Words, the Only-Begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father Very God Before All Ages, by Whom All Things Were Made.

Hebrews i. 1

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.

1. That we have hope in Jesus Christ has been sufficiently shewn, according to our ability, in what we delivered to you yesterday. But we must not simply believe in Christ Jesus nor receive Him as one of the many who are improperly called Christs  1  Compare x. 11, 15; xvi. 13: xxi. 1. . For they were figurative Christs, but He is the true Christ; not having risen by advancement  2  ἐκ προκοπῆς. See x. 5. note 8. from among men to the Priesthood, but ever having the dignity of the Priesthood from the Father  3  Compare x. 14, note 9. . And for this cause the Faith guarding us beforehand lest we should suppose Him to be one of the ordinary Christs, adds to the profession of the Faith, that we believe In One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God.

2. And again on hearing of a “Son,” think not of an adopted son but a Son by nature  4  θετόν. Athanasius (de Sententiâ Dionysii, § 23), represents Arius as saying that the Word “is not by nature (κατὰ φύσιν) and in truth Son of God, but is called Son, He too, by adoption (κατὰ θέσιν), as a creature.” Again (c. Arian. Orat. iii. 19), he says, “This is the true God and the Life eternal, and we are made sons through Him by adoption and grace (θέσει καὶ χάριτι).” Cf. vii. 10, and § 4, below. , an Only-begotten Son, having no brother. For this is the reason why He is called “Only-begotten,” because in the dignity of the Godhead, and His generation from the Father, He has no brother. But we call Him the Son of God, not of ourselves, but because the Father Himself named Christ  5  The mss. all read αὐτὸν Χριστόν which might mean “Christ and no other.” But Χριστόν is probably a gloss introduced from the margin. His Son  6  Compare the passages in which Cyril quotes Ps. ii. 7, as Cat. vii. 2; x. 2; xi. 5; xii. 18. : and a true name is that which is set by fathers upon their children  7  “It was one of the especial rights of a father to choose the names for his children, and to alter them if he pleased” (Dict. Greek and Roman Antiq. “Nomen. 1 Greek.”) The right to the name given by the father is the subject of one of the Private Orations of Demosthenes (Πρὸς Βοιωτὸν περὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος). .

3. Our Lord Jesus Christ erewhile became Man, but by the many He was unknown. Wishing, therefore, to teach that which was not known, He called together His disciples, and asked them,  Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am   8  Matt. xiii. 16. ? —not from vain-glory, but wishing to shew them the truth, lest dwelling with God, the Only-begotten of God  9  Compare iv. 7: “God of God begotten;” xiii. 3 and 13: “God the Son of God.” Here however, the mss. vary, and the reading of Cod. Coisl. Υἱῷ Θεοῦ μονογενεῖ is approved by the Benedictine Editor, though not adopted. The confusion of Υἱῷ and Θεῷ is like that in John i. 18. , they should think lightly of Him as if He were some mere man. And when they answered that some said Elias, and some Jeremias, He said to them, They may be excused for not knowing, but ye, My Apostles, who in My name cleanse lepers, and cast out devils, and raise the dead, ought not to be ignorant of Him, through whom ye do these wondrous works. And when they all became silent (for the matter was too high for man to learn), Peter, the foremost of the Apostles and chief herald  10  ὁ πρωτοστάτης τῶν ᾽Αποστόλων καὶ τῆς ᾽Εκκλησίας κορυφαῖος κήρυξ. Cf. ii. 19. of the Church, neither aided by cunning invention, nor persuaded by human reasoning, but enlightened in his mind from the Father, says to Him,  Thou art the Christ , not only so, but  the Son of the living God . And there follows a blessing upon his speech (for in truth it was above man), and as a seal upon what he had said, that it was the Father who had revealed it to him. For the Saviour says,  Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father which is in heaven   11  Matt. xvi. 17. . He therefore who acknowledges our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, partakes of this blessedness; but he who denies the Son of God is a poor and miserable man.

4. Again, I say, on hearing of a Son, understand it not merely in an improper sense, but as a Son in truth, a Son by nature, without beginning  12  Athanasius (de Synodis, § 15) quotes a passage from the Thalia of Arius, in which he says: “We praise Him as without beginning, because of Him who has a beginning: and adore Him as eternal, because of Him who in time has come to be. He who is without beginning made the Son a beginning of things created.” It is important, therefore, to notice the sense in which Cyril here calls the Son ἄναρχος. The word has two meanings, which should be clearly distinguished, (i) unoriginate, (ii) without beginning in time. The former referring to origin, or cause, can properly be applied to the One true God, or to God the Father only, as it is used by Clement of Alexandria (Protrept. cap. v. § 65: τὸν πάντων ποιητὴν…ἀγνοοῦντες, τὸν ἄναρχον Θεόν. [Strom. IV. cap. xxv. § 164: ὁ Θεὸς δὲ ἄναρχος ἀρχὴ τῶν ὅλων παντελὴς ἀρχῆς ποιητικός]. [Stromat. V. cap. xiv. § 142: ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀνάρχου]. Methodius (ob. 312 a.d. circ.) in a fragment (On things created, § 8, English Trans. Clark’s Ante-Nic. Libr.) comments thus on John i. 1–3: “And so after the peculiar unbeginning beginning, who is the Father, He (the Word) is the beginning of other things, ‘by whom all things are made.’” In this sense Cyril has said (iv. 4) that God alone is “unbegotten, unoriginate:” and in xi. 20 he explains this more fully,—“Suffer none to speak of a beginning of the Son in time (χῥονικὴν ἀρχήν), but as a timeless beginning acknowledge the Father. For the Father is the beginning of the Son, timeless, incomprehensible, without beginning.” From a confusion of the two meanings the word came to be improperly applied in the sense of “unoriginate” to the Son, and to the Spirit; and this improper usage is condemned in the 49th Apostolic Canon, which Hefele regards as amongst the most ancient Canons, and taken from the Apostolic Constitutions, vi. 11: “If any Bishop or Presbyter shall baptize not according to our Lord’s ordinance into the Father, and Son, and Spirit, but into three Unoriginates, or three Sons, or three Paracletes let him be deposed.” (ii.) Athanasius frequently calls the Son ἄναρχος in the sense of ‘timeless,’ as being the co-eternal brightness (ἀπαύγασμα) of the Eternal Light: see de Sent. Dionys. §§ 15, 16, 22; “God is the Eternal Light, which never either began or shall cease: accordingly the Brightness is ever before Him, and co-exists with Him, without beginning and ever-begotten (ἄναρχον καὶ ἀειγενές).” ; not as having come out of bondage into a higher state of adoption  13  εἰς προκοπὴν υἱοθεσίας. Cf. § 2, note 4. , but a Son eternally begotten by an inscrutable and incomprehensible generation. And in like manner on hearing of the First-born  14  Πρωτότοκον. The word occurs in Heb. i. 6, which had been read in the Lesson before this Lecture. The exact dogmatic sense of the word is carefully explained by Athanasius (c. Arian. Or. ii. 62): “The same cannot be both Only-begotten and Firstborn, except in different relations;—that is, Only-begotten, because of His generation from the father, as has been said; and First-born, because of His condescension to the creation, and His making the many His brethren.” See Mr. Robertson’s discussion of the word πρωτότοκος (Athan. p. 344, in this series), and Bp. Bull (Def. Fid. Nic. iii. 5–8). , think not that this is after the manner of men; for the first-born among men have other brothers also. And it is somewhere written,  Israel is My son, My first-born   15  Ex. iv. 22. . But Israel is, as Reuben was, a first-born son rejected: for Reuben went up to his father’s couch; and Israel cast his Father’s Son out of the vineyard, and crucified Him.

To others also the Scripture says,  Ye are the sons of the Lord your God   16  Deut. xiv. 1. : and in another place,  I have said, Ye are gods, and ye are all sons of the Most High   17  Ps. lxxxii. 6. .  I have said , not, “I have begotten.” They, when God so  said , received the sonship, which before they had not: but He was not begotten to be other than He was before; but was begotten from the beginning Son of the Father, being above all beginning and all ages, Son of the Father, in all things like  18  ἐν πᾶσιν ὅμοιος. See the note on iv. 7. That the phrase was not equivalent to ὁμοούσιος, and did not adequately express the relation of the Son to the Father is clearly shewn by Athanasius (de Synodis, cap. iii. § 53). to Him who begat Him, eternal of a Father eternal, Life of Life begotten, and Light of Light, and Truth of Truth, and Wisdom of the Wise, and King of King, and God of God, and Power of Power  19  The additions which the Benedictine Editor has here made to the earlier text, as represented by Milles, may be conveniently shewn in brackets. ἀλλὰ Υἱὸς [τοῦ Πατρὸς]* ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγεννήθη, [ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ αἰώνων τυγχάνων]*, Υιὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς [ἐν πᾶσιν]† ὅμοιος τῷ γεγεννηκότι· [ἀΐδιος ἐξ ἀϊδίου Πατρός,]* ζωὴ ἐκ ζωῆς γεγεννημένος. …καὶ Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ, [καὶ δύναμις ἐκ δυνάμεως]‡. * Codd. Coisl. Ottob. Mon. 2. † Coisl. Ottob. Roe, Casaub. Mon. 1, 2. ‡ Coisl. Ottob. Mon. 1, 2. .

