Discourse II.

Chapter XIV.—Texts explained; Fourthly, Hebrews iii. 2Introduction; the Regula Fidei counter to an Arian sense of the text; which is not supported by the word ‘servant,’ nor by ‘made’ which occurs in it; (how can the Judge be among the ‘works’ which ‘God will bring into judgment?’) nor by ‘faithful;’ and is confuted by the immediate context, which is about Priesthood; and by the foregoing passage, which explains the word ‘faithful’ as meaning trustworthy, as do 1 Pet. iv. fin. and other texts. On the whole made may safely be understood either of the divine generation or the human creation.

1. I did indeed think that enough had been said already against the hollow professors of Arius’s madness, whether for their refutation or in the truth’s behalf, to insure a cessation and repentance of their evil thoughts and words about the Saviour. They, however, for whatever reason, still do not succumb; but, as swine and dogs wallow389    de Syn. 33.    κυλιόμενοι, Orat. iii. 16. in their own vomit and their own mire, rather invent new expedients for their irreligion. Thus they misunderstand the passage in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord hath created me a beginning of His ways for His works390    Faustus, in August. contr. Faust. ii. 1. admits the Gospels (vid. Beausobre Manich. t. i. p. 291, &c.), but denies that they were written by the reputed authors. ibid. xxxii. 2. but nescio quibus Semi-judæis. ibid. xxxiii. 3. Accordingly they thought themselves at liberty to reject or correct parts of them. They rejected many of the facts, e.g. our Lord’s nativity, circumcision, baptism, temptation, &c. ibid. xxxii. 6.    Prov. viii. 22. Cf. i. 53 and infr. 19–72.,’ and the words of the Apostle, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him391    de Decr. 1, note 6.    Heb. iii. 2.,’ and straightway argue, that the Son of God is a work and a creature. But although they might have learned from what is said above, had they not utterly lost their power of apprehension, that the Son is not from nothing nor in the number of things originate at all, the Truth witnessing392    [A note on the intimate mutual connexion of all heresies is omitted here.]    Vid. infr. note on 35. it (for, being God, He cannot be a work, and it is impious to call Him a creature, and it is of creatures and works that we say, ‘out of nothing,’ and ‘it was not before its generation’), yet since, as if dreading to desert their own fiction, they are accustomed to allege the aforesaid passages of divine Scripture, which have a good meaning, but are by them practised on, let us proceed afresh to take up the question of the sense of these, to remind the faithful, and to shew from each of these passages that they have no knowledge at all of Christianity. Were it otherwise, they would not have shut themselves up in the unbelief393    Joh. xix. 15.    Cf. Rom. xi. 32 of the present Jews394    de Decr. 7, note 2.    τῶν νῦν ᾽Ιουδαίων, means literally ‘the Jews of this day,’ as here and Orat. i. 8. 10. 38. Orat. ii. 1. b. iii. 28. c. But elsewhere this and similar phrases as distinctly mean the Arians, being used in contrast to the Jews. Their likeness to the Jews is drawn out, Orat. iii. 27. de Decr. i., but would have inquired and learned395    δωροδόκοι, and so κέρδος τῆς φιλοχρηματίας, infr. §53. He mentions προστασίας φίλων, §10. And so S. Hilary speaks of the exemptions from taxes which Constantius granted the Clergy as a bribe to Arianize; contr. Const. 10. And again, of resisting Constantius as hostem blandientem, qui non dorsa cædit, sed ventrem palpat, non proscribit ad vitam, sed ditat in mortem, non caput gladio desecat, sed animum auro occidit. ibid. 5. vid. Coustant. in loc. Liberius says the same, Theod H. E. ii. 13. And S. Gregory Naz. speaks of φιλοχρύσους μᾶλλον ἢ φιλοχρίστους. Orat. 21. 21. On the other hand, Ep. Æg. 22, Athan. contrasts the Arians with the Meletians, as not influenced by secular views. [Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) c. (2).]    ἐρωτῶντες ἐμανθάνον; and so μαθὼν ἐδιδάσκεν, Orat. iii. 9. de Decr. 7. supr. p. 13, note a. that, whereas ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,’ in consequence, it was when at the good pleasure of the Father the Word became man, that it was said of Him, as by John, ‘The Word became flesh396    de Syn. §3 and 9.    John i. 14.;’ so by Peter, ‘He hath made Him Lord and Christ397    Vid. de Decr. 1. note. This consideration, as might be expected, is insisted on by the Fathers. vid. Cyril. Dial. iv. p. 511, &c. v. p. 566. Greg. Naz. 40, 42; Hil. Trin. viii. 28; Ambros. de fid. i. n. 69 and 104.    Acts ii. 36.’;—as by means of Solomon in the Person of the Lord Himself, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways for His works398    Ib. 4, note 8.    Prov. viii. 22.;’ so by Paul, ‘Become so much better than the Angels399    1 Tim. iv. 1, 2; Tit. i. 14.    Heb. i. 4.;’ and again, ‘He emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant400    This passage is commonly taken by the Fathers to refer to the Oriental sects of the early centuries, who fulfilled one or other of those conditions which it specifies. It is quoted against the Marcionists by Clement. Strom. iii. 6. Of the Carpocratians apparently, Iren. Hær. i. 25; Epiph. Hær. 27. 5. Of the Valentinians, Epiph. Hær. 31. 34. Of the Montanists and others, ibid. 48. 8. Of the Saturnilians (according to Huet.) Origen in Matt. xx. 16. Of apostolic heresies, Cyril. Cat. iv. 27. Of Marcionites, Valentinians, and Manichees, Chrysost. de Virg. 5. Of Gnostics and Manichees, Theod. Hær. ii. præf. Of Encratites, ibid. v. fin. Of Eutyches, Ep. Anon. 190 (apud Garner. Diss. v. Theod. p. 901. Pseudo-Justin seems to consider it fulfilled in the Catholics of the fifth century, as being Anti-Pelagians. Quæst. 22. vid. Bened. note in loc. Besides Athanasius, no early author occurs to the writer of this, by whom it is referred to the Arians, cf. Depos. Ar. supr. p. 71, note 29.    Phil. ii. 7.;’ and again, ‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus, who was faithful to Him that made Him401    [This is the only occurrence of the word ὁμοούσιος in these three Discourses.]    Heb. iii. 1, 2; Sent. D. 11..’ For all these texts have the same force and meaning, a religious one, declarative of the divinity of the Word, even those of them which speak humanly concerning Him, as having become the Son of man. But, though this distinction is sufficient for their refutation, still, since from a misconception of the Apostle’s words (to mention them first), they consider the Word of God to be one of the works, because of its being written, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him,’ I have thought it needful to silence this further argument of theirs, taking in hand402    Ps. lxxxii. 6.    By λαυβάνοντες παρ᾽ αὐτῶν τὸ λῆμμα, ‘accepting the proposition they offer,’ he means that he is engaged in going through certain texts brought against the Catholic view, instead of bringing his own proofs, vid. Orat. i. 37. Yet after all it is commonly his way, as here, to start with some general exposition of the Catholic doctrine which the Arian sense of the text in question opposes, and thus to create a prejudice or proof against the latter. vid. Orat. i. 10. 38. 40. init. 53. d. ii. 5. 12. init. 32–34. 35. 44. init. which refers to the whole discussion, 18–43. 73. 77. iii. 18. init. 36. init. 42. 54. 51. init. &c. On the other hand he makes the ecclesiastical sense the rule of interpretation, τούτῳ [τῷ σκοπῷ, the general drift of Scripture doctrine] ὥσπερ κανόνι χρησάμενοι προσέχωμεν τῇ ἀνάγνωσει τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφὴς, iii. 28. fin. This illustrates what he means when he says that certain texts have a ‘good,’ ‘pious,’ ‘orthodox’ sense, i.e. they can be interpreted (in spite, if so be, of appearances) in harmony with the Regula Fidei. vid. infr. §43, note; also notes on 35. and iii. 58., as before, their statement.

