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and fellowship with the begotten. {ΒΑΣ.} O the shameless and wicked blasphemy! O the hidden deceit and manifold villainy! how precisely he speaks from the very methodology of the devil! For wishing to show the 29.549 Only-begotten Son and God to be unlike God the Father, he is silent on the name of Father and of Son, but speaks simply of unbegotten and begotten; and hiding the names of the saving faith, he delivers the bare dogmas of his blasphemy; so that, when the impiety in the concepts has been laid bare, and then the transition to the persons has been made, he himself might seem to have said nothing offensive, but might have the blasphemy constructed by the sequence of the argument. "Being unbegotten," he says, "he would escape all comparison and fellowship with the begotten." He did not say, "Father and Son," but, "Unbegotten and begotten." This, then, is one such villainy of his; but consider what the other is. "Being unbegotten," he says, "he would never admit of generation;" and he adds, "so as to impart his own nature to the one begotten." The phrase, "he would never admit of generation," has two meanings: one, that generation is not suited to his own nature (for it is impossible for the unbegotten nature to come under generation); the other, that he does not deign to beget. He, then, used the expression according to the second meaning; but he captivates the many by the first sense. For that this is what is being constructed, the following phrase clearly shows. For having said, "He would never admit of generation," he added, "so as to impart his own nature to the one begotten." For this is consistent with the second sense: that he does not deign to become a Father, lest he should impart his own nature to the one begotten. What could be more grievous than this impiety? Who ever spoke such great injustice on high? For I fear that we too, by taking up the blasphemies of others with our mouth, may pollute our own mind, and share in their condemnation. But I am comforted by what is in the Gospels, that the Holy Spirit also did not refuse to hand down in writing for posterity the blasphemy of the Jews against the Lord, pillorying their blasphemy for all time, not attaching any blasphemy to the undefiled glory of the Only-begotten. If, then, "he would never admit of generation, so as to impart his own nature to the one begotten," then God is not a Father, and he is not...; but it is better for us to leave 29.552 the blasphemy unfinished. For the one did not admit of generation; and the other did not partake of the nature of the one who begot. Then he struggles with himself, contriving a new consolation for his blasphemy. not by saying anything related to repentance, but by striving with his secondary points to conceal what went before. For what did he endure to utter? {ΕΥΝ.} And he would escape all comparison and fellowship with the begotten. {ΒΑΣ.} But if there is no comparison for the Son with the Father, nor fellowship with the one who begot, then the apostles are false, and the Gospels are false; and truth itself, our Lord Jesus Christ. But I, again, shudder at the blasphemy; but it is easy for everyone to see. For if he has no comparison with the Father, how did he say to Philip: "Have I been with you for so long, and you have not seen me, Philip?" and, "He who sees me sees him who sent me"? For one who admits of no comparison, and possesses no fellowship with him, how could the Son have shown him in himself? For the unknown is not apprehended through what is unlike and foreign; but what is kindred is naturally known by what is kindred. Thus in the seal the character of the one who impressed it is seen; and through an image the knowledge of the archetype comes, when we compare, of course, the identity in each. So that through this one blasphemy all the sayings delivered by the Holy Spirit for the glorification of the Only-begotten are set at naught, with the Gospel teaching that, This