5. If then thou hear the Gospel saying,  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham   20  Matt. i. 1. , understand “according to the flesh.” For He is the Son of David  at the end of the ages   21  Heb. ix. 26. , but the Son of God Before All Ages, without beginning  22  See § 4, note 3. . The one, which before He had not, He received; but the other, which He hath, He hath eternally as begotten of the Father. Two fathers He hath: one, David, according to the flesh, and one, God, His Father in a Divine manner  23  Θεϊκῶς. . As the Son of David, He is subject to time, and to handling, and to genealogical descent: but as Son according to the Godhead  24  τὸ μὲν κατὰ τὸν Δαβίδ.…τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Θεότητα. , He is subject neither to time nor to place, nor to genealogical descent: for  His generation who shall declare   25  Isa. liii. 8. Compare § 7, below. ?  God is a Spirit   26  John iv. 24. ; He who is a Spirit hath spiritually begotten, as being incorporeal, an inscrutable and incomprehensible generation. The Son Himself says of the Father,  The Lord said unto Me, Thou art My Son, to-day have I begotten Thee   27  Ps. ii. 7. . Now this  to-day is not recent, but eternal: a timeless to-day, before all ages.  From the womb, before the morning star, have I begotten Thee   28  Ps. cx. 3. “From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth” (R.V.). There is a remarkable various reading in Codd. Roe, Casaub. Τό εἶ σύ, ἄχρονον καὶ ἀΐδιον· τὸ δὲ σήμερον πρόσφατον, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἀΐδιον, οἰκειουμένου τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τὴν κάτω γέννησιν. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· ᾽Εκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου γεγέννηκά σε· τοῦτο μόνον τῆς Θεότητος· Πίστευσον, κ.τ.λ The words “Thou art My Son,” are thus referred to the eternal generation, and “This day” to the birth in time: whereas in the received text, followed in our translation, σήμερον refers to the timeless and eternal generation of the Son. The former interpretation of Ps. ii. 7 is found in many Fathers, as for example in Tertullian (adv. Prax. vii. xi.), and Methodius (Conviv. Virg. VIII. cap. ix.): “He says ‘Thou art,’ and not ‘Thou hast become,’ shewing that He had not recently attained to the position of Son.…But the expression, ‘This day have I begotten Thee,’ signifies that He willed that existing already before the ages in heaven He should also be begotten for the world, that is that He who was before unknown should be made known.’ The same interpretation was held by many Fathers, some referring σήμερον to the Nativity, as Cyprian (adv. Judæos Testim. ii. 8), others to the Baptism (Justin M. Dialog. cap. lxxxviii.; Tertullian. adv. Marcion. iv. 22). Athanasius (c. Arian. iv. § 27), has a long discussion on the question whether Ps. cx. 3, ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου γεγέννηκά σε, refers to the eternal generation of the Son, or to His Nativity. .

6. Believe thou therefore on Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, and a Son Only-Begotten, according to the Gospel which says,  For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life   29  John iii. 16. . And again,  He that believeth on the Son is not judged, but hath passed out of death into life   30  Ib. iii. 18; v. 24. .  But he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him   31  Ib. iii. 36. . And John testified concerning Him, saying,  And we beheld His glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the father,—full of grace and truth   32  Ib. i. 14. : at whom the devils trembled and said,  Ah! what have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the living God   33  Luke iv. 34. .

7. He is then the Son of God by nature and not by adoption  34  φύσει καὶ οὐ θέσει. Cf. § 2, note 4. , begotten of the Father.  And he that loveth Him that begat, loveth Him also that is begotten of Him   35  1 John v. 1. ; but he that despiseth Him that is begotten casts back the insult upon Him who begat. And whenever thou hear of God begetting, sink not down in thought to bodily things, nor think of a corruptible generation, lest thou be guilty of impiety.  God is a Spirit   36  John iv. 24. Cf. § 5. , His generation is spiritual: for bodies beget bodies, and for the generation of bodies time needs must intervene; but time intervenes not in the generation of the Son from the Father. And in our case what is begotten is begotten imperfect: but the Son of God was begotten perfect; for what He is now, that is He also from the beginning  37  γεγεννημένος ἀνάρχως. Cf. § 5, note 4. , begotten without beginning. We are begotten so as to pass from infantile ignorance to a state of reason: thy generation, O man, is imperfect, for thy growth is progressive. But think not that it is thus in His case, nor impute infirmity to Him who hath begotten. For if that which He begot was imperfect, and acquired its perfection in time, thou art imputing infirmity to Him who hath begotten; if so be, the Father did not bestow from the beginning that which, as thou sayest, time bestowed afterwards  38  ὃ χρόνος. Bened. c. Codd. Roe, Casaub. Coisl. ὃ χρόνοις Ottob. Mon. 1, 2. A. With the latter reading, the meaning will be—“if He did not bestow from the beginning, as thou sayest, what He bestowed in after times.” Cyril does not here address his auditor, but an imaginary opponent,—“O man.” Compare Athan. (de Synodis, § 26). .

8. Think not therefore that this generation is human, nor as Abraham begat Isaac. For in begetting Isaac, Abraham begat not what he would, but what another granted. But in God the Father’s begetting there is neither ignorance nor intermediate deliberation  39  The Arians appear to have made use of a dilemma: If God begat with will and purpose, these preceded the begetting, and so ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, there was a time when the Son was not: if without will and purpose, then He begat in ignorance and of necessity. The answer is fully given by Athanasius (c. Arian. iii. 58–67, pp. 425–431 in this Series). . For to say that He knew not what He was begetting is the greatest impiety; and it is no less impious to say, that after deliberation in time He then became a Father. For God was not previously without a Son, and afterwards in time became a Father; but hath the Son eternally, having begotten Him not as men beget men, but as Himself only knoweth, who begat Him before all ages Very God.

9. For the Father being Very God begat the Son like unto Himself, Very God  40  Athanasius (ad Episcopos Ægypti, § 13), referring to 1 John v. 20, This is the true (ἁληθινός) God, writes: “But these men (the Arians), as if in contradiction to this, allege that Christ is not the true God, but that He is only called God, as are other creatures, in regard of His participation in the Divine nature.” Again (c. Arian. iii. 9), “He gave us to know that of the true Father He is the true Offspring (ἀληθινὸν γέννημα). ; not as teachers beget disciples, not as Paul says to some,  For in Christ Jesus I begat you through the Gospel   41  1 Cor. iv. 15. . For in this case he who was not a son by nature became a son by discipleship, but in the former case He was a Son by nature, a true Son. Not as ye, who are to be illuminated, are now becoming sons of God: for ye also become sons, but by adoption of grace, as it is written,  But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God   42  John i. 12, 13. . And we indeed are begotten of water and of the Spirit, but not thus was Christ begotten of the Father. For at the time of His Baptism addressing Him, and saying,  This is My Son   43  Matt. iii. 17. , He did not say, “This has now become My Son,” but,  This is My Son; that He might make manifest, that even before the operation of Baptism He was a Son.

10. The Father begat the Son, not as among men mind begets word. For the mind is substantially existent in us; but the word when spoken is dispersed into the air and comes to an end  44  Compare Athanasius (de Sententiâ Dionysii, § 23): “the mind creates the word, being manifested in it, and the word shews the mind, having originated therein.” Tertullian (adv. Prax. vii.): “You will say what is a word but a voice and sound of the mouth, and (as the Grammarians teach) air when struck against, intelligible to the ear, but for the rest a sort of void, empty, and incorporeal thing.” Cf. Athan. (de Synodis, § 12): ἀνυπόστατον. . But we know Christ to have been begotten not as a word pronounced  45  προφορικόν. See Cat. iv. 8, note 9. , but as a Word substantially existing  46  ἐνυπόστατον. ibid. So the Spirit is described in Cat. xvii. 5 “not uttered or breathed by the mouth and lips of the Father and the Son, nor dispersed into the air, but personally subsisting (ἐνυπόστατον).” and living; not spoken by the lips, and dispersed, but begotten of the Father eternally and ineffably, in substance  47  ἐν ὑποστάσει. . For,  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God   48  John i. 1. , sitting at God’s right hand;—the Word understanding the Father’s will, and creating all things at His bidding: the Word, which came down and went up; for the word of utterance when spoken comes not down, nor goes up; the Word speaking and saying,  The things which I have seen with My Father, these I speak   49  John viii. 38. : the Word possessed of power, and reigning over all things: for  the Father hath committed all things unto the Son   50  Matt. xi. 27; John v. 22. .

11. The Father then begat Him not in such wise as any man could understand, but as Himself only knoweth. For we profess not to tell in what manner He begat Him, but we insist that it was not in this manner. And not we only are ignorant of the generation of the Son from the Father, but so is every created nature.  Speak to the earth, if perchance it may teach thee   51  Job xii. 8. : and though thou inquire of all things which are upon the earth, they shall not be able to tell thee. For the earth cannot tell the substance of Him who is its own potter and fashioner. Nor is the earth alone ignorant, but the sun also  52  In saying that the earth, the sun, and the heavens know not their Maker, Cyril is simply using figurative language like that of the passage of Job just quoted. There is no reason to suppose that he accepted Origen’s theory (de Principiis, II. cap. 7), that the heavenly bodies are living and rational beings, capable of sin. : for the sun was created on the fourth day, without knowing what had been made in the three days before him; and he who knows not the things made in the three days before him, cannot tell forth the Maker Himself. Heaven will not declare this: for at the Father’s bidding  the heaven also was like smoke established   53  Isa. li. 6: the heavens shall vanish away like smoke. by Christ. Nor shall  the heaven of heavens declare this,  nor the waters which are above the heavens   54  Ps. cxlviii. 4. . Why then art thou cast down, O man, at being ignorant of that which even the heavens know not? Nay, not only are the heavens ignorant of this generation, but also every angelic nature. For if any one should ascend, were it possible, into the first heaven, and perceiving the ranks of the Angels there should approach and ask them how God begat His own Son, they would say perhaps, “We have above us beings greater and higher; ask them.” Go up to the second heaven and the third; attain, if thou canst, to Thrones, and Dominions, and Principalities, and Powers: and even if any one should reach them, which is impossible, they also would decline the explanation, for they know it not.