2. If then He be not a Son, let Him be called a work, and let all that is said of works be said of Him, nor let Him and Him alone be called Son, nor Word, nor Wisdom; neither let God be called Father, but only Framer and Creator of things which by Him come to be; and let the creature be Image and Expression of His framing will, and let Him, as they would have it, be without generative nature, so that there be neither Word, nor Wisdom, no, nor Image, of His proper substance. For if He be not Son403    de Decr. §14 fin.; de Syn. §51.    §22, note., neither is He Image404    John xiv. 9.    i.e. in any true sense of the word ‘image;’ or, so that He may be accounted the ἀπαράλλακτος εἴκων of the Father, vid. de Syn. 23, note 1. The ancient Fathers consider, that the Divine Sonship is the very consequence (so to speak) of the necessity that exists, that One who is Infinite Perfection should subsist again in a Perfect Image of Himself, which is the doctrine to which Athan. goes on to allude, and the idea of which (he says) is prior to that of creation. A redundatio in imaginem is synonymous with a generatio Filii. Cf. Thomassin, de Trin. 19. 1.. But if there be not a Son, how then say you that God is a Creator? since all things that come to be are through the Word and in Wisdom, and without This nothing can be, whereas you say He hath not That in and through which He makes all things. For if the Divine Essence be not fruitful itself405    de Decr. 15, note 6.    For καρπογόνος ἡ οὐσία, de Decr. 15. n. 9. γεννητικὸς, Orat. iii. 66. iv. 4. fin. ἄγονος. i. 14. fin. Sent. Dion. 15. 19. ἡ φυσικὴ γονιμότης, Damasc. F. O. i. 8. p. 133. ἄκαρπος, Cyr. Thes. p. 45. Epiph. Hær. 65 p. 609. b. Vid. the γέννησις and the κτίσις contrasted together Orat. i. 29. de Decr. 11. n. 6, de Syn. 51, n. 4. The doctrine in the text is shortly expressed, infr. Orat. iv. 4 fin. εἰ ἄγονος καὶ ἀνενέργητος, but barren, as they hold, as a light that lightens not, and a dry fountain, are they not ashamed to speak of His possessing framing energy? and whereas they deny what is by nature, do they not blush to place before it what is by will406    That is, ‘Let them tell us, is it right to predicate this or to predicate that of God (of one who is God), for such is the Word, viz. that He was from eternity or was created,’ &c., &c.    Orat. iii. 59, &c.? But if He frames things that are external to Him and before were not, by willing them to be, and becomes their Maker, much more will He first be Father of an Offspring from His proper Essence. For if they attribute to God the willing about things which are not, why recognise they not that in God which lies above the will? now it is a something that surpasses will, that He should be by nature, and should be Father of His proper Word. If then that which comes first, which is according to nature, did not exist, as they would have it in their folly, how could that which is second come to be, which is according to will? for the Word is first, and then the creation. On the contrary the Word exists, whatever they affirm, those irreligious ones; for through Him did creation come to be, and God, as being Maker, plainly has also His framing Word, not external, but proper to Him;—for this must be repeated. If He has the power of will, and His will is effective, and suffices for the consistence of the things that come to be, and His Word is effective, and a Framer, that Word must surely be the living Will407    κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν, vid. Orat. ii. §38.    Orat. iii. 63. c. of the Father, and an essential408    Rom. ix. 5.    ἐνούσιος, infr. 28. energy, and a real Word, in whom all things both consist and are excellently governed. No one can even doubt, that He who disposes is prior to the disposition and the things disposed. And thus, as I said, God’s creating is second to His begetting; for Son implies something proper to Him and truly from that blessed and everlasting Essence; but what is from His will, comes into consistence from without, and is framed through His proper Offspring who is from It.

3. As we have shewn then they are guilty of great extravagance who say that the Lord is not Son of God, but a work, and it follows that we all of necessity confess that He is Son. And if He be Son, as indeed He is, and a son is confessed to be not external to his father but from him, let them not question about the terms, as I said before, which the sacred writers use of the Word Himself, viz. not ‘to Him that begat Him,’ but ‘to Him that made Him;’ for while it is confessed what His nature is, what word is used in such instances need raise no question409    Prov. ix. 18. LXX.    §1, note 13.. For terms do not disparage His Nature; rather that Nature draws to Itself those terms and changes them. For terms are not prior to essences, but essences are first, and terms second. Wherefore also when the essence is a work or creature, then the words ‘He made,’ and ‘He became,’ and ‘He created,’ are used of it properly, and designate the work. But when the Essence is an Offspring and Son, then ‘He made,’ and ‘He became,’ and ‘He created,’ no longer properly belong to it, nor designate a work; but ‘He made’ we use without question for ‘He begat.’ Thus fathers often call the sons born of them their servants, yet without denying the genuineness of their nature; and often they affectionately call their own servants children, yet without putting out of sight their purchase of them originally; for they use the one appellation from their authority as being fathers, but in the other they speak from affection. Thus Sara called Abraham lord, though not a servant but a wife; and while to Philemon the master the Apostle joined Onesimus the servant as a brother, Bathsheba, although mother, called her son servant, saying to his father, ‘Thy servant Solomon410    de Decr. 6. note 5; de Syn. 32.    1 Kings i. 19.;’—afterwards also Nathan the Prophet came in and repeated her words to David, ‘Solomon thy servant411    de Decr. 26, note 6.    ver. 26..’ Nor did they mind calling the son a servant, for while David heard it, he recognised the ‘nature,’ and while they spoke it, they forgot not the ‘genuineness,’ praying that he might be made his father’s heir, to whom they gave the name of servant; for to David he was son by nature.

4. As then, when we read this, we interpret it fairly, without accounting Solomon a servant because we hear him so called, but a son natural and genuine, so also, if, concerning the Saviour, who is confessed to be in truth the Son, and to be the Word by nature, the saints say, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him,’ or if He say of Himself, ‘The Lord created me,’ and, ‘I am Thy servant and the Son of Thine handmaid412    Job xviii. 5.    Ps. cxvi. 16.,’ and the like, let not any on this account deny that He is proper to the Father and from Him; but, as in the case of Solomon and David, let them have a right idea of the Father and the Son. For if, though they hear Solomon called a servant, they acknowledge him to be a son, are they not deserving of many deaths413    Ep. Æg. 18.    πολλάκις ἀπολωλέναι δίκαιοι, vid. infr. §28., who, instead of preserving the same explanation in the instance of the Lord, whenever they hear ‘Offspring,’ and ‘Word,’ and ‘Wisdom,’ forcibly misinterpret and deny the generation, natural and genuine, of the Son from the Father; but on hearing words and terms proper to a work, forthwith drop down to the notion of His being by nature a work, and deny the Word; and this, though it is possible, from His having been made man, to refer all these terms to His humanity? And are they not proved to be ‘an abomination’ also ‘unto the Lord,’ as having ‘diverse weights414    §8, note 5.    Prov. xx. 23.’ with them, and with this estimating those other instances, and with that blaspheming the Lord? But perhaps they grant that the word ‘servant’ is used under a certain understanding, but lay stress upon ‘Who made’ as some great support of their heresy. But this stay of theirs also is but a broken reed; for if they are aware of the style of Scripture, they must at once give sentence against415    Matt. iii. 17.    Apol. c. Ar. 36. themselves. For as Solomon, though a son, is called a servant, so, to repeat what was said above, although parents call the sons springing from themselves ‘made’ and ‘created’ and ‘becoming,’ for all this they do not deny their nature. Thus Hezekiah, as it is written in Isaiah, said in his prayer, ‘From this day I will make children, who shall declare Thy righteousness, O God of my salvation416    de Decr. 2, note 6.    Is. xxxviii. 19, LXX..’ He then said, ‘I will make;’ but the Prophet in that very book and the Fourth of Kings, thus speaks, ‘And the sons who shall come forth of thee417    2 Kings xx. 18; Is. xxxix. 7..’ He uses then ‘make’ for ‘beget,’ and he calls them who were to spring from him, ‘made,’ and no one questions whether the term has reference to a natural offspring. Again, Eve on bearing Cain said, ‘I have gotten a man from the Lord418    Gen. iv. 1, and infr. 44. note on Qanâ.;’ thus she too used ‘gotten’ for ‘brought forth.’ For, first she saw the child, yet next she said, ‘I have gotten.’ Nor would any one consider, because of ‘I have gotten,’ that Cain was purchased from without, instead of being born of her. Again, the Patriarch Jacob said to Joseph, ‘And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which became thine in Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine419    Gen. xlviii. 5, LXX..’ And Scripture says about Job, ‘And there came to him seven sons and three daughters420    Job i. 2, LXX..’ As Moses too has said in the Law, ‘If sons become to any one,’ and ‘If he make a son421    Cf. Deut. xxi. 15; vid. Lev. xxv. 21, LXX..’ Here again they speak of those who are begotten, as ‘become’ and ‘made,’ knowing that, while they are acknowledged to be sons, we need not make a question of ‘they became,’ or ‘I have gotten,’ or ‘I made422    Serap. ii. 6. b..’ For nature and truth draw the meaning to themselves.

5. This being so423    That is, while the style of Scripture justifies us in thus interpreting the word ‘made,’ doctrinal truth obliges us to do so. He considers the Regula Fidei the principle of interpretation, and accordingly he goes on at once to apply it. vid. supr. §1, note 13., when persons ask whether the Lord is a creature or work, it is proper to ask of them this first, whether He is Son and Word and Wisdom. For if this is shewn, the surmise about work and creation falls to the ground at once and is ended. For a work could never be Son and Word; nor could the Son be a work. And again, this being the state of the case, the proof is plain to all, that the phrase, ‘To Him who made Him’ does not serve their heresy, but rather condemns it. For it has been shewn that the expression ‘He made’ is applied in divine Scripture even to children genuine and natural; whence, the Lord being proved to be the Father’s Son naturally and genuinely, and Word, and Wisdom, though ‘He made’ be used concerning Him, or ‘He became,’ this is not said of Him as if a work, but the saints make no question about using the expression,—for instance in the case of Solomon, and Hezekiah’s children. For though the fathers had begotten them from themselves, still it is written, ‘I have made,’ and ‘I have gotten,’ and ‘He became.’ Therefore God’s enemies, in spite of their repeated allegation of such phrases424    λεξείδια, Orat. iii. 59. a Sent. D. 4. c., ought now, though late in the day, after what has been said, to disown their irreligious thoughts, and think of the Lord as of a true Son, Word, and Wisdom of the Father, not a work, not a creature. For if the Son be a creature, by what word then and by what wisdom was He made Himself425    Orat. iii. 62 init. infr. §22, note.? for all the works were made through the Word and the Wisdom, as it is written, ‘In wisdom hast Thou made them all,’ and, ‘All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made426    Ps. civ. 24; John i. 3..’ But if it be He who is the Word and the Wisdom, by which all things come to be, it follows that He is not in the number of works, nor in short of things originate, but the Offspring of the Father.

