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After the unoriginate and unbegotten substance of God the universal king, which is not from another

or rather the beginning begotten from the Father, being both firstborn and a fellow worker of the Father's counsel, and imaged after Him, they teach. 7.15.2 And that this one holds the first place of all created things after this, for which reason they are accustomed 7.15.3 to call her both image of God and power of God and wisdom of God and Word of God, yes, and even commander of the host of the Lord and “angel of great counsel.” 7.15.3 And that the intellectual and rational powers after this beginning are not to be spoken of by human nature, both on account of their multitude and of their specific difference, except insofar as it is possible to apply examples from the analogy of visible things, of the sun and moon and stars and of heaven itself, 7.15.4 which has embraced all things within itself. “For there is one glory of the sun, and another of the moon, and another glory of the stars,” says the divine apostle; 7.15.5 “for star differs from star in glory.” In this way, therefore, one must also conceive the world of incorporeal and intellectual substances, while the inexpressible and infinitely great power of the God of all at once comprehends all things, and while the creative and illuminating power of the divine Word holds the second place after the Father—for which reason the Hebrews are accustomed to name him true light and a sun 7.15.6 of righteousness, and while the Holy Spirit, being third already after the second substance, is established in the place of the moon, which they also reckon in the first and royal dignity and honor of the principle of all things, as a principle of things created after this, I mean of those subordinate and in need of the supply from it, and itself being ordained by the maker of 7.15.7 all. But this, holding the third rank, supplies to the subordinates from the better powers within it, but indeed it also receives from another, that is, from the Word of God, who is indeed both higher and better, whom we said holds the second place after the highest and unbegotten nature of God the universal king; from whom indeed the God Word, being himself supplied and as if drawing from a perennially gushing spring of divinity, imparts at once and ungrudgingly the gleams of his own 7.15.8 light to all at once, and indeed to the Holy Spirit itself—which is more attentive to him than all and is nearest—and to the intellectual and divine powers after this. But the unbegotten principle of all things, being the fount of all good things, the cause of divinity and life and light and all virtue, and being indeed the first of the first and the principle of principles, or rather, beyond principle and first and every expressible and comprehensible thought, all things, whatever it has comprehended in its ineffable powers, it communicates to the first-begotten alone, as being alone able to contain and receive the abundance of the Father's good things, 7.15.9 which is unattainable and incomprehensible to others. But it supplies partially to those who are worthy in part through the ministry and mediation of the second, according to what is attainable for each; of which things, the perfect and supremely holy have been granted 7.15.10 to the third, who is from himself, being the ruler and leader of those that come after, receiving from the Father through the Son. Whence all the theologians of the Hebrews, after the God who is over all and after his firstborn wisdom, deify the third and holy power, having named it Holy Spirit, by whom also they were enlightened, being divinely inspired. 7.15.11 Next, after the heaven and sun and moon, they say that “star differs from star in glory.” For mortal nature, then, it is not possible to find the number of the stars, but yet the oracles of the Hebrews say that God the universal king is not ignorant of the multitudes and the names of the heavenly host; wherefore it is said among them: “who numbers the multitude of the stars and for all of them calls 7.15.12 their names.” So then, after the first things among

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Μετὰ τὴν ἄναρχον καὶ ἀγένητον θεοῦ τοῦ παμβασιλέως οὐσίαν τὴν οὐκ ἄλλοθεν