12. For my part, I have ever wondered at the curiosity of the bold men, who by their imagined reverence fall into impiety. For though they know nothing of Thrones, and Dominions, and Principalities, and Powers, the workmanship of Christ, they attempt to scrutinise their Creator Himself. Tell me first, O most daring man, wherein does Throne differ from Dominion, and then scrutinise what pertains to Christ. Tell me what is a Principality, and what a Power, and what a Virtue, and what an Angel: and then search out their Creator,  for all things were made by Him   55  John i. 3. . But thou wilt not, or thou canst not ask Thrones or Dominions. What else is there that  knoweth the deep things of God   56  1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. , save only the Holy Ghost, who spake the Divine Scriptures? But not even the Holy Ghost Himself has spoken in the Scriptures concerning the generation of the Son from the Father. Why then dost thou busy thyself about things which not even the Holy Ghost has written in the Scriptures? Thou that knowest not the things which are written, busiest thou thyself about the things which are not written? There are many questions in the Divine Scriptures; what is written we comprehend not, why do we busy ourselves about what is not written? It is sufficient for us to know that God hath begotten One Only Son.

13. Be not ashamed to confess thine ignorance, since thou sharest ignorance with Angels. Only He who begat knoweth Him who was begotten, and He who is begotten of Him knoweth Him who begat. He who begat knoweth what He begat: and the Scriptures also testify that He who was begotten is God  57  I have followed the reading of Codd. Coisl. Roe, Casaub. Mon. A., which is approved though not adopted by the Benedictine Editor. The common text is manifestly interpolated: “And the Holy Spirit of God testifies in the Scriptures, that He who was begotten without beginning is God. For what man knoweth, &c.” This insertion of 1 Cor. ii. 11 interrupts the argument, and is a useless repetition of the allusion to the same passage in § 12. . For  as the Father hath life in Himself, so also hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself   58  John v. 26. ; and,  that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father   59  Ib. v. 23. ; and,  as the Father quickeneth whom He will, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will  60  Ib. v. 21. . Neither He who begat suffered any loss, nor is anything lacking to Him who was begotten (I know that I have said these things many times, but it is for your safety that they are said so often): neither has He who begat, a Father, nor He who was begotten, a brother. Neither was He who begat changed into the Son  61  See iv. 8, note 8, on the Sabellian doctrine, and Athanas. (de Synodis, § 16, note 10 in this series). , nor did He who was begotten become the Father  62  The doctrine of Sabellius might be expressed in two forms, either the Father became the Son, or the Son became the Father. Both forms are here denied. The Jerusalem Editor thinks there is an allusion to the Arian argument mentioned by Athanasius (c. Arian. Or. I. cap. vi. 22): “If the Son is the Father’s offspring and Image, and is like in all things to the Father, then it necessarily holds that as He is begotten so He begets, and He too becomes father of a son.” But the close connexion of the two clauses is in favour of the reference to the Sabellian υἱοπατορία. . Of One Only Father there is One Only-begotten Son: neither two Unbegotten  63  ἀγέννητοι. The context shews that this, not ἀγένητοι, is here the right form. Athanasius seems to have used ἀγέννητος in both senses “Un-begotten,” as here, and “unoriginate.” Thus (c. Arian. Or. i. cap. ix. § 30) he says of the Arians: “Their further question ‘whether the Unoriginate be one or two,’ shews how false are their views.” Compare Bp. Lightfoot’s Excursus on Ignatius, Ephes. § 7, and Mr. Robertson’s notes on Athanasius in this Series. , nor two Only-begotten; but One Father, Unbegotten (for He is Unbegotten who hath no father); and One Son, eternally begotten of the Father; begotten not in time, but before all ages; not increased by advancement, but begotten that which He now is.

14. We believe then In the Only-Begotten Son of God, Who Was Begotten of the Father Very God. For the True God begetteth not a false god, as we have said, nor did He deliberate and afterwards beget  64  See above, § 8, note 3. ; but He begat eternally, and much more swiftly than our words or thoughts: for we speaking in time, consume time; but in the case of the Divine Power, the generation is timeless. And as I have often said, He did not bring forth the Son from non-existence into being, nor take the non-existent into sonship  65  Athan. (c. Arian. I. ix. 31) “speaking against the Lord, ‘He is of nothing,’ and ‘He was not before His generation.’” : but the Father, being Eternal, eternally and ineffably begat One Only Son, who has no brother. Nor are there two first principles; but the Father is  the head of the Son   66  1 Cor. xi. 3. ; the beginning is One. For the Father begot the Son Very God, called Emmanuel; and Emmanuel  being interpreted is, God with us   67  Matt. i. 23. .

15. And wouldest thou know that He who was begotten of the Father, and afterwards became man, is God? Hear the Prophet saying,  This is our God, none other shall be accounted of in comparison with Him. He hath found out every way of knowledge, and given it to Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. Afterwards He was seen on earth, and conversed among men   68  Baruch iii. 35–37. The last verse was understood by Cyril, as by many of the Greek and Latin Fathers, to be a prophecy of the Incarnation: but in reality it refers to “knowledge” (ἐπιστήμη, v. 36), and should be translated “she was seen upon earth.” See notes on the passage in the Speaker’s Commentary. . Seest thou herein God become man, after the giving of the law by Moses? Hear also a second testimony to Christ’s Deity, that which has just now been read,  Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever   69  Heb. i. 8. . For lest, because of His presence here in the flesh, He should be thought to have been advanced after this to the Godhead, the Scripture says plainly,  Therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows   70  Ib. i. 9. See x. 14, note 9. . Seest thou Christ as God anointed by God the Father?

16. Wouldest thou receive yet a third testimony to Christ’s Godhead? Hear Esaias saying,  Egypt hath laboured, and the merchandise of Ethiopia: and soon after,  In Thee shall they make supplication, because God is in Thee, and there is no God save Thee. For Thou art God, and we knew it not, the God of Israel, the Saviour   71  Isa. xlv. 14, 15: “They shall make supplication unto thee, saying, surely God is in thee.” The words are addressed to Jerusalem as the city of God. Cyril applies them to the Son, misled by the Septuagint. . Thou seest that the Son is God, having in Himself God the Father: saying almost the very same which He has said in the Gospels:  The Father is in Me, and I am in the Father   72  John xiv. 11. . He says not, I am the Father, but  the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father . And again He said not, I and the Father am  73  Athanasius (c. Arian. Or. iv. § 9), arguing for the ὁμοούσιον says: “These are two, because there is Father and Son, that is the Word; and one, because one God. For if this is not so, He would have said, I am the Father, or, I and the Father am.” one, but,  I and the Father am one , that we should neither separate them, nor make a confusion of Son-Father  74  See iv. 8, notes 7 and 8. . One they are because of the dignity pertaining to the Godhead, since God begat God. One in respect of their kingdom; for the Father reigns not over these, and the Son over those, lifting Himself up against His Father like Absalom: but the kingdom of the Father is likewise the kingdom of the Son. One they are, because there is no discord nor division between them: for what things the Father willeth, the Son willeth the same. One, because the creative works of Christ are no other than the Father’s; for the creation of all things is one, the Father having made them through the Son:  For He spake, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created , saith the Psalmist  75  Psa. xxxiii. 9; cxlviii. 5. S. Cyril explains the creative “Fiat” in Gen. i. as addressed by the Father to the Son. . For He who speaks, speaks to one who hears: and He who commands, gives His commandment to one who is present with Him.

17. The Son then is Very God, having the Father in Himself, not changed into the Father; for the Father was not made man, but the Son. For let the truth be freely spoken  76  We learn from Socrates (Eccl. Hist. I. 24), that after the Nicene Council “those who objected to the word ὁμοούσιος conceived that those who approved it favoured the opinion of Sabellius.” Marcellus of Ancyra, who was deposed on a charge of Sabellianism, and who did not in fact make clear the distinct personality of the Son, had been warmly supported by the friends of Athanasius. Cyril apparently fears to incur their censure, if he too strongly condemned the Sabellian view. . The Father suffered not for us, but the Father sent Him who suffered. Neither let us say, There was a time when the Son was not; nor let us admit a Son who is the Father  77  Cyril here rejects both the opposite errors, Arianism, “There was a time when the Son was not,” and Sabellianism, “a Son who is the Father.” : but let us walk in the king’s highway; let us turn aside neither on the left hand nor on the right. Neither from thinking to honour the Son, let us call Him the Father; nor from thinking to honour the Father, imagine the Son to be some one of the creatures. But let One Father be worshipped through One Son, and let not their worship be separated. Let One Son be proclaimed, sitting at the right hand of the Father before all ages: sharing His throne not by advancement in time after His Passion, but by eternal possession.

18.  He who hath seen the Son, hath seen the Father   78  John xiv. 9. : for in all things the Son is like to Him who begat Him  79  See above, § 4, note 9. ; begotten Life of Life and Light of Light, Power of Power, God of God; and the characteristics of the Godhead are unchangeable  80  ἀπαράλλακτοι. The word was used by the Orthodox Bishops at Nicæa, who said that “the Word must be described as the True power and Image of the Father, in all things like the Father and Himself incapable of change.” See the notes of Dr. Newman and Mr. Robertson on Athanasius (de Decretis, § 20). in the Son; and he who is counted worthy to behold Godhead in the Son, attains to the fruition of the Father. This is not my word, but that of the Only-begotten:  Have I been so long time with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father   81  John xiv. 9. . And to be brief, let us neither separate them, nor make a confusion  82  See iv. 8, note 8. : neither say thou ever that the Son is foreign to the Father, nor admit those who say that the Father is at one time Father, and at another Son: for these are strange and impious statements, and not the doctrines of the Church. But the Father having begotten the Son, remained the Father and is not changed. He begat Wisdom, yet lost not wisdom Himself; and begat Power, yet became not weak: He begat God, but lost not His own Godhead: and neither did He lose anything Himself by diminution or change; nor has He who was begotten any thing wanting. Perfect is He who begat, Perfect that which was begotten: God was He who begat, God He who was begotten; God of all Himself, yet entitling the Father His own God. For He is not ashamed to say, I  ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God   83  John xx. 17. .