6. For consider how grave an error it is, to call God’s Word a work. Solomon says in one place in Ecclesiastes, that ‘God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil427    Eccles. xii. 14..’ If then the Word be a work, do you mean that He as well as others will be brought into judgment? and what room is there for judgment, when the Judge is on trial? who will give to the just their blessing, who to the unworthy their punishment, the Lord, as you must suppose, standing on trial with the rest? by what law shall He, the Lawgiver, Himself be judged? These things are proper to the works, to be on trial, to be blessed and to be punished by the Son. Now then fear the Judge, and let Solomon’s words convince you. For if God shall bring the works one and all into judgment, but the Son is not in the number of things put on trial, but rather is Himself the Judge of works one and all, is not the proof clearer than the sun, that the Son is not a work but the Father’s Word, in whom all the works both come to be and come into judgment? Further, if the expression, ‘Who was faithful,’ is a difficulty to them, from the thought that ‘faithful’ is used of Him as of others, as if He exercises faith and so receives the reward of faith, they must proceed at this rate to find fault with Moses for saying, ‘God faithful and true428    Combines Greek of Deut. xxxii. 4 and Ex. xxxiv. 6; cf. Rev. iii. 14.,’ and with St. Paul for writing, ‘God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able429    1 Cor. x. 13..’ But when the saints spoke thus, they were not thinking of God in a human way, but they acknowledged two senses of the word ‘faithful’ in Scripture, first ‘believing,’ then ‘trustworthy,’ of which the former belongs to man, the latter to God. Thus Abraham was faithful, because He believed God’s word; and God faithful, for, as David says in the Psalm, ‘The Lord is faithful in all His words430    Ps. cxlv. 14. LXX.,’ or is trustworthy, and cannot lie. Again, ‘If any faithful woman have widows431    1 Tim. v. 16.,’ she is so called for her right faith; but, ‘It is a faithful saying432    Tit. iii. 8, &c.,’ because what He hath spoken has a claim on our faith, for it is true, and is not otherwise. Accordingly the words, ‘Who is faithful to Him that made Him,’ implies no parallel with others, nor means that by having faith He became well-pleasing; but that, being Son of the True God, He too is faithful, and ought to be believed in all He says and does, Himself remaining unalterable and not changed433    ἄτρεπτος καὶ μὴ ἀλλοιούμενος; vid. supr. de Decr. 14. it was the tendency of Arianism to consider that in the Incarnation some such change actually was undergone by the Word, as they had from the first maintained in the abstract was possible; that whereas He was in natureτρεπτὸς, He was in fact ἀλλοιούμενος. This was implied in the doctrine that His superhuman nature supplied the place of a soul in His manhood. Hence the semi-Arian Sirmian Creed anathematizes those who said, τὸν λόγον τροπὴν ὑπομεμενηκοτα, vid. De Syn. 27. 12). This doctrine connected them with the Apollinarian and Eutychian Schools, to the former of which Athan. compares them, contr. Apoll. i. 12. while, as opposing the latter, Theodoret entities his first Dialogue ῎Ατρεπτος in His human Economy and fleshly presence.

7. Thus then we may meet these men who are shameless, and from the single expression ‘He made,’ may shew that they err in thinking that the Word of God is a work. But further, since the drift also of the context is orthodox, shewing the time and the relation to which this expression points, I ought to shew from it also how the heretics lack reason; viz. by considering, as we have done above, the occasion when it was used and for what purpose. Now the Apostle is not discussing things before the creation when he thus speaks, but when ‘the Word became flesh;’ for thus it is written, ‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Jesus, who was faithful to Him that made Him.’ Now when became He ‘Apostle,’ but when He put on our flesh? and when became He ‘High Priest of our profession,’ but when, after offering Himself for us, He raised His Body from the dead, and, as now, Himself brings near and offers to the Father those who in faith approach Him, redeeming all, and for all propitiating God? Not then as wishing to signify the Essence of the Word nor His natural generation from the Father, did the Apostle say, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him’—(perish the thought! for the Word is not made, but makes)—but as signifying His descent to mankind and High-priesthood which did ‘become’—as one may easily see from the account given of the Law and of Aaron. I mean, Aaron was not born a high-priest, but a man; and in process of time, when God willed, he became a high-priest; yet became so, not simply, nor as betokened by his ordinary garments, but putting over them the ephod, the breastplate434    Exod. xxix. 5., the robe, which the women wrought at God’s command, and going in them into the holy place, he offered the sacrifice for the people; and in them, as it were, mediated between the vision of God and the sacrifices of men. Thus then the Lord also, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;’ but when the Father willed that ransoms should be paid for all and to all, grace should be given, then truly the Word, as Aaron his robe, so did He take earthly flesh, having Mary for the Mother of His Body as if virgin earth435    ἀνεργάστου γῆς is an allusion to Adam’s formation from the ground; and so Irenæus, Hær. iii. 21. fin. and many later fathers., that, as a High Priest, having He as others an offering, He might offer Himself to the Father, and cleanse us all from sins in His own blood, and might rise from the dead.

8. For what happened of old was a shadow of this; and what the Saviour did on His coming, this Aaron shadowed out according to the Law. As then Aaron was the same and did not change by putting on the high-priestly dress436    This is one of those distinct and luminous protests by anticipation against Nestorianism, which in consequence may be abused to the purpose of the opposite heresy. Such expressions as περιτιθέμενος τὴν ἐσθῆτα, ἐκαλύπτετο, ἐνδυσάμενος σῶμα, were familiar with the Apollinarians, against whom S. Athanasius is, if possible, even more decided. Theodoret objects Hær. v. 11. p. 422. to the word προκάλυμμα, as applied to our Lord’s manhood, as implying that He had no soul; vid. also Naz. Ep. 102. fin. (ed. 1840). In Naz. Ep. 101. p. 90. παραπέτασμα is used to denote an Apollinarian idea. Such expressions were taken to imply that Christ was not in nature man, only in some sense human; not a substance, but an appearance; yet pseudo-Athan. contr. Sabell. Greg. 4. has παραπεπετασμένην and κάλυμμα, ibid. init. S. Cyril. Hieros. καταπέτασμα, Catech. xii. 26. xiii. 32. after Hebr. x. 20. and Athan. ad Adelph. 5. e. Theodor. παραπέτασμα, Eran. i. p. 22. and προκάλυμμα, ibid. p. 23. and adv. Gent. vi. p. 877. and στολή, Eran. 1. c. S. Leo has caro Christi velamen, Ep. 59. p. 979. vid. also Serm. 22. p. 70. Serm. 25. p. 84., but remaining the same was only robed, so that, had any one seen him offering, and had said, ‘Lo, Aaron has this day become high-priest,’ he had not implied that he then had been born man, for man he was even before he became high-priest, but that he had been made high-priest in his ministry, on putting on the garments made and prepared for the high-priesthood; in the same way it is possible in the Lord’s instance also to understand aright, that He did not become other than Himself on taking the flesh, but, being the same as before, He was robed in it; and the expressions ‘He became’ and ‘He was made,’ must not be understood as if the Word, considered as the Word437    ᾗ λόγος ἐστι. cf. i. 43. Orat. ii. 74. e. iii. 38 init. 39. b. 41 init. 45 init. 52. b. iv. 23. f., were made, but that the Word, being Framer of all, afterwards438    The Arians considered that our Lord’s Priesthood preceded His Incarnation, and belonged to His Divine Nature, and was in consequence the token of an inferior divinity. The notice of it therefore in this text did but confirm them in their interpretation of the words made, &c. For the Arians, vid. Epiph. Hær. 69, 37. Eusebius too had distinctly declared, Qui videbatur, erat agnus Dei; qui occultabatur sacerdos Dei. advers. Sabell. i. p. 2. b. vid. also Demonst. i. 10. p. 38. iv. 16. p. 193. v. 3. p. 223. contr. Marc. pp. 8 and 9. 66. 74. 95. Even S. Cyril of Jerusalem makes a similar admission, Catech. x. 14. Nay S. Ambrose calls the Word, plenum justitiæ sacerdotalis, de fug. sæc. 3. 14. S. Clement Alex. before them speaks once or twice of the λόγος ἀρχιερεὺς, e.g. Strom. ii. 9 fin. and Philo still earlier uses similar language, de Profug. p. 466. (whom S. Ambrose follows), de Somniis p. 597. vid. Thomassin. de Incarn. x. 9. Nestorius on the other hand maintained that the Man Christ Jesus was the Priest, relying on the text which has given rise to this note; Cyril, adv. Nest. p. 64. and Augustine and Fulgentius may be taken to countenance him, de Consens. and Evang. i. 6. ad Thrasim. iii. 30. The Catholic doctrine is, that the Divine Word is Priest in and according to His manhood. vid. the parallel use of πρωτότοκος, infr. 62–64. ‘As He is called Prophet and even Apostle for His humanity,’ says S. Cyril Alex. ‘so also Priest.’ Glaph. ii. p. 58. and so Epiph. loc. cit. Thomassin loc. cit. makes a distinction between a divine Priesthood or Mediatorship, such as the Word may be said to sustain between the Father and all creatures, and an earthly one for the sake of sinners. vid. also Huet Origenian. ii. 3. §4, 5. For the history of the controversy among Protestants as to the Nature to which His Mediatorship belongs, vid. Petav. Incarn. xii. 3. 4. [Herzog-Plitt Art. Stancar.] was made High Priest, by putting on a body which was originate and made, and such as He can offer for us; wherefore He is said to be made. If then indeed the Lord did not become man439    [One of the few passages in which Ath. glances at the Arian Christology. A long note is omitted here on the subject of Or. i. 8, note 3.], that is a point for the Arians to battle; but if the ‘Word became flesh,’ what ought to have been said concerning Him when become man, but ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him?’ for as it is proper to the Word to have it said of Him, ‘In the beginning was the Word,’ so it is proper to man to ‘become’ and to be ‘made.’ Who then, on seeing the Lord as a man walking about, and yet appearing to be God from His works, would not have asked, Who made Him man? and who again, on such a question, would not have answered, that the Father made Him man, and sent Him to us as High Priest? And this meaning, and time, and character, the Apostle himself, the writer of the words, ‘Who is faithful to Him that made Him,’ will best make plain to us, if we attend to what goes before them. For there is one train of thought, and the lection is all about One and the Same. He writes then in the Epistle to the Hebrews thus; ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the nature of Angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus; who was faithful to Him that made Him440    Heb. ii. 14–18; iii. 2..’

