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But since He is invisible, for this reason He is simply an image, even if not in the same way as He Himself is. Firstborn of all creation. 2. What then, he says? Behold, He has been created? From where, tell me? Because, he said, Firstborn. And yet he did not say, "first-created," but, "Firstborn." Then if on account of 62.319 being called firstborn, you say He was created, what would you say, when you hear Him called brother? For Scripture calls him a brother, having been made like us in all things. Shall we then for this reason take away His being Creator, and shall we not deem Him to excel us either in dignity, or in anything else? and who of those who have sense would say this? For "Firstborn" is indicative not of dignity and honor, but of time only. If then He has nothing more than us, perhaps according to this reasoning He is firstborn of all things, and God the Word will be consubstantial even with stones and wood and the rest. For, he says, Firstborn of all creation. But He is called firstborn, he says; therefore He was created. Well, if this is the case, and it does not have some cognate meanings and others, such as, "Firstborn from the dead," "firstborn among many brethren." Of what is, "firstborn from the dead," indicative, tell me? For you will not say that He was the first to rise; for he did not say simply of the dead, but firstborn from the dead; nor that He died first, but that He rose the firstborn from the dead. So that it denotes nothing else, than this, that He has become the firstfruits of the resurrection. Therefore neither in this case. Then next he enters upon the doctrine itself. For lest they should think Him to be younger, because of old they were brought in by angels, but now by Him, he shows first, that they had no power; for otherwise this one would not have led from darkness; secondly, that He is also before them. And he makes it a sign of His being before them, that they were created through Him; For in Him, he says, were all things created. What do they who hold the opinions of Paul of Samosata say here? That all things were made in Him. For behold it is said, For in Him were all things created. But he said, things in the heavens, and things on the earth. What was disputed, he has put first. Then he adds, The visible and the invisible, calling the soul invisible, all men visible. And he leaves what is acknowledged, but puts what is debated. Then he says, Whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. The "Whether" is comprehensive of the whole. But this is not one numbering the Spirit with the powers, but showing the lesser also from the greater. All things, he says, were created through Him, and for Him. Behold, "In Him," is "through Him." For having said, "In Him," he added, "Through Him." But what is, "For Him"? That is, the substance of all things depends on Him. Not only did He Himself bring them from not being into being, but He Himself also holds them together now; so that if they were severed from His providence, they would be lost and ruined. But he did not say, "upholds," which was grosser, but the more subtle, that they depend on Him. For just their inclination towards Him is sufficient to uphold and bind them together. Thus also "Firstborn" is said as "foundation." And this denotes not His being consubstantial with the creatures, but that all things are through Him, and in Him. So also elsewhere when he says, "I have laid a foundation," he does not speak of the substance, but of the operation. For lest you should think Him a minister, he says, that He Himself up 62.320 holds them, which is no less than to create. And yet in our case it is even greater; for art brings in the former, but no longer the latter; for it does not hold together that which is perishing. And He is before all things, he says. This is fitting for God. Where is Paul of Samosata? And in Him all things consist; that is, they were created for Him. He constantly turns these things over, with the continuity of his words, as with some frequent blows tearing up by the roots the destructive doctrine. For if even when so many things have been said, and after so long a time Paul of Samosata sprang up, how much more so, if these things had not been said beforehand? And all things, he says, in Him

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ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀόρατος, ἁπλῶς διὰ τοῦτο εἰκὼν, εἰ καὶ μὴ οὕτως ὥσπερ αὐτός. Πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως. βʹ. Τί οὖν, φησίν; ἰδοὺ ἔκτισται; Πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι; Ἐπειδὴ, Πρωτότοκος, εἶπε. Καὶ μὴν οὐ, πρωτόκτιστος, εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ, Πρωτότοκος. Ἔπειτα εἰ διὰ τὸ 62.319 πρωτότοκον λέγεσθαι, ἐκτίσθαι αὐτὸν φὴς, τί εἴπῃς, ὅταν ἀδελφὸν αὐτὸν ἀκούσητε λεγόμενον; Καὶ γὰρ ἀδελφὸν αὐτὸν καλεῖ ἡ Γραφὴ κατὰ πάντα ἡμῖν ὁμοιωθέντα. Ἆρα οὖν διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δημιουργὸν ἀφαιρήσομεν, καὶ οὔτε ἀξιώματι, οὔτε ἄλλῳ τινὶ προέχειν ἡμῶν ἀξιώσομεν; καὶ τίς ἂν τοῦτο τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων εἴποι; Τὸ γὰρ Πρωτότοκος, οὐχὶ ἀξίας καὶ τιμῆς, ἀλλὰ χρόνου μόνον ἐστὶ σημαντικόν. Ἂν τοίνυν πλέον ἡμῶν οὐδὲν ἔχῃ, τάχα κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον πάντων ἐστὶ πρωτότοκος, καὶ ὁμοούσιος ἔσται ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος καὶ λίθων καὶ ξύλων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν· Πρωτότοκος γὰρ, φησὶ, πάσης κτίσεως. Ἀλλὰ πρωτότοκος εἴρηται, φησίν· οὐκοῦν ἔκτισται. Καλῶς, ἐὰν τοῦτο ᾖ, καὶ μὴ ἀδελφά τινα ἔχῃ καὶ ἄλλα, οἷον τὸ, Πρωτότοκος ἐκ νεκρῶν, πρωτότοκος ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. Τὸ, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, τίνος ἐστὶ δηλωτικὸν, εἰπέ μοι; Οὐ γὰρ τοῦ, ὅτι πρῶτος ἀνέστη, ἐρεῖς· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν· οὐδὲ ὅτι ἀπέθανε πρῶτος, ἀλλ' ὅτι πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνέστη. Ὥστε οὐδὲν ἕτερον δηλοῖ, ἢ τοῦτο, ὅτι τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀπαρχὴ γέγονεν. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα. Εἶτα λοιπὸν ἐμβαίνει εἰς τὸ δόγμα αὐτό. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσωσι νεώτερον αὐτὸν εἶναι, διὰ τὸ πάλαι μὲν δι' ἀγγέλων προσάγεσθαι, νῦν δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ, δείκνυσι πρῶτον, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἴσχυσαν ἐκεῖνοι· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἀπὸ σκότους οὗτος ἤγαγε· δεύτερον, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν ἐστι. Καὶ σημεῖον ποιεῖται τοῦ πρὸ αὐτῶν εἶναι, τὸ δι' αὐτοῦ αὐτοὺς ἐκτίσθαι· Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ, φησὶν, ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα. Τί λέγουσιν ἐνταῦθα οἱ τὰ Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως φρονοῦντες; Ὅτι τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ γέγονεν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ εἴρηται, Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα. Ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἶπεν. Ὅπερ ἀμφισβητούμενον ἦν, πρῶτον τέθεικεν. Εἶτα ἐπάγει, Τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, ἀόρατα τὴν ψυχὴν λέγων, ὁρατὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ὁμολογούμενον ἀφίησι, τὸ δὲ ἀμφιβαλλόμενον τίθησιν. Εἶτά φησιν, Εἴτε θρόνοι, εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι. Τὸ, Εἴτε, τοῦ παντὸς περιληπτικόν ἐστι. Τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα οὐ μετὰ τῶν ἐξουσιῶν ἀριθμοῦντος, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῶν μειζόνων καὶ τὰ ἐλάττω δεικνύντος ἐστί. Τὰ πάντα, φησὶ, δι' αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται. Ἰδοὺ τὸ, Ἐν αὐτῷ, δι' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ἐν αὐτῷ, ἐπήγαγε, ∆ι' αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, Εἰς αὐτὸν, τί ἐστι; Τουτέστιν, εἰς αὐτὸν κρέμαται ἡ πάντων ὑπόστασις. Οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς αὐτὰ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήγαγεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὰ συγκρατεῖ νῦν· ὥστε ἂν ἀποσπασθῇ τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας, ἀπόλωλε καὶ διέφθαρται. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε, διακρατεῖ, ὅπερ ἦν παχύτερον, ἀλλὰ τὸ λεπτότερον, ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸν κρέμαται. Μόνον γὰρ τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν νεύειν, ἱκανὸν διακρατῆσαι καὶ συσφίγξαι. Οὕτω καὶ τὸ, Πρωτότοκος, ὡς θεμέλιος λέγεται. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ τὸ ὁμοούσιον τῶν κτισμάτων, ἀλλὰ τὸ δι' αὐτοῦ πάντα εἶναι, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ δηλοῖ. Οὕτω καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ὅταν λέγῃ, Θεμέλιον τέθεικα, οὐ περὶ τῆς οὐσίας φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς ὑπηρέτην εἶναι αὐτὸν, φησὶν, αὐτὸν αὐτὰ δια 62.320 κρατεῖν, ὅπερ οὐχ ἧττον τοῦ ποιῆσαί ἐστι. Καίτοι ἐφ' ἡμῶν καὶ μεῖζον· ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ἡ τέχνη εἰσάγει, τοῦτο δὲ οὐκέτι· οὐδὲ γὰρ φθειρόμενον κατέχει. Καὶ αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων, φησί. Τοῦτο Θεῷ ἁρμόζον. Ποῦ Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεύς; Καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκε· τουτέστιν, εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται. Συνεχῶς αὐτὰ στρέφει, τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν ῥημάτων καθάπερ πυκναῖς τισι πληγαῖς πρόῤῥιζον ἀνασπῶν τὸ δόγμα τὸ ὀλέθριον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοσαῦτα εἴρηται, καὶ μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἀνέφυ Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς, πόσῳ μᾶλλον, εἰ μὴ ταῦτα προείρητο; Καὶ τὰ πάντα, φησὶν, ἐν αὐτῷ