19. But lest thou shouldest think that He is in a like sense Father of the Son and of the creatures, Christ drew a distinction in what follows. For He said not, “I ascend to our Father,” lest the creatures should be made fellows of the Only-begotten; but He said,  My Father and your Father ; in one way Mine, by nature; in another yours, by adoption. And again,  to my God and your God , in one way Mine, as His true and Only-begotten Son, and in another way yours, as His workmanship  84  Compare Cat. vii. 7. The Jerusalem Editor observes that the expression “My God” is understood by the Fathers generally as spoken by Christ in reference to His human nature, but Cyril applies this, as well as the other expression “My Father,” to the Divine nature. So Hilary (de Trinit. iv. 53): “idcirco Deus ejus est, quia ex eo natus in Deum est.” Compare Epiphanius (Hær. lxix. 55). . The Son of God then is Very God, ineffably begotten before all ages (for I say the same things often to you, that it may be graven upon your mind). This also believe, that God has a Son: but about the manner be not curious, for by searching thou wilt not find. Exalt not thyself, lest thou fall:  think upon those things only which have been commanded thee   85  Ecclus. iii. 22. . Tell me first what He is who begat, and then learn that which He begat; but if thou canst not conceive the nature of Him who hath begotten, search not curiously into the manner of that which is begotten.

20. For godliness it sufficeth thee to know, as we have said, that God hath One Only Son, One naturally begotten; who began not His being when He was born in Bethlehem, but Before All Ages. For hear the Prophet Micah saying,  And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephrata, art little to be among the thousands of Judah. Out of thee shall come forth unto Me a Ruler, who shall feed My people Israel: and His goings forth are from the beginning, from days of eternity   86  Micah v. 2; on the various readings ὀλγιοστὸς εἶ, μὴ ὀλ, εἶ οὐκ ὀλ. εἶ, found in the mss. of Cyril, see the Commentaries on the quotation of the passage in Matt. ii. 6. . Think not then of Him who is now come forth out of Bethlehem  87  Codd. Roe, Casaub. have a different reading—“Think not then of His having now been born in Bethlehem, and (nor) suppose Him as the Son of Man to be altogether recent, but worship, &c.” This is rightly regarded by the Benedictine and other Editors as an interpolation intended to avoid the apparent tendency of Cyril’s language in the received text to separate the Virgin’s Son from the Eternal Word. Had Cyril so written after the Nestorian controversy arose, he would have appeared to favour the Nestorian formula that “Mary did not give birth to the Deity.” Compare Swainson (Nicene Creed, Ch. ix. § 7.) What Cyril really means is that we are not to think of Christ simply as man, but to worship Him as God. , but worship Him who was eternally begotten of the Father. Suffer none to speak of a beginning of the Son in time, but as a timeless Beginning acknowledge the Father. For the Father is the Beginning of the Son, timeless, incomprehensible, without beginning  88  Compare § 4, note 3. . The fountain of the river of righteousness, even of the Only-begotten, is the Father, who begat Him as Himself only knoweth. And wouldest thou know that our Lord Jesus Christ is King Eternal? Hear Him again saying,  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad   89  John viii. 56. . And then, when the Jews received this hardly, He says what to them was still harder,  Before Abraham was, I am   90  Ib. viii. 58. . And again He saith to the Father,  And now, Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was   91  Ib. xvii. 5. . He says plainly, “before the world was, I had the glory which is with Thee.” And again when He says,  For Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world   92  John xvii. 24. , He plainly declares, “The glory which I have with thee is from eternity.”

21. We believe then In One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, Begotten of His Father Very God Before All Worlds, by Whom All Things Were Made. For  whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were made through Him   93  Col. i. 16. , and of things created none is exempted from His authority. Silenced be every heresy which brings in different creators and makers of the world; silenced the tongue which blasphemes the Christ the Son of God; let them be silenced who say that the sun is the Christ, for He is the sun’s Creator, not the sun which we see  94  Compare Cat. vi. 13, and xv. 3: “Here let converts from the Manichees gain instruction, and no longer make those lights their gods; nor impiously think that this sun which shall be darkened is Christ.” . Silenced be they who say that the world is the workmanship of Angels  95  The creation of the world was ascribed to Angels by the Gnostics generally, e.g. by Simon Magus (Irenæus, adv. Hæres. I. xxiii. § 2), Menander (ibid. § 5), Saturninus (ibid. xxiv. 1), Basilides (ibid. § 3), Carpocrates (ibid. xxv. 1). , who wish to steal away the dignity of the Only-begotten. For whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or anything that is named, all things were made by Christ. He reigns over the things which have been made by Him, not having seized another’s spoils, but reigning over His own workmanship, even as the Evangelist John has said,  All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made   96  John i. 3. . All things were made by Him, the Father working by the Son.

22. I wish to give also a certain illustration of what I am saying, but I know that it is feeble; for of things visible what can be an exact illustration of the Divine Power? But nevertheless as feeble be it spoken by the feeble to the feeble. For just as any king, whose son was a king, if he wished to form a city, might suggest to his son, his partner in the kingdom, the form of the city, and he having received the pattern, brings the design to completion; so, when the Father wished to form all things, the Son created all things at the Father’s bidding, that the act of bidding might secure to the Father His absolute authority  97  On the doctrine of Creation by the Son as held by Cyril, see the reference to the Introduction in the Index, Creation. , and yet the Son in turn might have authority over His own workmanship, and neither the Father be separated from the lordship over His own works, nor the Son rule over things created by others, but by Himself. For, as I have said, Angels did not create the world, but the Only-begotten Son, begotten, as I have said, before all ages, By Whom All Things Were Made, nothing having been excepted from His creation. And let this suffice to have been spoken by us so far, by the grace of Christ.

23. But let us now recur to our profession of the Faith, and so for the present finish our discourse. Christ made all things, whether thou speak of Angels, or Archangels, of Dominions, or Thrones. Not that the Father wanted strength to create the works Himself, but because He willed that the Son should reign over His own workmanship, God Himself giving Him the design of the things to be made. For honouring His own Father the Only-begotten saith,  The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise   98  John v. 19. . And again,  My Father worketh hitherto, and I work   99  Ib. v. 17. , there being no opposition in those who work.  For all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine , saith the Lord in the Gospels  100  Ib. xvii. 10. . And this we may certainly know from the Old and New Testaments. For He who said,  Let us make man in our image and after our likeness   101  Gen. i. 26. , was certainly speaking to some one present. But clearest of all are the Psalmist’s words,  He spake and they were made; He commanded, and they were created   102  Ps. cxlviii. 5. , as if the Father commanded and spake, and the Son made all things at the Father’s bidding. And this Job said mystically,  Which alone spread out the heaven, and walketh upon the sea as on firm ground   103  Job ix. 8. ; signifying to those who understand that He who when present here walked upon the sea is also He who aforetime made the heavens. And again the Lord saith,  Or didst Thou take earth, and fashion clay into a living being   104  Ib. xxxviii. 14. ? then afterwards,  Are the gates of death opened to Thee through fear, and did the door-keepers of hell shudder at sight of Thee   105  Ib. xxxviii. 17. ? thus signifying that He who through loving-kindness descended into hell, also in the beginning made man out of clay.

24. Christ then is the Only-begotten Son of God, and Maker of the world. For  He was in the world, and the world was made by Him; and  He came unto His own , as the Gospel teaches us  106  John i. 10, 11. . And not only of the things which are seen, but also of the things which are not seen, is Christ the Maker at the Father’s bidding. For  in Him , according to the Apostle,  were all things created that are in the heavens, and that are upon the earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things have been created by Him and for Him; and He is before all, and   in Him all things consist   107  Col. i. 16, 17. . Even if thou speak of the worlds, of these also Jesus Christ is the Maker by the Father’s bidding. For  in these last days God spake unto us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds   108  Heb. i. 2. . To whom be the glory, honour, might, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

[11]  ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΙΣ ΙΑʹ ΦΩΤΙΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ, Ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις σχεδιασθεῖσα εἰς τό: ΤΟΝ ὙΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ, ΤΟΝ ΕΚ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΑ ΘΕΟΝ ΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΝ ΠΡΟ ΠΑΝΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΙΩΝΩΝ, ΔΙ' ὉΥ ΤΑ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΕΓΕΝΕΤΟ. Καὶ ἀνάγνωσις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους: Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. 

Ὅτι μὲν εἰς Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐλπίζομεν, αὐτάρκως κατὰ δύναμιν ἡμῖν εἴρηται, διὰ τῶν χθὲς ὑμῖν παραδεδομένων. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν πιστευτέον, οὐδὲ ὡς ἕνα τῶν πολλῶν καταχρηστικῶς καλουμένων χριστῶν παραδεκτέον. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ἦσαν χριστοὶ τυπικοί: οὗτος δὲ Χριστὸς ἀληθής: οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐκ προκοπῆς εἰς ἱερωσύνην ἀνελθὼν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης πατρόθεν ἔχων ἀξίωμα. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο προασφαλιζομένη ἡ Πίστις, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ψιλῶν χριστῶν ὑποπτεύσωμεν ἕνα, προστίθησι τῇ τῆς Πίστεως ἐπαγγελίᾳ, ὅτι πιστεύομεν ΕΙΣ ἙΝΑ ΚΥΡΙΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ, ΤΟΝ ὙΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ.

Υἱὸν δὲ πάλιν ἀκούων, μὴ νομίσῃς θετὸν, ἀλλὰ φυσικὸν Υἱὸν, Υἱὸν μονογενῆ, ἀδελφὸν ἕτερον οὐκ ἔχοντα. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καλεῖται μονογενὴς, ὅτι εἰς τὸ τῆς θεότητος ἀξίωμα καὶ τὴν ἐκ Πατρὸς γέννησιν ἀδελφὸν οὐκ ἔχει. Υἱὸν δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ καλοῦμεν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτὸν Χριστὸν Υἱὸν ὀνομάσαντος. Ἀληθὴς δὲ προσηγορία, ἡ ἐκ πατέρων τοῖς τέκνοις ἐπιτιθεμένη.