9. Who can read this whole passage without condemning the Arians, and admiring the blessed Apostle, who has spoken well? for when was Christ ‘made,’ when became He ‘Apostle,’ except when, like us, He ‘took part in flesh and blood?’ And when became He ‘a merciful and faithful High Priest,’ except when ‘in all things He was made like unto His brethren?’ And then was He ‘made like,’ when He became man, having put upon Him our flesh. Wherefore Paul was writing concerning the Word’s human Economy, when he said, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him,’ and not concerning His Essence. Have not therefore any more the madness to say that the Word of God is a work; whereas He is Son by nature Only-begotten, and then had ‘brethren,’ when He took on Him flesh like ours; which moreover, by Himself offering Himself, He was named and became ‘merciful and faithful,’—merciful, because in mercy to us He offered Himself for us, and faithful, not as sharing faith with us, nor as having faith in any one as we have, but as deserving to receive faith in all He says and does, and as offering a faithful sacrifice, one which remains and does not come to nought. For those which were offered according to the Law, had not this faithfulness, passing away with the day and needing a further cleansing; but the Saviour’s sacrifice, taking place once, has perfected everything, and is become faithful as remaining for ever. And Aaron had successors, and in a word the priesthood under the Law exchanged its first ministers as time and death went on; but the Lord having a high priesthood without transition and without succession, has become a ‘faithful High Priest,’ as continuing for ever; and faithful too by promise, that He may hear441    Or, answer, vid. infr. iii. 27. and not mislead those who come to Him. This may be also learned from the Epistle of the great Peter, who says, ‘Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit their souls to a faithful Creator442    1 Pet. iv. 19..’ For He is faithful as not changing, but abiding ever, and rendering what He has promised.

10. Now the so-called gods of the Greeks, unworthy the name, are faithful neither in their essence nor in their promises; for the same are not everywhere, nay, the local deities come to nought in course of time, and undergo a natural dissolution; wherefore the Word cries out against them, that ‘faith is not strong in them,’ but they are ‘waters that fail,’ and ‘there is no faith in them.’ But the God of all, being one really and indeed and true, is faithful, who is ever the same, and says, ‘See now, that I, even I am He,’ and I ‘change not443    Vid. Jer. ix. 3. and xv. 18; Deut. xxxii. 20, LXX.; ib. xxxii. 39; Mal. iii. 6.;’ and therefore His Son is ‘faithful,’ being ever the same and unchanging, deceiving neither in His essence nor in His promise;—as again says the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians, ‘Faithful is He who calleth you, who also will do it444    1 Thess. v. 24.;’ for in doing what He promises, ‘He is faithful to His words.’ And he thus writes to the Hebrews as to the word’s meaning ‘unchangeable;’ ‘If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself445    2 Tim. ii. 13..’ Therefore reasonably the Apostle, discoursing concerning the bodily presence of the Word, says, an ‘Apostle and faithful to Him that made Him,’ shewing us that, even when made man, ‘Jesus Christ’ is ‘the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever446    Heb. xiii. 8.’ is unchangeable. And as the Apostle makes mention in his Epistle of His being made man when mentioning His High Priesthood, so too he kept no long silence about His Godhead, but rather mentions it forthwith, furnishing to us a safeguard on every side, and most of all when he speaks of His humility, that we may forthwith know His loftiness and His majesty which is the Father’s. For instance, he says, ‘Moses as a servant, but Christ as a Son447    Heb. iii. 5, 6.;’ and the former ‘faithful in his house,’ and the latter ‘over the house,’ as having Himself built it, and being its Lord and Framer, and as God sanctifying it. For Moses, a man by nature, became faithful, in believing God who spoke to Him by His Word; but448    Here is a protest beforehand against the Monophysite doctrine, but such anticipations of various heresies are too frequent, as we proceed, to require or bear notice. the Word was not as one of things originate in a body, nor as creature in creature, but as God in flesh449    θεὸς ἐν σαρκὶ, vid. λόγος ἐν σ. iii. 54. a. θ. ἐν σωματι, ii. 12. c. 15. a. λ. ἐν σώμ. Sent. D. 8 fin., and Framer of all and Builder in that which was built by Him. And men are clothed in flesh in order to be and to subsist; but the Word of God was made man in order to sanctify the flesh, and, though He was Lord, was in the form of a servant; for the whole creature is the Word’s servant, which by Him came to be, and was made.

11. Hence it holds that the Apostle’s expression, ‘He made,’ does not prove that the Word is made, but that body, which He took like ours; and in consequence He is called our brother, as having become man. But if it has been shewn, that, even though the word ‘made’ be referred to the Very Word, it is used for ‘begat,’ what further perverse expedient will they be able to fall upon, now that the present discussion has cleared up the word in every point of view, and shewn that the Son is not a work, but in Essence indeed the Father’s offspring, while in the Economy, according to the good pleasure450    κατ᾽ εὐδοκίαν Orat.iii. 64. init. of the Father, He was on our behalf made, and consists as man? For this reason then it is said by the Apostle, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him;’ and in the Proverbs, even creation is spoken of. For so long as we are confessing that He became man, there is no question about saying, as was observed before, whether ‘He became,’ or ‘He has been made,’ or ‘created,’ or ‘formed,’ or ‘servant,’ or ‘son of an handmaid,’ or ‘son of man,’ or ‘was constituted,’ or ‘took His journey,’ or ‘bridegroom,’ or ‘brother’s son,’ or ‘brother.’ All these terms happen to be proper to man’s constitution; and such as these do not designate the Essence of the Word, but that He has become man.

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΤΑ ΑΡΕΙΑΝΩΝ ΛΟΓΟΣ ∆ΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ.
Ἐγὼ μὲν ᾤμην τοὺς τῆς Ἀρείου μανίας ὑπο κριτὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς προειρημένοις πρὸ τούτου κατ' αὐ τῶν ἐλέγχοις, καὶ ταῖς περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποδείξεσιν ἀρκεῖσθαι, καὶ παυομένους λοιπὸν, μεταγινώσκειν ἐφ' οἷς ἐφρόνησάν τε καὶ ἐλάλησαν κακῶς περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· αὐτοὶ δὲ, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως, οὐδὲ οὕτως κατα δύονται· ἀλλ' ὡς χοῖροι καὶ κύνες περὶ τὰ ἴδια ἐξεράματα καὶ τὸν ἑαυτῶν βόρβορον κυλιόμενοι, μᾶλλον ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπινοίας εἰς ἀσέβειαν. Μὴ νοοῦντες γοῦν μήτε τὸ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις γεγραμμένον, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, μήτε τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰρη μένον, Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, φιλονει κοῦσιν ἁπλῶς, λέγοντες ποίημα καὶ κτίσμα εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱόν. Καὶ ἤρκει μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν προειρημένων αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, εἰ μὴ τέλεον καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἀπώλεσαν, ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας μαρτυρησάσης, μὴ εἶναι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων μηδὲ ὅλως τῶν γενητῶν τὸν Υἱόν· Θεὸς γὰρ ὢν, οὐδ' ἂν εἴη ποίημα, οὐδὲ θέμις λέγειν αὐτὸν κτίσμα. Κτισμάτων γὰρ καὶ ποιημάτων ἴδιον τὸ λέγεσθαι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ, Οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ, ὥσπερ δεδιότες ἀποστῆναι τῆς ἰδίας μυθοπλαστίας, προφασίζονται συνήθως τὰ προειρη μένα ῥητὰ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, τὰ καλῶς μὲν γε γραμμένα, ῥᾳδιουργηθέντα δὲ παρ' αὐτῶν φέρε, πά λιν ἐπαναλαβόντες τὸν νοῦν τῶν προειρημένων, τοὺς μὲν πιστοὺς ὑπομνήσωμεν, τούτους δὲ δείξωμεν καὶ ἐξ ἑκάστου τούτων, μηδ' ὅλως εἰδέναι τὸν Χρι στιανισμόν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγίνωσκον, οὐκ ἂν ἑαυτοὺς συν έκλειον εἰς τὴν τῶν νῦν Ἰουδαίων ἀπιστίαν, ἀλλ' ἐρωτῶντες ἐμάνθανον, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λό γος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος· ὅτε δὲ εὐδοκήσαντος τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Λό γος αὐτὸς γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τότε εἰκότως εἴρη ται περὶ αὐτοῦ παρὰ μὲν τοῦ Ἰωάννου τὸ, Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο· παρὰ δὲ τοῦ Πέτρου, Κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν αὐτὸν ἐποίησε· καὶ διὰ μὲν Σολομῶ νος, ὡς παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ· παρὰ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου· Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων· καὶ πάλιν, Ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών· καὶ αὖθις, Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν· τὰ τοιαῦτα γὰρ πάντα ῥητὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει δύναμιν καὶ διάνοιαν βλέπουσαν εἰς εὐσέβειαν, καὶ δεικνύουσαν τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ τὰ ἀνθρωπίνως λεγόμενα περὶ αὐτοῦ, διὰ τὸ γεγενῆσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ εἰ καὶ αὐτάρκη ταῦτα πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν κατ' αὐτῶν, ὅμως ἐπειδὴ μὴ νοοῦντες τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λεγόμενον, ἵνα τούτου πρῶτον μνησθῶ, νομίζουσιν ἓν τῶν ποιημάτων εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, διὰ τὸ γεγράφθαι, Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιή σαντι αὐτὸν, ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην τοῦτο πάλιν λέγοντας αὐτοὺς ἐντρέπειν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἐλέγομεν, λαμβάνοντες παρ' αὐτῶν τὸ λῆμμα. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν Υἱὸς, λεγέσθω καὶ ποίημα· πάντα τε τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ποιημάτων κατηγορεί σθω καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ· καὶ μόνος μὴ λεγέσθω Υἱός· μὴ Λόγος, μὴ Σοφία· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς μὴ λεγέσθω Πατὴρ, ἀλλὰ μόνον δημιουργὸς καὶ κτίστης τῶν γινομένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἔστω ἡ μὲν κτίσις, εἰκὼν καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς δημιουργικῆς βουλήσεως αὐτοῦ· αὐτὸς δὲ κατ' ἐκείνους μὴ ἔστω γεννητικῆς φύσεως· ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας αὐτοῦ μὴ εἶναι Λόγον, μὴ Σοφίαν, μηδ' ὅλως εἰκόνα. Εἰ γὰρ μή ἐστιν Υἱὸς, οὐδὲ εἰκών. Μὴ ὄντος δὲ Υἱοῦ, πῶς ἄρα τὸν Θεὸν κτίστην εἶναι λέγετε, εἴ γε διὰ Λόγου καὶ ἐν Σοφίᾳ πάντα τὰ γινόμενα γίνεται, χωρίς τε τούτου οὐκ ἄν τι γένοιτο, οὐκ ἔχει δὲ καθ' ὑμᾶς ἐν ᾧ καὶ δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ποιεῖ; Εἰ δὲ μὴ καρπογόνος ἐστὶν αὐτὴ ἡ θεία οὐσία, ἀλλ' ἔρημος, κατ' αὐτοὺς, ὡς φῶς μὴ φωτίζον, καὶ πηγὴ ξηρὰ, πῶς δημιουργι κὴν ἐνέργειαν ἔχειν αὐτὸν λέγοντες οὐκ αἰσχύνονται; Καὶ ἀναιροῦντες δὲ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν, πῶς τὸ κατὰ βούλησιν προηγεῖσθαι θέλοντες οὐκ ἐρυθριῶσιν; Εἰ δὲ τὰ ἐκτὸς καὶ οὐκ ὄντα πρότερον, βουλόμενος δὲ αὐτὰ εἶναι, δημιουργεῖ, καὶ γίνεται τούτων ποιητής· πολλῷ πρότερον εἴη ἂν πατὴρ γεννήματος ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ βούλεσθαι περὶ τῶν μὴ ὄντων διδόασι τῷ Θεῷ, διὰ τί μὴ τὸ ὑπερκείμενον τῆς βουλήσεως οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκουσι τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ὑπερ αναβέβηκε δὲ τῆς βουλήσεως τὸ πεφυκέναι καὶ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα τοῦ ἰδίου Λόγου. Εἰ τοίνυν τὸ πρότερον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ κατὰ φύσιν, οὐχ ὑπῆρξε κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἄνοιαν, πῶς τὸ δεύτερον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ κατὰ βούλησιν, γένοιτ' ἄν; Πρότερον δέ ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ δεύτερον ἡ κτίσις. Ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὁ Λόγος, κἂν πλείονα τολμῶσιν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς· δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ γέγονεν ἡ κτίσις· καὶ δῆλον ἂν εἴη, ὅτι, ποιητὴς ὢν ὁ Θεὸς, ἔχει καὶ τὸν δημιουργικὸν Λόγον οὐκ ἔξωθεν, ἀλλ' ἴδιον ἑαυτοῦ· πάλιν γὰρ τὸ αὐτὸ ῥητέον. Εἰ τὸ βούλεσθαι ἔχει, καὶ τὸ βούλημα αὐτοῦ ποιητικόν ἐστι, καὶ ἀρκεῖ τὸ βούλημα αὐτοῦ πρὸς σύστασιν τῶν γι νομένων· ὁ δὲ Λόγος ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ ποιητικὸς, καὶ δημιουργός· οὐκ ἀμφίβολον, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς ζῶσα βουλὴ, καὶ ἐνούσιος ἐνέργεια, καὶ Λόγος ἀληθινὸς, ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνέστηκε καὶ διοικεῖ ται τὰ πάντα καλῶς. Οὐδεὶς δὲ οὐδὲ διστάξειεν, ὡς ὁ ἁρμόζων τῆς ἁρμονίας καὶ τῶν ἁρμοζομένων πρόεστι. Καὶ δεύτερόν ἐστι, καθὰ προεῖπον, τὸ δη μιουργεῖν τοῦ γεννᾷν τὸν Θεόν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ Υἱὸς ἴδιον καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐκ τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀεὶ οὔσης οὐσίας ἐστί· τὰ δὲ ἐκ βουλήσεως αὐτῆς ἔξωθεν συνιστάμενα γίνεται, καὶ δημιουργεῖται διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς γεννήματος. Οὐκοῦν τοῦ Λόγου δεικνύντος πολλὴν ἀτοπίαν κατὰ τῶν λεγόντων μὴ εἶναι Υἱὸν Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ ποίημα· ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν ἡμᾶς συνομολογεῖν Υἱὸν εἶναι τὸν Κύριον. Εἰ δὲ Υἱός ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστιν, ὡμο λόγηται δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔξωθεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ γεννῶν τος εἶναι· μὴ διαφερέσθωσαν ταῖς λέξεσι, καθὰ προεῖπον, ἐὰν καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου ἀντὶ τοῦ, τῷ γεννήσαντι, τῷ ποιήσαντι ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ ἅγιοι, ὡς ἀδιαφόρου τοῦ ῥήματος ὄντος ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων, ἕως τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ὁμολογεῖται. Οὐ γὰρ αἱ λέ ξεις τὴν φύσιν παραιροῦνται· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἡ φύσις τὰς λέξεις εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἕλκουσα μεταβάλλει. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ πρότεραι τῶν οὐσιῶν αἱ λέξεις, ἀλλ' αἱ οὐ σίαι πρῶται, καὶ δεύτεραι τούτων αἱ λέξεις. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὅταν ἡ οὐσία ποίημα ἢ κτίσμα ᾖ, τότε τὸ, ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸ, ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισε, κυρίως ἐπ' αὐτῶν λέγεταί τε καὶ σημαίνει τὸ ποίημα. Ὅταν δὲ ἡ οὐσία γέννημα ᾖ καὶ υἱὸς, τότε τὸ, ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸ, ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισεν, οὐκ ἔτι κυ ρίως ἐπ' αὐτοῦ κεῖται, οὐδὲ ποίημα σημαίνει· ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐγέννησε, τῷ, ἐποίησεν, ἀδιαφόρως τις κέχρηται ῥήματι. Πολλάκις γοῦν πατέρες τοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν φύντας υἱοὺς δούλους ἑαυτῶν ὀνομάζουσι· καὶ οὐκ ἀρνοῦνται τὸ γνήσιον τῆς φύσεως· καὶ πολ λάκις τοὺς ἰδίους δούλους φιλοφρονούμενοι, τέκνα καλοῦσι· καὶ οὐ κρύπτουσι τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτῶν κτῆσιν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐπ' ἐξουσίας, ὡς πατέρες λέγουσι· τὸ δὲ φιλανθρώπως ὀνομάζουσι. Σάῤῥα γοῦν τὸν Ἀβραὰμ κύριον ἐκάλει, καίτοι μὴ δούλη, ἀλλὰ σύζυγος οὖσα· καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἀπόστολος Φιλήμονι τῷ κτησαμένῳ συνῆπτεν ὡς ἀδελφὸν Ὠνήσιμον τὸν δοῦ λον· ἡ δὲ Βηρσαβεὲ, καίτοι μήτηρ οὖσα, τὸν υἱὸν ἐκάλει δοῦλον, λέγουσα τῷ πατρί· Τὸν δοῦλόν σου Σολομῶνα· εἶτα καὶ Νάθαν ὁ προφήτης, εἰσελ θὼν, τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνῃ ἔλεγε τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ὅτι Σολομῶνα τὸν δοῦλόν σου· καὶ οὐκ ἔμελεν αὐτοῖς τὸν υἱὸν εἰπεῖν δοῦλον. Ἀκούων γὰρ κἀκεῖνος ἐπεγίνω σκε τὴν φύσιν, καὶ οὗτοι δὲ λέγοντες οὕτως, οὐκ ἠγνόουν τὸ γνήσιον. Κληρονόμον γοῦν ἠξίουν αὐτὸν τοῦ πατρὸς γενέσθαι, ὃν ὡς δοῦλον ἐκάλουν· ἦν γὰρ υἱὸς τῇ φύσει τοῦ ∆αβίδ. Ὥσπερ τοίνυν ἀναγινώσκοντες ταῦτα διανοούμε θα καλῶς· καὶ ἀκούοντες δοῦλον τὸν Σολομῶνα, οὐ νομίζομεν αὐτὸν εἶναι δοῦλον, ἀλλὰ φύσει καὶ γνή σιον υἱόν· οὕτως ἐὰν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τοῦ ἀλη θῶς ὁμολογουμένου Υἱοῦ, καὶ φύσει Λόγου ὄντος λέ γωσιν οἱ ἅγιοι· Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν· ἢ αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἐὰν λέγῃ· Κύριος ἔ κτισέ με· καὶ, Ἐγὼ δοῦλος σὸς, καὶ υἱὸς τῆς παι δίσκης σου· καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· μὴ διὰ τοῦτο ἀρνεί σθωσάν τινες τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἰδιότητα· ἀλλ', ὡς ἐπὶ Σολομῶνος καὶ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ, διανοείσθωσαν ὀρθῶς περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Ἐπεὶ, εἰ ἀκούον τες Σολομῶνα δοῦλον, ὁμολογοῦσιν υἱὸν, πῶς οὐ πολλάκις ἀπολωλέναι δίκαιοί εἰσιν, ὅτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου διάνοιαν οὐ σώζουσιν; ἀλλ' ὅταν μὲν ἀκούωσι γέννημα, καὶ Λόγον, καὶ Σοφίαν, βιά ζονται παρερμηνεύειν καὶ ἀρνεῖσθαι τὴν φύσει καὶ γνησίαν γέννησιν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ· ἀκού οντες δὲ ποιήματος φωνὰς καὶ λέξεις, εὐθὺς εἰς τὸ νομίζειν φύσει ποίημα τὸν Υἱὸν καταφέρονται, καὶ ἀρνοῦνται τὸν Λόγον· καίτοι δυνάμενοι, διὰ τὸ γεγενῆσθαι αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον, πάσας τὰς τοιαύ τας λέξεις ἐπιῤῥίπτειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον αὐτοῦ. Πῶς οὖν καὶ οὗτοι οὐ βδελυκτοὶ παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ δείκνυνται, δισσὰ στάθμια παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ἔχοντες, καὶ τῷ μὲν ἐκεῖνα λογιζόμενοι, τῷ δὲ τὸν Κύριον βλασφημοῦντες; Ἀλλ' ἴσως τὸ μὲν, δοῦλος, ὡς κατὰ διάθεσιν λεγόμενον συντίθενται· τὸ δὲ, τῷ ποιή σαντι, κατέχουσιν, ὡς μέγα τι βοήθημα τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν. Ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦτο κάλαμος τεθλασμέ νος τὸ ἔρεισμα· καταγνώσονται γὰρ εὐθὺς ἑαυτῶν, εἰ μάθοιεν τὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ἰδίωμα. Καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ δοῦ λος λέγεται ὁ Σολομὼν, καίπερ ὢν υἱός· οὕτως, ἵνα τὰ ἐν τοῖς προτέροις εἰρημένα πάλιν εἴπωμεν, εἰ καὶ ποιουμένους καὶ κτιζομένους καὶ γινομένους τοὺς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν φυομένους υἱοὺς λέγοιεν οἱ γονεῖς, οὐ δὲν ἧττον οὐκ ἀρνοῦνται τὴν φύσιν. Ὁ γοῦν Ἐζεχίας, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ γέγραπται, εὐχόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς σήμερον παιδία ποιήσω, ἂ ἀναγγελοῦσι τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, Κύριε τῆς σωτηρίας μου. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἔλεγε, ποιήσω· ὁ δὲ προφήτης ἔν τε αὐτῷ τῷ βι βλίῳ, καὶ τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν οὕτω φησί· Καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου, οἳ ἐξελεύσονται ἐκ σοῦ. Ἀντὶ τοῦ γεννᾷν, ἄρα τὸ, ποιήσω, εἴρηκε· καὶ τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ φυομένους, ὡς ποιουμένους φησί. Καὶ οὐ δια φέρεταί τις, ὡς περὶ τοῦ φύσει γεννήματός ἐστιν ἡ λέξις. Καὶ Εὔα δὲ τεκοῦσα τὸν Κάϊν, εἶπεν· Ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, τεκεῖν, ἄρα καὶ αὐτὴ τὸ, ἐκτησάμην, εἴρηκε. Καὶ γὰρ πρότερον ἰδοῦσα τὸν τόκον, ὕστερον εἶπε τὸ, ἐκτη σάμην. Καὶ οὐ διὰ τὸ, ἐκτησάμην, νομίσειεν ἄν τις ἔξωθεν ἠγοράσθαι τὸν Κάϊν, καὶ μὴ ἐξ αὐτῆς τετέχθαι. Καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης δὲ Ἰακὼβ ἔλεγε τῷ Ἰωσήφ· Νῦν οὖν οἱ δύο υἱοί σου, οἱ γενό μενοί σοι ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, πρὸ τοῦ με ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σὲ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἐμοί εἰσιν, Ἐφραῒμ καὶ Μανασσῆς. Καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ δὲ περὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ φησιν· Ἐγένοντοαὐτῷ υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ, καὶ θυγατέρες τρεῖς· ὥσπερ καὶ Μωϋσῆς εἴρηκεν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ· Ἐὰν δὲ γένωνταί τινι υἱοί· καὶ, ἐὰν ποιήσῃ υἱόν. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν τοὺς γεννηθέντας, ὡς γενομένους καὶ ποιηθέντας εἰρήκασιν, εἰδότες, ὅτι ἕως ὁμολογοῦνται υἱοὶ, κἂν λέγῃ τις, ἐγένοντο, ἢ ἐκτη σάμην, ἢ ἐποίησα, οὐδὲν διαφέρει. Ἡ γὰρ φύσις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἕλκει τὴν διάνοιαν εἰς ἑαυτήν. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ζητοῦντας, εἰ κτίσμα καὶ ποίημά ἐστιν ὁ Κύριος, χρὴ πρότερον ζητεῖν εἰ Υἱός ἐστι, καὶ Λόγος, καὶ Σοφία. Τούτων γὰρ ἀποδεικνυμένων, ἐκβάλλεται εὐθὺς καὶ παύεται ἡ περὶ τοῦ ποιήματος καὶ κτίσματος ὑπόνοια· οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ποίημα Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος ἂν εἴη, οὔτε ὁ Υἱὸς ποίημα ἂν εἴη. Τούτων δὲ πάλιν οὕτως ὄντων, φανερὰ πᾶσιν ἀπόδει ξις, ὡς ἡ λέξις ἡ λέγουσα, τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, οὐκ εἰς ὄνησίν ἐστι τῇ αἱρέσει αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εἰς κα τάγνωσιν. ∆έδεικται γὰρ ὅτι ἡ τοῦ, ἐποίησε, λέξις, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν γνησίων καὶ φύσει τέκνων ἐν τῇ θείᾳ κεῖται Γραφῇ· ὅθεν τοῦ Κυρίου ἀποδεικνυμένου φύσει καὶ γνησίου Υἱοῦ, Λόγου, καὶ Σοφίας τοῦ Πα τρὸς, κἂν λέγηται ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ, ἐποίησεν, ἢ τὸ, ἐγένετο. οὐχ ὡς ποιήματος ὄντος αὐτοῦ λέγε ται, ἀλλ' ἀδιαφόρως τῇ λέξει χρῶνται οἱ ἅγιοι, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Σολομῶνος, καὶ τῶν Ἐζεχίου τέκνων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτῶν γεννησάντων ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, γέγραπται· ἐποίησα, καὶ, ἐκτησάμην, καὶ, ἐγένετο. Οὐκ οῦν τὰ τοιαῦτα λεξείδια πολλάκις προφασισάμενοι οἱ θεομάχοι, ὀφείλουσι κἂν ὀψέ ποτε ἐκ τῶν εἰρημέ νων ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ἀσεβῆ φρόνησιν, καὶ φρονῆσαι περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ὅτι Υἱός ἐστιν ἀληθινὸς, Λόγος καὶ Σοφία τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐ ποίημα, οὐ κτίσμα. Εἰ γὰρ ποίημά ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐν ποίῳ ἆρα λόγῳ καὶ ἐν ποίᾳ σοφίᾳ γέγονεν αὐτός; Πάντα γὰρ τὰ ποιήματα διὰ τοῦ Λόγου καὶ τῆς Σοφίας γέγονε, καθὼς γέγρα πται· Πάντα ἐν Σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας· καὶ, Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. Εἰ δὲ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος καὶ ἡ Σοφία, ἐν ᾗ πάν τα γίνεται, οὐκ ἄρα τῶν ποιουμένων ἐστὶν, οὐδὲ ὅλως τῶν γενητῶν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς γέννημα. Σκοπεῖτε γὰρ ὁπόσον ἔχει πτῶμα τὸ λέ γειν ποίημα τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Λέγει που Σολο μὼν ἐν τῷ Ἐκκλησιαστῇ, ὅτι Σύμπαν τὸ ποίημα ἄξει ὁ Θεὸς εἰς κρίσιν, ἐν παντὶ παρεωρωμέ νῳ, ἐὰν ἀγαθὸν, καὶ ἐὰν πονηρόν. Οὐκοῦν εἰ ποίημά ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, ἀχθήσεται καθ' ὑμᾶς καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς κρίσιν; Καὶ ποῦ λοιπὸν ἡ κρίσις, κρι νομένου τοῦ κριτοῦ; τίς δὲ τοῖς μὲν δικαίοις τὰς εὐλογίας δώσει, τοῖς δὲ ἀναξίοις τὰς ἐπιτιμίας, ἑστηκότος τοῦ Κυρίου καθ' ὑμᾶς μετὰ πάντων ἐν κρίσει; Ποίῳ δὲ καὶ νόμῳ κριθήσεται αὐτὸς ὁ νομο θέτης; Ταῦτα τῶν ποιημάτων ἴδιά ἐστι, τὸ κρίνε σθαι, τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εὐλογεῖσθαι καὶ ἐπι τιμᾶσθαι. Φοβήθητε λοιπὸν τὸν κριτὴν, καὶ πείσθητε τῷ Σολομῶνι λέγοντι. Εἰ γὰρ σύμπαν τὸ ποίημα ἄξει ὁ Θεὸς εἰς κρίσιν, ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔστι τῶν κρινομέ νων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον συμπάντων τῶν ποιημά των αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ κριτής· πῶς οὐ λαμπρότερον ἡλίου δείκνυται μὴ ποίημα ὢν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Πα τρὸς Λόγος, ἐν ᾧ τὰ ποιήματα γίνεταί τε καὶ κρίνεται; Εἰ δ', ὅτι γέγραπται, πιστὸν ὄντα, πάλιν ταράττει αὐτοὺς νομίζοντας, ὡς ἐπὶ πάντων λέγε σθαι, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ, πιστὸν, ὅτι πιστεύων ἐκδέ χεται τῆς πίστεως τὸν μισθόν· ὥρα καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἐγκαλεῖν Μωσεῖ μὲν λέγοντι· Ὁ Θεὸς πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός· τῷ δὲ Παύλῳ γρά φοντι· Πιστὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ὑμᾶς πειρα σθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνασθε. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λέγοντες οἱ ἅγιοι, οὐκ ἀνθρώπινα περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ διενοοῦντο· ἀλλ' ἐγίνωσκον διπλοῦν εἶναι τὸν νοῦν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ περὶ τοῦ πιστοῦ· τὸ μὲν ὡς πιστεῦον, τὸ δὲ, ὡς ἀξιό πιστον· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ Θεοῦ ἁρμόζειν. Πιστὸς γοῦν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτι τῷ λαλοῦντι πεπίστευκε Θεῷ, πιστὸς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι, καθ ὼς ψάλλει ∆αβὶδ, Πιστός ἐστιν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λό γοις αὑτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀξιόπιστός ἐστι, καὶ ἀδύ νατόν ἐστιν, αὐτὸν ψεύσασθαι. Καὶ, Εἴ τίς ἐστι πιστὴ χήρας ἔχουσα, διὰ τὸ καλῶς πιστεύειν, πιστὴ καλεῖται. Πιστὸς δὲ ὁ Λόγος, ὅτι ὃ εἴρηκεν, ὀφείλει πιστεύεσθαι· ἀληθὲς γάρ ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως. Καὶ τὸ γεγράφθαι τοίνυν, Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποι ήσαντι αὐτὸν, οὐ πρὸς ἄλλους ἔχει τὴν ὁμοιότητα· οὐδ' ὅτι πιστεύων, εὐάρεστος γέγονεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι Υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ, πιστός ἐστι καὶ αὐτὸς ὀφεί λων πιστεύεσθαι, ἐν οἷς ἂν λέγῃ καὶ ποιῇ, αὐτὸς ἄτρεπτος μένων, καὶ μὴ ἀλλοιούμενος ἐν τῇ ἀνθρω πίνῃ οἰκονομίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἐνσάρκῳ παρουσίᾳ. Οὕτως μὲν οὖν ἄν τις, πρὸς τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐ τῶν χωρῶν, δύναται καὶ ἐκ μόνης τῆς, ἐποίησε, λέ ξεως, διελέγχειν αὐτοὺς πλανωμένους, καὶ νομίζοντας εἶναι ποίημα τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ διάνοια τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐστὶν ὀρθὴ, δεικνύουσα τὴν, ἐποίησε, λέξιν, πότε καὶ πρὸς τί λεγομένη σημαίνεται· ἀναγκαῖον καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς δεῖξαι τῶν αἱρετικῶν τὴν ἀλογίαν, ἐὰν μάλιστα, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρήκαμεν, καὶ τούτου τὸν καιρὸν καὶ τὴν χρείαν λάβοιμεν. Οὐ τοίνυν τὰ πρὸ τῆς κτίσεως διηγούμενος ὁ Ἀπόστολος ταῦτα εἴρηκεν, ἀλλ' ὅτε ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο· οὕτω γὰρ γέγραπται· Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρ χιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν. Πότε οὖν ἀπεστάλη, ἢ ὁπηνίκα τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐνεδύσατο σάρκα; Πότε δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν γέγονεν, ἢ ὅτε, προσενέγκας ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸ σῶμα, καὶ νῦν αὐτὸς τοὺς προσερχομένους αὐτοῦ τῇ πίστει προσάγει καὶ προσφέρει τῷ Πατρὶ, λυτρού μενος πάντας, καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἱλασκόμενος τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν; Οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν ἄρα τοῦ Λόγου, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς φυσικὴν γέννησιν σημᾶναι θέλων ὁ Ἀπόστολος εἴρηκε, Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιή σαντι αὐτόν· μὴ γένοιτο! ποιῶν γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Λό γος, οὐ ποιούμενος αὐτός· ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους αὐτοῦ κάθοδον καὶ ἀρχιερωσύνην γενομένην, ἣν κα λῶς ἄν τις ἴδοι ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸν Ἀα ρὼν ἱστορίας. Οὕτως Ἀαρὼν οὐ γεγέννηται ἀρ χιερεὺς, ἀλλὰ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ μετὰ χρόνον, ὅτε ὁ Θεὸς ἠθέλησε, γέγονεν ἀρχιερεύς· καὶ γέγονεν οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν συνήθων ἱματίων γνωριζόμενος, ἀλλ' ἐπενδιδυσκόμενος τὴν ἐπωμίδα, τὸ λογεῖον, τὸν ποδήρη, ἃ αἱ γυναῖκες μὲν εἰργάσαντο προστάξει τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν τούτοις δὲ εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὰ ἅγια, τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ θυσίαν προσέφερε· καὶ ἐν τούτοις ὥσπερ ἐμεσίτευε τῇ ὀπτασίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων θυσίαις. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν ἦν ὁ Λόγος· καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος· ὅτε δὲ ἠθέλησεν ὁ Πατὴρ ὑπὲρ πάντων λύτρα δοθῆναι, καὶ πᾶσι χαρί σασθαι, τότε δὴ ὁ Λόγος, ὡς Ἀαρὼν τὸν ποδήρη, οὕτως αὐτὸς ἔλαβε τὴν ἀπὸ γῆς σάρκα, Μαρίαν ἀντὶ τῆς ἀνεργάστου γῆς ἐσχηκὼς μητέρα τοῦ σώμα τος, ἵνα ἔχων τὸ προσφερόμενον αὐτὸς, ὡς ἀρχιε ρεὺς, ἑαυτὸν προσενέγκῃ τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν κα θαρίσῃ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστήσῃ. Τούτου γὰρ ἦν τὰ παλαιὰ σκιά· καὶ ὅπερ πεποί ηκεν ἐλθὼν ὁ Σωτὴρ, τοῦτο κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐσκιογρά φει ὁ Ἀαρών. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Ἀαρὼν ὁ αὐτὸς ὢν οὐκἠλλάσσετο περιτιθέμενος τὴν ἀρχιερατικὴν ἐσθῆτα, ἀλλὰ μένων ὁ αὐτὸς, ἐκαλύπτετο μόνον· καὶ εἰ ἔλεγέ τις ἑωρακὼς αὐτὸν προσφέροντα, Ἰδοὺ γέγονε σή μερον ὁ Ἀαρὼν ἀρχιερεὺς, οὐκ ἐσήμαινεν αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον τότε γεγενῆσθαι· ἦν γὰρ, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ αὐτὸν ἀρχιερέα γενέσθαι, ἄνθρωπος· ἀλλ' ὅτι τῇ λειτουργείᾳ πεποίηται ἀρχιερεὺς, περιθέμενος τὰ πεποιημένα καὶ κατασκευασθέντα ἱμάτια τῇ ἀρ χιερατείᾳ· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου δυνατόν ἐστι καλῶς νοεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἄλλος γέγονε τὴν σάρκα λαβὼν, ἀλλ' ὁ αὐτὸς ὢν, ἐκαλύπτετο ταύτῃ· καὶ τὸ, γέγονε, καὶ τὸ, πεποίηται, οὐχ ὅτι ὁ Λόγος, ᾗ Λόγος ἐστὶ, πεποίηται νοεῖν θέμις· ἀλλ' ὅτι Λόγος ὢν δημιουργὸς, ὕστερον πεποίηται ἀρχιερεὺς, ἐνδυ σάμενος σῶμα τὸ γενητὸν καὶ ποιητὸν, ὅπερ καὶ προσενεγκεῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν δύναται, διὸ καὶ λέγεται πεποιῆσθαι. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος ὁ Κύ ριος, μαχέσθωσαν οἱ Ἀρειανοί· εἰ δὲ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, τί ἔδει περὶ γεγονότος ἀνθρώπου λέ γειν ἢ, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν; Ὡς γὰρ ἴδιον περὶ τοῦ Λόγου εἰπεῖν, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λό γος, οὕτως ἀνθρώπων ἴδιόν ἐστι τὸ γίνεσθαι καὶ ποιεῖσθαι. Τίς γοῦν ἰδὼν τὸν Κύριον, ὡς ἄνθρωπον περιπατοῦντα, καὶ Θεὸν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων δεικνύμενον, οὐκ ἂν ἠρώτησε, τίς τοῦτον ἐποίησεν ἄνθρωπον; Τίς δὲ πάλιν οὕτως ἐρωτηθεὶς οὐκ ἂν ἀπεκρίνετο, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ τοῦτον ἐποίησεν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἀπέστει λεν αὐτὸν ἡμῖν ἀρχιερέα; τὴν δὲ τοιαύτην διάνοιαν καὶ τὸν καιρὸν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον, αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀπόστο λος ὁ καὶ γράψας, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐ τὸν, δηλῶσαι μᾶλλον ἱκανός ἐστιν, ἐὰν τὰ ἔμπροσθεν λάβωμεν· μία γὰρ ἀκολουθία ἐστὶ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα τυγχάνει. Γράφει τοίνυν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ταῦτα· Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θα νάτου, τουτέστι τὸν διάβολον, καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τούτους, ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου διαπαντὸς τοῦ ζῇν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας. Οὐ γὰρ δήπου ἀγ γέλων ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται. Ὅθεν ὤφειλε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκε σθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ· ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθεν αὐτὸς πειρασθεὶς, δύναται τοῖς πει ραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι. Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλή σεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπό στολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰη σοῦν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν. Τίς τὴν περικοπὴν ταύτην ὅλην ἀναγινώσκων, οὐ τῶν μὲν Ἀρειανῶν καταγινώσκει, τὸν δὲ μακά ριον Ἀπόστολον θαυμάζει, καλῶς εἰρηκότα; Πότε γὰρ πεποίηται, καὶ πότε ἀπόστολος γέγονεν, εἰ μὴ ὅτε παραπλησίως ἡμῖν μετέσχε καὶ αὐτὸς αἵματος καὶ σαρκός; Καὶ πότε γέγονεν ἐλεήμων καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς, ἢ ὅτε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὡμοιώθη; ὡμοιώθη δὲ τότε, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἐνδυσάμενος τὴν ἡμετέραν σάρκα. Οὐκοῦν περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον οἰκονομίας τοῦ Λόγου γρά φων ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐ περὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Λόγου. Μηκέτι τοίνυν μαίνεσθε λέγοντες ποίημα εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Ἔστι γὰρ αὐτὸς Υἱὸς φύσει μονογενής. Τότε δὲ ἔσχεν ἀδελφοὺς, ὅτε τὴν ὁμοίαν ἡμῖν ἐνεδύ σατο σάρκα, ἣν καὶ προσφέρων αὐτὸς δι' αὐτοῦ, ἀρχιερεὺς ὠνομάσθη, καὶ γέγονεν ἐλεήμων καὶ πιστός· ἐλεήμων μὲν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσενέγκας ἑαυ τὸν ἠλέησεν ἡμᾶς· πιστὸς δὲ, οὐ πίστεως μετέχων, οὐδὲ εἴς τινα πιστεύων ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς· ἀλλὰ πιστεύεσθαι ὀφείλων περὶ ὧν ἐὰν λέγῃ καὶ ποιῇ, καὶ ὅτι πι στὴν θυσίαν προσφέρει τὴν μένουσαν καὶ μὴ διαπί πτουσαν. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ νόμον προσφερόμεναι οὐκ εἶχον τὸ πιστὸν, καθ' ἡμέραν παρερχόμεναι, καὶ δεό μεναι πάλιν καθαρσίου· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος θυσία ἅπαξ γενομένη τετελείωκε τὸ πᾶν, καὶ πιστὴ γέγονε μένουσα διὰ παντός. Καὶ Ἀαρὼν μὲν ἔσχε τοὺς δια δεχομένους, καὶ ὅλως ἡ κατὰ νόμον ἱερατεία χρόνῳ καὶ θανάτῳ παρήμειβε τοὺς προτέρους· ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἀπαράβατον καὶ ἀδιάδεκτον ἔχων τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην πιστὸς γέγονεν ἀρχιερεὺς, παραμένων ἀεὶ, καὶ τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ πιστὸς γενόμενος, εἰς τὸ ἐπακούειν καὶ μὴ πλανᾷν τοὺς προσερχομένους. Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς τοῦ μεγάλου Πέτρου μαθεῖν ἔξεστι, λέγοντος· Ὥστε καὶ οἱ πάσχοντες κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, πιστῷ κτίστῃ παρατιθέσθωσαν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς· πιστὸς γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἀλλασσόμε νος, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ διαμένων, καὶ ἀποδιδοὺς ἃ ἐπηγ γείλατο. Ἑλλήνων μὲν οὖν οἱ λεγόμενοι παρ' αὐτοῖς ψευδώνυμοι θεοὶ οὔτε τῷ εἶναι, οὔτε τῷ ἐπαγγέλλε σθαί εἰσι πιστοί· οὔτε γὰρ οἱ αὐτοί εἰσι πανταχοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κατὰ τόπους, τῷ χρόνῳ διαφθείρον ται, καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοὺς καταῤῥέουσι· διὸ καὶ κατ' αὐ τῶν ὁ Λόγος βοᾷ, ὅτι πίστις οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐν αὐ τοῖς, καὶ ὕδωρ ψευδές εἰσι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πίστις ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὁ δὲ τῶν ὅλων καὶ μόνος τῷ ὄντι ὄντως καὶ ἀληθινὸς ὢν Θεὸς πιστός ἐστιν, ὁ αὐτὸς ὢν, καὶ λέγων· Ἴδετέ με, ἴδετε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ, οὐκ ἠλ λοίωμαι· διὸ καὶ ὁ τούτου Υἱὸς πιστός ἐστιν, ἀεὶ ὢν, καὶ οὐκ ἀλλοιούμενος, οὐδὲ διαψευδόμενος οὔτε ἐν τῷ εἶναι, οὔτε ἐν τῷ ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι, καθάπερ πάλιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφων Θεσσαλονικεῦσι μέν φησι· Πιστὸς ὁ καλῶν ὑμᾶς, ὃς καὶ ποιήσει· ἐν γὰρ τῷ ποιεῖν ἃ ἐπαγγέλλεται, πιστός ἐστι λαλῶν· Ἑβραίοις δὲ περὶ τοῦ σημαίνειν τὴν λέξιν ταύτην καὶ τὸ ἀναλλοίωτον οὕτως γράφει· Εἰ ἀπιστήσομεν, ἐκεῖ νος πιστὸς μένει· ἀρνήσασθαι ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύνα ται. Οὐκοῦν εἰκότως ὁ Ἀπόστολος τὴν σωματικὴν τοῦ Λόγου παρουσίαν διηγούμενός φησιν· Ἀπόστολον καὶ πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, δει κνὺς, ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτὸς, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀναλ λοίωτός ἐστι. Καὶ ὥσπερ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως αὐτοῦ διὰ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης μνημονεύει γράφων ὁ Ἀπόστολος· οὕτω καὶ πάλιν οὐκ ἐσιώπησε μακρὰν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ μνημονεύει, παν ταχοῦ τῆς ἀσφαλείας γινόμενος, ἔνθα μάλιστα τὸ τα πεινὸν ὀνομάζει, ἵν' εὐθὺς αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑψηλότητα καὶ τὴν πατρικὴν μεγαλειότητα γινώσκωμεν. Φησὶ γοῦν· Ὁ μὲν Μωσῆς θεράπων, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς Υἱός· κἀκεῖ νος μὲν πιστὸς εἰς τὸν οἶκον, οὗτος δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον, ὡς αὐτὸς αὐτὸν κατασκευάσας, καὶ κύριος αὐτοῦ καὶ δημιουργὸς τυγχάνων, καὶ ὡς Θεὸς ἁγιάζων αὐτόν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Μωσῆς, ἄνθρωπος φύσει ὢν, πιστὸς ἐγέ νετο, πιστεύων τῷ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου λαλοῦντι αὐτῷ Θεῷ· ὁ δὲ Λόγος οὐχ ὥσπερ τις τῶν γενητῶν ἦν ἐν σώματι, οὐδὲ ὡς κτίσμα ἐν κτίσμαστι, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ δημιουργὸς, καὶ κατασκευαστὴς ἐν τῷ κα τασκευασθέντι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄνθρωποι ἕνεκα τοῦ εἶναι καὶ ὑφεστάναι σάρκα περιβέβλην ται· ὁ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἕνεκα τοῦ ἁγιάζειν τὴν σάρκα γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος· καὶ Κύριος ὢν, ἐν τῇ μορφῇ τοῦ δούλου ἦν· δούλη γὰρ τοῦ Λόγου ἡ πᾶσα κτίσις, ἡ παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομένη καὶ ποιηθεῖσα. Ἐκ δὲ τούτου συνέστηκεν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ, ἐποίησεν, οὐ ποιούμενον δείκνυσι τὸν Λόγον, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔλαβεν ὅμοιον ἡμῖν σῶμα· διὸ καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν ἐχρημάτισε γενόμενος ἄν θρωπος. Εἰ δὲ δέδεικται, ὅτι, κἂν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου τις λέγῃ τὸ, ἐποίησεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐγέννησε, λέγει· ποίαν ἄρα παρεξευρεῖν ἐπίνοιαν ἔτι μᾶλλον κακο νοίας εἰς τοῦτο δυνήσονται, ὅπου γε πανταχόθεν ὁ Λό γος τὸ ῥητὸν διακαθάρας, ἔδειξε μὴ εἶναι ποίημα τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ τῇ μὲν οὐσίᾳ γέννημα τοῦ Πατρὸς, τῇ δὲ οἰκονομίᾳ κατ' εὐδοκίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐποιήθη δι' ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπος καὶ συνίσταται; καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἄρα λέγεται παρὰ μὲν τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, ἐν δὲ ταῖς Παροιμίαις καὶ τὸ κτίζεσθαι. Ἕως γὰρ ὁμολογεῖται γενόμενος ἄνθρω πος, οὐδὲν διαφέρει λέγειν, καθάπερ προείρηται, εἴτε ἐγένετο, εἴτε πεποίηται, εἴτε ἔκτισται, εἴτε πέ πλασται, εἴτε δοῦλος, εἴτε υἱὸς παιδίσκης, εἴτε υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, εἴτε κατεστάθη, εἴτε ἀπεδήμησεν, εἴτε νυμφίος, εἴτε ἀδελφιδοῦς, εἴτε ἀδελφός. Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ λεξείδια τῆς ἀνθρώπων συστάσεως ἴδια τυγχάνει ὄντα· καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Λόγου, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν γεγενῆσθαι σημαίνει.