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καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεν νητόν. {ΒΑΣ.} Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχύντου καὶ πονηρᾶς βλασφη μίας! Ὢ τοῦ κεκρυμμένου δόλου καὶ τῆς ποικίλης ῥᾳδιουργίας! ὡς ἀκριβῶς ἐξ αὐτῆς τοῦ διαβόλου τῆς μεθοδείας φθέγγεται! Ἀνόμοιον γὰρ βουλόμενος τῷ 29.549 Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ τὸν Μονογενῆ Υἱὸν καὶ Θεὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι, τὸ μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὄνομα σιωπᾷ, ἁπλῶς δὲ περὶ ἀγεννήτου καὶ γεννητοῦ διαλέγεται· καὶ τὰ τῆς σωτηρίου πίστεως ὀνόματα κρύπτων, ψιλὰ πα ραδίδωσι τῆς βλασφημίας τὰ δόγματα· ἵνα, τῆς ἀσε βείας ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι γυμνωθείσης, εἶτα τῆς με ταβάσεως ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσωπα γενομένης, αὐτὸς μὲν μηδὲν δόξῃ δύσφημον εἰρηκέναι, τῇ δὲ τοῦ λόγου ἀκο λουθίᾳ κατεσκευασμένην ἔχῃ τὴν βλασφημίαν. Ἀγέν νητος δὲ ὢν, φησὶν, ἐκφύγοι ἂν πᾶσαν σύγκρισιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Πα τὴρ καὶ Υἱός· ἀλλ', Ἀγέννητος καὶ γεννητός. Ἓν μὲν δὴ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο τοιοῦτον κακούργημα ἕτερον δὲ ποῖον, σκοπεῖτε. Ἀγέννητος δὲ ὢν, φησὶν, οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν· καὶ ἐπάγει, ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως. Τὸ, οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν, δύο σημαίνει· ἓν μὲν, ὅτι τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτοῦ φύσει οὐκ ἐφαρμόζει γέννησις (ἀδύ νατον γὰρ ὑπὸ γέννησιν ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἀγέννητον φύ σιν)· ἕτερον δὲ, ὅτι γεννῆσαι οὐ καταδέχεται. Οὗτος μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὸ δεύτερον σημαινόμενον ἐχρή σατο τῇ φωνῇ· συναρπάζει δὲ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ἐννοίας. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ κατα σκευαζόμενον, σαφῶς τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον δείκνυσιν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὅτι, Οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν, ἐπήγαγεν· ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως. Τῇ γὰρ δευτέρᾳ ἐννοίᾳ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀκόλουθον· ὅτι οὐ καταδέχεται γενέσθαι Πα τὴρ, ἵνα μὴ μεταδῷ τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως τῷ γεννω μένῳ. Τίς ἂν γένοιτο τῆς ἀσεβείας ταύτης χαλεπω τέρα; τίς ἐλάλησε τοσαύτην ἀδικίαν εἰς τὸ ὕψος ποτέ; Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ φοβοῦμαι, μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐν τῷ τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἀναλαμβάνειν βλασφημίας διὰ τοῦ στόματος, μολύνωμεν ἑαυτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ τῆς κατακρίσεως αὐτοῖς κοινωνήσωμεν. Παραμυ θεῖται δέ με τὸ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ὅτι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἰς τὸν Κύριον βλασφημίαν ἔγγραφον τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα παραδοῦναι οὐ παρῃτήσατο, ἐκείνων στηλιτεῦον εἰς ἅπαντα χρό νον τὴν βλασφημίαν, οὐχὶ τῇ ἀχράντῳ δόξῃ τοῦ Μο νογενοῦς προστριβόμενόν τινα βλασφημίαν. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν, ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως, οὐκ ἔστι μὲν Πατὴρ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἔστι δέ· ἀλλ' ἄμεινον ἡμῖν 29.552 ἀφεῖναι ἀτελὲς τὸ βλάσφημον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐ προσ ήκατο γέννησιν· ὁ δὲ οὐ μετέλαβε τῆς τοῦ γεννήσαν τος φύσεως. Εἶτα ἐπαγωνίζεται αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ και νὴν τῆς βλασφημίας τὴν παραμυθίαν ἐπινοῶν. οὐ τῷ εἰπεῖν τι μετανοίας ἐχόμενον, ἀλλὰ τοῖς δευ τέροις φιλονεικῶν ἀποκρῦψαι τὰ φθάσαντα. Τί γὰρ ὑπέμεινε φθέγξασθαι; {ΕΥΝ.} Ἐκφύγοι τε ἂν πᾶσαν σύγκρισιν καὶ κοι νωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν. {ΒΑΣ.} Εἰ δὲ μὴ σύγκρισίς ἐστι τῷ Υἱῷ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, μηδὲ κοινωνία πρὸς τὸν γεννήσαντα, ψευ δεῖς μὲν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ψευδῆ δὲ τὰ Εὐαγγέλια· αὐτή τε ἡ ἀλήθεια, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ μὲν πάλιν φρίσσω τὴν βλασφημίαν· παντὶ δὲ συνιδεῖν ῥᾴδιον. Εἰ γὰρ μηδεμίαν σύγκρισιν ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, πῶς ἔλεγε τῷ Φιλίππῳ· Τοσοῦ τον χρόνον μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι, καὶ οὐχ ἑώρακάς με. Φίλιππε; καὶ, Ὁ θεωρῶν ἐμὲ θεωρεῖ τὸν πέμψαντά με; Τὸν γὰρ μήτε σύγκρισιν ἐπιδεχόμε νον, μήτε κοινωνίαν τινὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν κεκτημένον, πῶς ἂν ἔδειξεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ Υἱός; Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ ἀνομοίου καὶ ἀλλοτρίου καταληπτόν ἐστι τὸ ἀγνοού μενον· ἀλλὰ τῷ οἰκείῳ πέφυκε τὸ οἰκεῖον ἐπιγινώ σκεσθαι. Οὕτως ἐν μὲν τῷ ἀποσφραγίσματι ὁ τοῦ τυπώσαντος χαρακτὴρ καθορᾶται· δι' εἰκόνος δὲ ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ ἀρχετύπου γίνεται, συγκρινόντων ἡμῶν δηλονότι τὴν ἐν ἑκατέρῳ ταὐτότητα. Ὥστε διὰ μιᾶς ταύτης βλασφημίας πάσας ἀθε τεῖσθαι τὰς φωνὰς τὰς παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος εἰς τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς δοξολογίαν παραδοθείσας τοῦ μὲν Εὐαγγελίου διδάσκοντος ὅτι, Τοῦτον