Ἐνηνθρώπησε τότε ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν ἠγνοεῖτο. Διδάξαι δὲ βουλόμενος τὸ ἀγνοούμενον, συναγαγὼν τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἠρώτα: Τίνα με λέγουσιν εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; οὐ κενοδοξῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῖς δεῖξαι βουλόμενος: ἵνα μὴ Θεῷ Θεοῦ μονογενεῖ συνοικοῦντες, ὡς ἀνθρώπου τινὸς ψιλοῦ καταφρονήσωσιν. Εἰπόντων δὲ ἐκείνων ὅτι οἱ μὲν Ἡλίαν, οἱ δὲ Ἱερεμίαν, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούς: ἐκεῖνοι μὲν μὴ εἰδότες, συγγνωστοί: ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ Ἀπόστολοι, οἱ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου λεπροὺς καθαρίζοντες καὶ δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλοντες καὶ νεκροὺς ἐγείροντες, οὐκ ὀφείλετε τοῦτον ἀγνοεῖν, δι' ὃν ποιεῖτε τὰ θαυμάσια. Πάντων δὲ ἀποσιωπησάντων, (ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον γὰρ ἦν τὸ μάθημα) Πέτρος ὁ πρωτοστάτης τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κορυφαῖος κήρυξ, οὐχ εὑρεσιλογίᾳ χρησάμενος, οὐδ' ἀνθρωπίνῳ λογισμῷ πεισθεὶς, ἀλλὰ πατρόθεν φωτισθεὶς τὴν διάνοιάν φησι πρὸς αὐτόν: Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός: οὐχ ἀπλῶς, ἀλλ', ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ μακαρισμὸς ἐπακολουθεῖ τῷ ῥήματι: (ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἀληθῶς ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον,) καὶ σφραγὶς ἐπὶ τῷ ῥηθέντι, ὅτι Πατὴρ ἦν ὁ ἀποκαλύψας. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ Σωτήρ: Μακάριος εἶ Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέ σοι, ἀλλ' ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὁ τοίνυν γνωρίζων τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς μακαριότητος μετέχει: ὁ δὲ ἀρνούμενος τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, δείλαιός ἐστι καὶ ἄθλιος.

Υἱὸν δὲ πάλιν ἀκούων, μὴ καταχρηστικῶς ἄκουε μόνον: ἀλλὰ υἱὸν ἀληθῶς, υἱὸν φυσικὸν, ἄναρχον: οὐκ ἐκ δουλείας εἰς προκοπὴν υἱοθεσίας ἀνελθόντα, ἀλλὰ Υἱὸν ἀεὶ γεννηθέντα ἀπεριεργάστῳ καὶ ἀκαταλήπτῳ τῇ γεννήσει. Καὶ πρωτότοκον ὁμοίως ἀκούων, μὴ νομίσῃς εἶναι κατὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀνθρώποις πρωτότοκοι, καὶ ἄλλους ἔχουσιν ἀδελφούς: καί που γέγραπται: Υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ. Ἀλλ', ὡς ὁ Ῥουβὴν, πρωτότοκος ἦν ἐκπεπτωκὼς ὁ Ἰσραήλ. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην τοῦ πατρός: ὁ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκβαλὼν ἐκ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ἐσταύρωσεν. Καὶ πρὸς ἄλλους δέ φησιν ἡ γραφή: Υἱοί ἐστε Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ: Ἐγὼ εἶπα, θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες. Εἶπα, οὐκ ἐγέννησα. Ἐκεῖνοι ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν τὸν Θεὸν τὴν υἱοθεσίαν προσέλαβον, ἣν οὐκ εἶχον: οὗτος δὲ οὐκ ἄλλο τι ὢν, ἄλλο τι ἐγεννήθη: ἀλλὰ Υἱὸς [τοῦ Πατρὸς] ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγεννήθη, [ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ αἰώνων τυγχάνων,] Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐν πᾶσιν ὅμοιος τῷ γεγεννηκότι: [ἀΐδιος ἐξ ἀϊδίου Πατρὸς,] ζωὴ ἐκ ζωῆς γεγεννημένος, καὶ φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, καὶ ἀλήθεια ἐξ ἀληθείας, καὶ σοφία ἐκ σοφοῦ καὶ βασιλεὺς ἐκ βασιλέως, καὶ Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ, καὶ δύναμις ἐκ δυνάμεως.

Ἐὰν τοίνυν ἀκούσῃς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου λέγοντος: Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαβὶδ, υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ: τὸ κατὰ σάρκα νόησον. Υἱὸς μὲν γὰρ Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων: Υἱὸς δὲ Θεοῦ πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων [ἀνάρχως]. Κἀκεῖνο μὲν προσέλαβεν, ὅπερ οὐκ εἶχε: τοῦτο δὲ ὃ ἔχει, ἀϊδίως ἔχει γεννηθεὶς ἐκ Πατρός. Δύο ἔχει πατέρας: ἕνα τὸν Δαβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, καὶ ἕνα τὸν Θεὸν Πατέρα θεϊκῶς. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν κατὰ τὸν Δαβὶδ, καὶ χρόνῳ ὑποβάλλεται καὶ ψηλαφᾶται καὶ γενεαλογεῖται: τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, οὔτε χρόνῳ ὑποβάλλεται οὔτε τόπῳ, οὔτε γενεαλογεῖται: τὴν γὰρ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεός. Ὁ Πνεῦμα ὢν, πνευματικῶς ἐγέννησεν ὡς ἀσώματος, ἀπεριέργαστον καὶ ἀκατάληπτον γέννησιν. Ὁ Υἱὸς αὐτὸς λέγει περὶ τοῦ Πατρός: Κύριος εἶπε πρός με, Υἱός μου εἶ σὺ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. Τὸ δὲ σήμερον, οὐ πρόσφατον, ἀλλ' ἀΐδιον: τὸ σήμερον ἄχρονον, πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων. Ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά σε.

Πίστευσον τοίνυν εἰς ΙΗΣΟΥΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ ὙΙΟΝ ΘΕΟΥ ζῶντος: Υἱὸν δὲ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ, κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τὸ λέγον: Οὕτω γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται, ἀλλ' ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Καὶ πάλιν: Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐ κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν. Ὁ δὲ ἀπειθῶν τῷ Υἱῷ, οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν: ὅτι οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ. Περὶ οὗ μαρτυρῶν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἔλεγε: Καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός: πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. Ὃν τρέμοντες οἱ δαίμονες, ἔλεγον: Ἔα, τί ἡμῖν καί σοι, Ἰησοῦ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ ζῶντος.

Υἱὸς τοίνυν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι φύσει καὶ οὐ θέσει, γεννηθεὶς ἐκ Πατρός. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀγαπῶν τὸν γεννήσαντα, ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν γεγεννημένον ἐξ αὐτοῦ: ὁ δὲ ἀθετῶν τὸν γεγεννημένον, ἀναπέμπει τὴν ὕβριν εἰς τὸν γεγεννηκότα. Γεννῶντα δὲ Θεὸν ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, μὴ καταπέσῃς εἰς σώματα, μηδὲ φθαρτὴν γέννησιν ὑπολάβῃς, ἵνα μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς. Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεὸς, πνευματικὴ ἡ γέννησις: τὰ μὲν γὰρ σώματα γεννᾷ σώματα, καὶ χρεία τοῖς σώμασι γεννωμένοις χρόνον μεσιτεύειν. Μεσίτης δὲ τῆς ἐκ Πατρὸς Υἱοῦ γεννήσεως χρόνος οὐκ ἔστιν. Καὶ ὧδε μὲν γεννᾶται τὸ γεννώμενον ἀτελὲς, ὁ Υἱὸς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τέλειος ἐγεννήθη. Ὅπερ γὰρ νῦν ἐστι, τοῦτο καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐστι γεγεννημένος, [ἀνάρχως]. Ἡμεῖς γεννώμεθα, ἐξ ἀμαθείας νηπιώδους εἰς λογιότητα μεταβαίνοντες: ἀτελὴς, ἄνθρωπε, ἡ σὴ γέννησις, ἐκ προκοπῆς γὰρ ἡ πρόσληψις. Ἐκεῖ δὲ οὕτω μὴ νόμιζε, μηδὲ ἀσθένειαν κατηγόρει τοῦ γεγεννηκότος. Εἰ γὰρ ἀτελὲς μὲν ἐγέννησε, χρόνῳ δὲ τοῦτο προσέλαβε τὸ τέλειον, ἀσθένειαν κατηγορεῖς τοῦ γεγεννηκότος: εἴγε ὃ χρόνοις ὕστερον ἐχαρίσατο κατὰ σὲ, τοῦτο ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ γεννήτωρ οὐκ ἐχαρίσατο.

Μὴ τοίνυν ἀνθρωπίνην εἶναι νομίσῃς τὴν γέννησιν: μηδὲ ὥσπερ ἐγέννησεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαάκ. Ἀβραὰμ γὰρ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐγέννησεν ἀλλ' οὐχ ὅπερ ἐβούλετο ἐγέννα, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἄλλος ἐχαρίζετο. Τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς γεννῶντος, οὔτε ἄγνοιά ἐστιν οὔτε σκέψις ἐν μέσῳ. Τό τε γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἠγνόει τὸ γεννώμενον, ἀσέβεια μεγίστη. Καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι χρόνοις σκεψάμενος, ὕστερον Πατὴρ ἐγένετο, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἀσεβείας. Οὐ γὰρ πρότερον ὢν Θεὸς ἄπαις, ὕστερον ἐν χρόνοις ἐγένετο Πατήρ: ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἔχει τὸν Υἱὸν, γεννήσας αὐτὸν οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτὸς οἶδεν μόνος, ὁ γεννήσας αὐτὸν πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων ΘΕΟΝ ΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΝ.