ἢ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γεγεννημένην ἀρχὴν πρωτότοκόν τε οὖσαν καὶ συνεργὸν τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς βουλῆς πρὸς αὐτόν τε ἀπεικονισμένην διδά7.15.2 σκουσι. ταύτην δὲ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα γενητῶν ἁπάντων πρωτεύειν, παρ' ὃ καὶ εἰκόνα θεοῦ αὐτὴν καὶ θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεοῦ σοφίαν καὶ θεοῦ λόγον, ναὶ μὴν καὶ ἀρχιστράτηγον δυνάμεως κυρίου «μεγάλης» τε «βουλῆς ἄγγελον» 7.15.3 ἀποκαλεῖν εἰώθασι. τὰς δὲ μετὰ τήνδε τὴν ἀρχὴν νοερὰς καὶ λογικὰς δυνάμεις οὐ λεκτὰς εἶναι ἀνθρώπου φύσει, τοῦ τε πλήθους ἕνεκα τῆς τε κατ' εἶδος διαφορᾶς, πλὴν ὅσον ἐπιβάλλειν δυνατὸν τοῖς παραδείγμασιν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὁρωμένων ἀναλογίας, ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἄστρων καὶ αὐτοῦ 7.15.4 δὴ οὐρανοῦ ἔνδον ὑφ' ἑαυτῷ τὰ σύμπαντα περιειληφότος. «ἄλλη γὰρ δόξα ἡλίου καὶ ἄλλη σελήνης καὶ ἄλλη δόξα ἀστέρων» φησὶν ὁ θεῖος ἀπό7.15.5 στολος· «ἀστέρα γὰρ ἀστέρος διαφέρειν ἐν δόξῃ». ταύτη πη τοιγαροῦν καὶ τὸν ἐν ἀσωμάτοις καὶ νοεραῖς οὐσίαις κόσμον χρὴ νοεῖν, τὰ πάντα μὲν ἀθρόως ἀπολαβούσης τῆς ἀνεκφράστου καὶ ἀπειρομεγέθους δυνάμεως τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, δευτερευούσης δὲ μετὰ τὸν πατέρα τῆς δημιουργικῆς ὁμοῦ καὶ φωτι στικῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ θείου λόγου διὸ καὶ φῶς ἀληθινὸν καὶ δικαιοσύνης 7.15.6 ἥλιον Ἑβραίοις φίλον αὐτὸν ὀνομάζειν, τρίτης δὲ ἤδη μετὰ τὴν δευτέραν οὐσίαν ἐν χώρᾳ σελήνης καθισταμένης τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ καὶ βασιλικῇ τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἀρχῆς ἀξίᾳ καὶ τιμῇ καταλέγουσιν, εἰς ἀρχὴν τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα γενητῶν, λέγω δὲ τῶν ὑποβεβηκότων καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ χορηγίας ἐπιδεομένων, καὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοῦ τῶν ὅλων 7.15.7 ποιητοῦ κατατεταγμένου. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μέν, τρίτην ἐπέχον τὴν τάξιν, τοῖς ὑποβεβηκόσι τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ κρειττόνων δυνάμεων ἐπιχορηγεῖ, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιλαμβάνει παρ' ἑτέρου τοῦ ἢ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, τοῦ δὴ καὶ ἀνωτέρω καὶ κρείττονος, ὃν δὴ δευτερεύειν ἔφαμεν τῆς ἀνωτάτω καὶ ἀγενήτου φύσεως θεοῦ τοῦ παμβασιλέως· παρ' οὗ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιχορηγούμενος ὁ θεὸς λόγος καὶ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀενάου πηγῆς θεότητα ἀναβλυστανούσης ἀρυτόμενος τοῖς πᾶσιν ὁμοῦ καὶ δὴ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, μᾶλλον ἁπάντων αὐτῷ προσεχεῖ καὶ ἐγγυτάτω ὄντι, ταῖς τε μετὰ τοῦτο νοεραῖς καὶ θείαις δυνάμεσιν ἀθρόως καὶ ἀνεπιφθόνως τῶν τοῦ οἰκείου 7.15.8 φωτὸς μαρμαρυγῶν μεταδίδωσι. τὴν δὲ τῶν ὅλων ἀγένητον ἀρχήν, ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων οὖσαν πηγὴν θεότητός τε καὶ ζωῆς ὁμοῦ καὶ φωτὸς καὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς αἰτίαν καὶ πρώτην γε οὖσαν τῶν πρώτων καὶ ἀρχῶν ἀρχήν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀρχῆς καὶ πρώτου καὶ πάσης ῥητῆς τε καὶ καταληπτῆς ἐπινοίας ἐπέκεινα, τὰ μὲν πάντα, ὅσα περ ἐν ἀρρήτοις δυνάμεσι περιείληφε, τῷ πρώτῳ γεννήματι κοινωνεῖν μόνῳ, ὡς ἂν μόνῳ οἵῳ τε χωρεῖν καὶ ἀποδέχεσθαι τὴν τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐκ ἐφικτὴν οὐδὲ χωρητὴν τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν 7.15.9 ἀφθονίαν. τὰ δ' ἐν μέρει τοῖς κατὰ μέρος ἀξίοις διὰ τῆς τοῦ δευτέρου διακονίας τε καὶ μεσιτείας κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστῳ ἐφικτὸν ἐμπαρέχειν· ὧν τὰ τέλεια καὶ ἄκρως ἅγια τῷ τρίτῳ μὲν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἄρχοντι δὲ καὶ ἡγουμένῳ τῶν μετέπειτα, διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπικομιζομένῳ δεδωρῆ7.15.10 σθαι. ἔνθεν οἱ πάντες Ἑβραίων θεολόγοι μετὰ τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸν καὶ μετὰ τὴν πρωτότοκον αὐτοῦ σοφίαν τὴν τρίτην καὶ ἁγίαν δύναμιν, ἅγιον πνεῦμα προσειπόντες, ἀποθειάζουσιν, ὑφ' οὗ καὶ ἐφωτίζοντο θεοφορού7.15.11 μενοι. ἑξῆς δὲ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ «ἀστέρα» φασὶν «ἀστέρος διαφέρειν ἐν δόξῃ.» θνητῇ μὲν οὖν φύσει οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμὸν ἄστρων δυνατὸν εὑρεῖν, πλὴν ἀλλὰ τὸν παμβασιλέα θεὸν τὰ Ἑβραίων φασὶ λόγια καὶ τῆς κατ' οὐρανὸν στρατιᾶς τὰ πλήθη καὶ τὰς προσηγορίας μὴ ἀγνοεῖν· διὸ παρ' αὐτοῖς λέγεσθαι· «ὁ ἀριθμῶν πλήθη ἄστρων καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα 7.15.12 καλῶν». οὕτω δὴ μετὰ τὰ πρῶτα τῶν ἐν