Θεὸς γὰρ ἀληθινὸς ὢν ὁ Πατὴρ, ὅμοιον ἑαυτῷ ἐγέννα τὸν Υἱὸν, Θεὸν ἀληθινόν: οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλοι γεννῶσι μαθητὰς, οὐχ ὡς Παῦλος φησί τισιν: Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα. Ὧδε μὲν γὰρ ὁ μὴ κατὰ φύσιν υἱὸς ὢν, διὰ τῆς μαθητείας υἱὸς ἐγένετο: ἐκεῖ δὲ φυσικὸς υἱὸς, ἀληθὴς υἱός. Οὐχ ὡς ὑμεῖς, οἱ Φωτιζόμενοι, νῦν γίνεσθε υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Γίνεσθε γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς υἱοὶ, ἀλλὰ θέσει κατὰ χάριν, ὡς γέγραπται: Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ: οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν γεννώμεθα ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος: οὐχ οὕτω δὲ ἐγεννήθη Χριστὸς ἐκ Πατρός. Κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν γὰρ τοῦ βαπτίσματος προσφωνῶν καὶ λέγων, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου: οὐκ εἶπεν, οὗτος νῦν γέγονεν Υἱός μου: ἀλλ', οὗτός ΕΣΤΙΝ ὁ Υἱός μου: ἵνα δηλώσῃ, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐνεργείας Υἱὸς ἦν.

Ἐγέννησεν ὁ Πατὴρ τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐχ ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις γεννᾷ νοῦς λόγον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νοῦς ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνυπόστατός ἐστιν ὁ δὲ λόγος, λαληθεὶς καὶ εἰς ἀέρα διαχυθεὶς ἀπόλλυται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οἴδαμεν τὸν Χριστὸν γεννηθέντα λόγον οὐ προφορικὸν, ἀλλὰ Λόγον ἐνυπόστατον, ζῶντα, οὐ χείλεσι λαληθέντα καὶ διαχυθέντα, ἀλλ' ἐκ Πατρὸς ἀϊδίως καὶ ἀνεκφράστως, καὶ ἐν ὑποστάσει γεννηθέντα. Ἐν ἀρχῇ γὰρ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, [καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος] ἐν δεξιᾷ καθεζόμενος, Λόγος νοῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ βούλημα καὶ δημιουργῶν τὰ πάντα τῷ ἐκείνου νεύματι. Λόγος ὁ καταβὰς καὶ ἀναβάς: ὁ γὰρ προφορικὸς, λαλούμενος οὐ καταβαίνει οὐδὲ ἀναβαίνει. Λόγος λαλῶν, καὶ λέγων: Ἁ ἑώρακα παρὰ τῷ Πατρί μου, ταῦτα λαλῶ. Λόγος ἐξουσιαστικὸς καὶ βασιλεύων τῶν πάντων: πάντα γὰρ τῷ Υἱῷ παραδέδωκεν ὁ Πατήρ.

Ἐγέννησε τοίνυν αὐτὸν, οὐχ οὕτως ὁ Πατὴρ ὡς ἄν τις νοήσειεν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὡς οἶδεν αὐτὸς μόνος. Οὐ γὰρ τό, πῶς ἐγέννησεν, εἰπεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τό, οὐχ οὕτως, διαβεβαιούμεθα. Καὶ οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἀγνοοῦμεν μόνον τὴν ἐκ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ γέννησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσα γεννητὴ φύσις. Ἐκδιήγησαι γῇ, ἐάν σοι φράσῃ: καὶ ἐὰν ἐξετάσῃς πάντα τὰ ὄντα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐ δυνήσεται εἰπεῖν. Ἡ γὰρ γῆ τοῦ οἰκείου κεραμέως καὶ πλάστου τὴν ὑπόστασιν λέγειν οὐ δύναται. Οὐ μόνον δὲ γῆ οὐκ οἶδεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἥλιος. Τετάρτῃ γὰρ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ ἥλιος ἐκτίσθη, τὰ ἐν ταῖς πρὸ αὐτοῦ τρισὶ μὴ γινώσκων. Ὁ δὲ τὰ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις, ταῖς πρὸ αὐτοῦ, μὴ εἰδὼς, αὐτὸν τὸν ποιητὴν ἐξειπεῖν οὐ δυνήσεται. Οὐρανὸς τοῦτο οὐ διηγήσεται: νεύματι γὰρ Πατρὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὡς καπνὸς ἐστερεώθη. Οὐδὲ οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν διηγήσονται, οὐδὲ τὰ ὕδατα τὰ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν τοῦτο διηγήσεται. Τί τοίνυν ἀθυμεῖς ἀγνοῶν ἄνθρωπε, ὅπερ ἀγνοοῦσι καὶ οἱ οὐρανοί; Οὐ μόνον δὲ οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὴν γέννησιν ἀγνοοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσα ἀγγελικὴ φύσις. Εἰ γάρ τις (εἴγε ἦν δυνατὸν) ἀναβὰς εἰς πρῶτον οὐρανὸν, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ ἀγγέλων κατανοήσας τὴν κατάστασιν, προσελθὼν ἐρωτήσειε, πῶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐγέννησε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν, ἐροῦσιν ἴσως ἔχομεν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς μείζονας ἀνωτέρους, ἐκείνους ἐρώτησον. Ἀνάβηθι πρὸς δεύτερον οὐρανὸν καὶ τρίτον: φθάσον, εἰ δύνῃ, πρὸς θρόνους καὶ κυριότητας, ἀρχάς τε καὶ ἐξουσίας: κἂν πρὸς ἐκείνους δέ τις φθάσειεν, ὅπερ ἀδύνατον, κἀκεῖνοι παραιτήσονται τὴν διήγησιν, οὐδὲ γὰρ οἴδασι.

Καὶ ἐγὼ τεθαύμακα ἀεὶ τῶν τολμηρῶν τὴν φιλοπραγμοσύνην, τῶν διὰ τῆς νομιζομένης εὐλαβείας εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐκπιπτόντων. Θρόνους γὰρ καὶ κυριότητας, τὰ Χριστοῦ ποιήματα, καὶ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας ἀγνοοῦντες, αὐτὸν τὸν ποιητὴν φιλοπραγμονεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσιν. Εἰπέ μοι πρῶτον, ὦ τολμηρότατε, τί διαφέρει θρόνος κυριότητος, καὶ τότε πολυπραγμόνει τὰ κατὰ Χριστόν. Εἰπέ μοι, τί μέν ἐστιν ἀρχὴ, τί δὲ ἐξουσία, τί δὲ δύναμις, τί δὲ ἄγγελος: καὶ τότε τὸν ποιητὴν πολυπραγμόνει: πάντα γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο. Ἀλλ' οὐ θέλεις ἐρωτῆσαι θρόνους ἢ κυριότητας, ἢ οὐ δύνασαι. Τί ἐστιν ἕτερον γινῶσκον τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ μόνον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ λαλῆσαν τὰς θείας γραφάς; Ἀλλ' οὐδ' αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, περὶ τῆς ἐκ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεννήσεως ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ἐλάλησεν. Τί τοίνυν πολυπραγμονεῖς, ἃ μηδὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔγραψεν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς; Ὁ τὰ γεγραμμένα μὴ γινώσκων, τὰ μὴ γεγραμμένα πολυπραγμονεῖς; Πολλὰ ζητήματά ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς: τὸ γεγραμμένον οὐ καταλαμβάνομεν, τί τὸ μὴ γεγραμμένον πολυπραγμονοῦμεν; Αὔταρκες ἡμῖν εἰδέναι, ὅτι Θεὸς ἐγέννησεν Υἱὸν ἕνα μόνον.

Μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν ἄγνοιαν, ἐπειδὴ μετ' ἀγγέλων ἀγνοεῖς. Ὁ γεννήσας οἶδε μόνος τὸν γεννηθέντα, καὶ ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγεννημένος οἶδε τὸν γεννήσαντα. Ὁ γεννήσας οἶδε, τί ἐγέννησε: καὶ αἱ γραφαὶ δὲ μαρτυροῦσιν, ὅτι Θεὸς ὁ γεννηθείς: [ἄναρχος. Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; οὕτω δὲ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνω, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.] Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτω καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ ἔδωκε ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Καὶ, ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν Υἱὸν, καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν Πατέρα. Καὶ, ὥσπερ ὁ Πατὴρ οὓς θέλει ζωοποιεῖ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς οὓς θέλει, ζωοποιεῖ. Οὔτε ὁ γεννήσας ἐζημιώθη τι, οὔτε λείπει τι τῷ γεννηθέντι: (οἶδα πολλάκις ταῦτα εἰρηκὼς, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ταῦτα εἴρηται ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν ἀσφαλείας:) οὔτε ὁ γεννήσας ἔχει πατέρα, οὔτε ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἀδελφὸν ἔχει. Οὔτε ὁ γεννήσας εἰς υἱὸν μετεβλήθη, οὔτε ὁ γεννηθεὶς πατὴρ ἐγένετο. Ἐξ ἑνὸς μόνου Πατρὸς, εἷς μονογενὴς Υἱός. Οὔτε δύο ἀγέννητοι, οὔτε δύο μονογενεῖς: ἀλλ' εἷς ἐστι Πατὴρ ἀγέννητος, (ἀγέννητος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πατέρα μὴ ἔχων): καὶ εἷς ἐστιν Υἱὸς, ἀϊδίως ἐκ Πατρὸς γεγεννημένος: οὐ χρόνοις γεγεννημένος, ἀλλὰ πρὸ αἰώνων γεννηθείς: οὐκ ἐκ προκοπῆς αὐξηθεὶς, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο γεννηθεὶς ὅπερ ἐστὶ νῦν.

Πιστεύομεν τοίνυν ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ὙΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ, ΤΟΝ ΕΚ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΑ ΘΕΟΝ ΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΝ. Ὁ γὰρ ἀληθὴς Θεὸς οὐ γεννᾷ ψευδῆ, καθὼς εἴρηται, οὐδὲ σκεψάμενος ὕστερον ἐγέννησεν: ἀλλ' ἀϊδίως ἐγέννησε, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον τάχειον τῶν ἡμετέρων ῥημάτων ἢ νοημάτων, ἐγέννησεν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, ἐν χρόνοις λαλοῦντες χρόνους ἀναλίσκομεν: ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως, ἄχρονος ἡ γέννησις. Καὶ καθὼς εἴρηται πολλάκις, οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν παρήγαγεν, οὐδὲ τὸν, μὴ ὄντα εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἤγαγεν: ἀλλ' ἀΐδιος ὢν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀϊδίως ἐγέννησε καὶ ἀνεκφράστως Υἱὸν, ἕνα μόνον, ἀδελφὸν οὐκ ἔχοντα. Οὔτε δύο εἰσὶν ἀρχαί: ἀλλὰ κεφαλὴ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὁ Πατὴρ, μία ἡ ἀρχή. Πατὴρ γὰρ Υἱὸν ἐγέννησε ΘΕΟΝ ΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΝ, Ἐμμανουὴλ προσαγορευόμενον: ὁ δὲ Ἐμμανουὴλ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς ἑρμηνεύεται.

Καὶ θέλεις γνῶναι ὅτι Θεός ἐστιν, ὁ ἐκ Πατρὸς γεννηθεὶς καὶ ὕστερον ἐνανθρωπήσας; Ἄκουε τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος: Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη. Βλέπεις Θεὸν μετὰ τὴν Μωσέως νομοθεσίαν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα; Δέξαι καὶ δευτέραν μαρτυρίαν τῆς Χριστοῦ θεότητος, τὴν ἀρτίως ἀνεγνωσμένην. Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ, διὰ τὴν ἔνσαρκον τὴν ἐνταῦθα γενομένην παρουσίαν, νομισθῇ μετὰ ταῦτα εἰς προκοπὴν ἐλθεῖν θεότητος, λέγει σαφῶς: Διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου. Βλέπεις Χριστὸν Θεὸν ὑπὸ Πατρὸς Θεοῦ χριόμενον;

Θέλεις δέξασθαι καὶ τρίτην μαρτυρίαν τῆς Χριστοῦ θεότητος; Ἄκουε Ἡσαΐου λέγοντος: Ἐκοπίασεν Αἴγυπτος καὶ ἐμπορία Αἰθιόπων. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα: Καὶ ἐν σοὶ προσεύξονται, ὅτι ἐν σοὶ ὁ Θεός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς πλήν σου. Σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειμεν, ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ σωτήρ. Βλέπεις Θεὸν τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔχοντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ Θεὸν τὸν Πατέρα: μονονουχὶ τὸ αὐτὸ λέγοντα, ὅπερ ἐν εὐαγγελίοις εἴρηκεν: Ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ, κἀγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρί. Οὐκ εἴρηκεν, ὁ Πατήρ εἰμι ἐγώ: ἀλλ', ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ, κἀγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρί. Καὶ πάλιν οὐκ εἶπεν: Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν εἰμι: ἀλλ', Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν: ἵνα μήτε ἀπαλλοτριώσωμεν, μήτε συναλοιφὴν υἱοπατορίας ἐργασώμεθα. Ἕν, διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα ἀξίωμα: ἐπειδὴ Θεὸς Θεὸν ἐγέννησεν. Ἕν, διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὴν βασιλείαν: οὐ γὰρ ἄλλων βασιλεύει Πατὴρ, ἄλλων δὲ Υἱὸς, κατὰ τὸν Ἀβεσαλὼν ἀνταίρων τῷ Πατρί: ἀλλ' ὧν βασιλεύει ὁ Πατὴρ, τούτων βασιλεύει καὶ ὁ Υἱός. Ἕν, διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν εἶναι διαφωνίαν ἢ διάστασιν: οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα βουλήματα Πατρὸς, ἄλλα δὲ Υἱοῦ. Ἕν, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἄλλα Χριστοῦ δημιουργήματα, καὶ ἄλλα Πατρός: μία γὰρ ἡ πάντων δημιουργία, τοῦ Πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ πεποιηκότος: ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπε, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν: αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἐκτίσθησάν, φησιν ὁ ψαλμῳδός. Ὁ γὰρ λέγων, λέγει τῷ ἀκούοντι: καὶ ὁ ἐντελλόμενος, ἐντέλλεται τῷ συμπαρόντι.

Θεὸς τοίνυν ἀληθινὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, οὐκ εἰς Πατέρα μεταβληθείς: οὐ γὰρ Πατὴρ ἐνηνθρώπησεν, ἀλλὰ Υἱός: λεγέσθω γὰρ ἐλευθερίως ἡ ἀλήθεια. Οὐ Πατὴρ ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ Πατὴρ ἀπέστειλε τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθόντα. Μήτε λέγωμεν τό, Ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱός: μήτε υἱοπατορίαν καταδεξώμεθα: ἀλλ' ὁδῷ βασιλικῇ πορευθῶμεν, μὴ ἐκκλίνωμεν μήτε ἀριστερᾷ μήτε δεξιᾷ. Μήτε, διὰ τὸ νομίζειν τιμᾷν τὸν Υἱὸν, Πατέρα αὐτὸν ἀναγορεύσωμεν: μήτε, διὰ τὸ τιμᾷν τὸν Πατέρα νομίζειν, ἕν τι τῶν δημιουργημάτων τὸν Υἱὸν ὑποπτεύσωμεν. Ἀλλ' εἷς Πατὴρ, δι' ἑνὸς Υἱοῦ προσκυνείσθω, καὶ μὴ μεριζέσθω ἡ προσκύνησις. Εἷς Υἱὸς καταγγελλέσθω, πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς καθεζόμενος: τὸ συγκαθέζεσθαι οὐ χρόνοις μετὰ τὸ πάθος λαβὼν ἐκ προκοπῆς, ἀλλ' ἀϊδίως κεκτημένος.

Ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸν Υἱὸν, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Ὅμοιος γὰρ ἐν πᾶσιν ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ γεγεννηκότι. Ζωὴ ἐκ ζωῆς γεννηθεὶς, καὶ φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, δύναμις ἐκ δυνάμεως, Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπαράλλακτοι τῆς θεότητος οἱ χαρακτῆρές εἰσιν ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ: καὶ ὁ καταξιωθεὶς ἰδεῖν Υἱοῦ θεότητα, ἔρχεται εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν τοῦ γεγεννηκότος. Οὐκ ἐμὸς ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μονογενοῦς [Υἱοῦ]. Τοσοῦτον χρόνον μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκάς με, Φίλιππε; ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Καὶ ἵνα εἴπω συντομώτερον, μήτε χωρίζωμεν, μήτε συναλοιφὴν ἐργαζώμεθα. Καὶ μήτε ἀλλότριόν ποτε τοῦ Πατρὸς εἴπῃς τὸν Υἱόν: μήτε καταδέξῃ τοὺς λέγοντας, τὸν Πατέρα ποτὲ μὲν πατέρα, ποτὲ δὲ υἱὸν εἶναι: ἀλλότρια γὰρ καὶ ἀσεβῆ ταῦτα, καὶ οὐκ Ἐκκλησίας τὰ διδάγματα. Ἀλλ' ὁ Πατὴρ γεννήσας τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔμεινε Πατὴρ καὶ οὐκ ἠλλοίωται. Σοφίαν ἐγέννησεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτὸς ἄσοφος ἐγένετο: καὶ δύναμιν γεννήσας, οὐκ ἠσθένησε. Θεὸν γεννήσας, οὐκ αὐτὸς τῆς θεότητος ἐστερήθη: καὶ οὔτε τι αὐτὸς ἀπώλεσε μειωθεὶς ἢ ἀλλοιωθείς: οὔτε ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἔχει τι λεῖπον. Τέλειος ὁ γεννήσας, τέλειον τὸ γεννηθέν: Θεὸς ὁ γεννήσας, Θεὸς καὶ ὁ γεννηθείς: Θεὸς μὲν τῶν πάντων, Θεὸν δὲ ἑαυτοῦ, τὸν Πατέρα ἐπιγραφόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνεται λέγων: Ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν, καὶ Θεόν μου καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν.

Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι ὁμοίως τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τῶν κτισμάτων ἐστὶ Πατὴρ, ὑποδιέστειλεν ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ κοινωνία γένηται τῶν ποιημάτων πρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ: ἀλλὰ, Πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν, εἶπεν. Ἄλλως ἐμοῦ, κατὰ φύσιν: καὶ ἄλλως ὑμῶν, κατὰ θέσιν. Καὶ πάλιν: πρὸς τὸν Θεόν μου, καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν. Ἄλλως ἐμοῦ, ὡς Υἱοῦ γνησίου καὶ μονογενοῦς: καὶ ἄλλως ὑμῶν, ὡς δημιουργημάτων. Θεὸς τοίνυν ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων ἀνεκδιηγήτως γεννηθείς. Πολλάκις γὰρ λέγω τὸ αὐτὸ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐντυπωθῇ ὑμῶν τοῦτο τῇ διανοίᾳ. Καὶ ὅτι μὲν ὁ Θεὸς Υἱὸν ἔχει, τοῦτο πίστευε: τὸ δὲ πῶς, μὴ πολυπραγμόνει: ζητῶν γὰρ οὐχ εὑρήσεις. Μὴ ἐξυψοῦ σεαυτὸν, ἵνα μὴ πέσῃς. Ἃ προσετάγη σοι, ταῦτα διανοοῦ μόνα. Εἰπέ μοι πρῶτον, τίς ἐστιν ὁ γεννήσας, καὶ τότε μάνθανε ὃ ἐγέννησεν. Εἰ δὲ φύσιν οὐ δύνασαι νοῆσαι τοῦ γεγεννηκότος, τοῦ γεγεννημένου τὸν τρόπον μὴ πολυπραγμόνει.

Αὔταρκές σοι πρὸς εὐσέβειαν εἰδέναι, καθὼς εἴπαμεν, ὅτι ἕνα Υἱὸν ὁ Θεὸς ἔχει μόνον, ἕνα φυσικῶς γεγεννημένον: οὐχ ὅτε ἐγεννήθη ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τοῦ εἶναι ἀρξάμενον, ἀλλὰ ΠΡΟ ΠΑΝΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΙΩΝΩΝ. Ἄκουε γὰρ Μιχαίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος: Καὶ σὺ Βηθλεὲμ, οἶκος τοῦ Ἐφραθᾶ, [μὴ] ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα. Ἐκ σοῦ [γάρ] μοι ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος. Μὴ οὖν πρόσεχε τῷ νῦν ἐκ τῆς Βηθλεέμ: ἀλλὰ προσκύνει τὸν ἀϊδίως ἐκ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα. Μὴ χρονικὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ καταδέξῃ τινὸς λέγοντος, ἀλλὰ ἄχρονον ἀρχὴν γίνωσκε τὸν Πατέρα. Ἀρχὴ γὰρ Υἱοῦ ἄχρονος, ἀκατάληπτος, ἄναρχος, ὁ Πατήρ. Πηγὴ τοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ποταμοῦ, τοῦ μονογενοῦς, ὁ Πατὴρ, ὁ γεννήσας αὐτὸν καθὼς οἶδεν αὐτὸς μόνος. Καὶ θέλεις γνῶναι, ὅτι αἰώνιός ἐστι βασιλεὺς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός; ἄκουε πάλιν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος: Ἀβραὰμ [ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν] ἠγαλλιάσατο, ἵνα ἴδῃ τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐμήν: καὶ εἶδε, καὶ ἐχάρη. Εἶτα, σκληρῶς τοῦτο καταδεξαμένων τῶν Ἰουδαίων, τὸ ἐκείνοις ἔτι σκληρότερον λέγει: Πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ἐγώ εἰμι. Καὶ πάλιν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα λέγει: Καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σὺ Πάτερ παρὰ σεαυτῷ, τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον, πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι, παρὰ σοί. Σαφῶς γὰρ εἴρηκεν, ὅτι πρὶν τὸν κόσμον γενέσθαι, ἐγὼ εἶχον τὴν παρὰ σοὶ δόξαν. Καὶ πάλιν, ὅτι ἠγάπησάς με πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, λέγων: σαφῶς φησιν, ὅτι ἀΐδιον ἔχω τὴν παρὰ σοὶ δόξαν.

Πιστεύωμεν τοίνυν ΕΙΣ ἙΝΑ ΚΥΡΙΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ, ΤΟΝ ὙΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ: ΤΟΝ ΕΚ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΑ, ΘΕΟΝ ΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΝ ΠΡΟ ΠΑΝΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΙΩΝΩΝ: ΔΙ' ὉΥ ΤΑ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΕΓΕΝΕΤΟ. Εἴτε γὰρ θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι: τὰ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν γεννητῶν ὑπεξῄρηται τῆς ἐξουσίας αὐτοῦ. Φιμούσθω πᾶσα αἵρεσις διαφόρους ποιητὰς καὶ κοσμοποιοὺς εἰσάγουσα: φιμούσθω βλασφημοῦσα [γλῶσσα] τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Φιμούσθωσαν οἱ λέγοντες τὸν ἥλιον εἶναι τὸν Χριστόν: ἡλίου γάρ ἐστι δημιουργὸς, οὐχ ὁ ἥλιος ὁ φαινόμενος. Φιμούσθωσαν οἱ λέγοντες ἀγγέλων δημιούργημα τὸν κόσμον, οἱ τὸ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀξίωμα παραρπάζειν βουλόμενοι. Εἴτε γὰρ ὁρατὰ εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι, εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε τι ὀνομαζόμενον, πάντα διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. Βασιλεύει τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πεποιημένων: οὐκ ἀλλοτρίαν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἁρπάσας, ἀλλὰ ἰδίων δημιουργημάτων βασιλεύων, καθὼς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἴρηκεν Ἰωάννης: Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, τοῦ Πατρὸς δι' Υἱοῦ ἐργαζομένου.

Καὶ βούλομαι μέν τι εἰπεῖν καὶ ὑπόδειγμα τῶν λεγομένων, ἀλλ' οἶδα αὐτὸ ἀσθενές: ποῖον γὰρ ἔσται τῶν ὁρατῶν ἀκριβὲς ὑπόδειγμα τῆς θείας [καὶ ἀοράτου] δυνάμεως; ἀλλ' ὅμως λεγέσθω ὡς ἀσθενὲς παρὰ ἀσθενῶν πρὸς ἀσθενεῖς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄν τις βασιλεὺς βασιλέα υἱὸν ἔχων, βουλόμενος κατασκευάσαι πόλιν, ὑπόθοιτο τῷ υἱῷ συμβασιλεύοντι τὴν κατασκευὴν τῆς πόλεως: ὁ δὲ τὸ παράδειγμα λαβὼν, εἰς τέλος ἄγει τὸ νοηθέν: οὕτω Πατρὸς βουληθέντος τὰ πάντα κατασκευάσαι, τῷ τοῦ Πατρὸς νεύματι ὁ Υἱὸς τὰ πάντα ἐδημιούργησεν: ἵνα τὸ μὲν νεῦμα τηρῇ τῷ Πατρὶ τὴν αὐθεντικὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς δὲ πάλιν ἔχῃ ἐξουσίαν τῶν ἰδίων δημιουργημάτων: καὶ μήτε Πατὴρ ἀπαλλοτριωθῇ τῆς δεσποτείας τῶν ἰδίων δημιουργημάτων, μήτε ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν ὑπ' ἄλλου δημιουργηθέντων βασιλεύῃ, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἄγγελοι, καθὼς εἴρηται, τὸν κόσμον ἐδημιούργησαν: ἀλλὰ Υἱὸς μονογενὴς, πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων γεγεννημένος, καθὼς εἴρηται: δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, μηδενὸς ὑπεξῃρημένου τῆς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ποιήσεως. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν τέως τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτι λελέχθω.

Ἀναδραμόντες δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς Πίστεως ἐπαγγελίαν, καταπαύσωμεν ἐν τῷ παρόντι τὸν λόγον. Πάντα ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστὸς, κἂν ἀγγέλους λέγῃς κἂν ἀρχαγγέλους, κἂν κυριότητας κἂν θρόνους. Οὐχ ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ ἠτόνει περὶ τὴν τῶν δημιουργημάτων αὐτουργίαν, ἀλλ' ὅτι βασιλεύειν τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πεποιημένων τὸν Υἱὸν ἠβουλήθη, αὐτὸς αὐτῷ παρέχων τῶν κατασκευαζομένων τὴν ὑφήγησιν. Τιμῶν γὰρ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα ὁ Μονογενής φησιν: Οὐ δύναται ὁ Υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν Πατέρα ποιοῦντα: ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ: καὶ πάλιν: Ὁ Πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται: κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι: οὐδεμιᾶς οὔσης ἐν τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις ἐναντιότητος. Τὰ γὰρ ἐμὰ πάντα, σά ἐστι: καὶ τὰ σὰ, ἐμά, φησιν ἐν εὐαγγελίοις ὁ Κύριος. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐπιγνῶναι σαφῶς ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης. Ὁ γὰρ λέγων: Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, πάντως ὅτι τινὶ παρόντι προσδιελέγετο. Σαφέστατα δὲ μᾶλλον ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς εἴρηκεν: Αὐτὸς εἶπε, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν: αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν: ὡς μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐντελλομένου καὶ λέγοντος, τοῦ δὲ Υἱοῦ νεύματι Πατρὸς τὰ πάντα δημιουργοῦντος. Καὶ τοῦτο μυστικῶς ὁ Ἰὼβ ἔλεγεν: Ὁ τανύσας τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος, καὶ περιπατῶν ὡς ἐπ' ἐδάφους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης: δηλῶν τοῖς νοοῦσιν, ὅτι ὁ διὰ τῆς παρουσίας περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, οὗτος ἦν ὁ πρὸ τούτου τῶν οὐρανῶν ποιητής. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Κύριός φησιν: Ἢ σὺ λαβὼν γῆν πηλὸν, ἔπλασας ζῶον; [καὶ λαλητὸν αὐτὸν ἔθου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς;] Εἶτα ἑξῆς: Ἀνοίγονται δέ σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου; [πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν;] δηλῶν, ὅτι ὁ εἰς ᾅδου κατελθὼν διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν, οὗτος ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐκ πηλοῦ κατεσκεύασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον.

Ἔστι τοίνυν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ μονογενὴς, καὶ τοῦ κόσμου ποιητής. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο: καὶ, εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καθὼς ἡμᾶς διδάσκει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. Οὐ μόνον δὲ τῶν φαινομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μὴ φαινομένων νεύματι Πατρὸς ποιητής ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός. Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα: εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι: τὰ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται, καὶ αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκε. Κἂν τοὺς αἰῶνας αὐτοὺς εἴπῃς, καὶ τούτων νεύματι τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι ποιητὴς Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός. Ἐπ' ἐσχάτων γὰρ τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ, ὃν ἔθηκε κληρονόμον πάντων, δι' οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν: ᾧ ἡ δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, [σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι,] νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.