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and you might give a beginning to the Only-Begotten, he added that, In the beginning He was with God, so eternal, as the Father Himself; for He was never destitute of the Word, but was always God with God, in His own hypostasis, however. How then, he says, did he say, that: He was in the world, if indeed He was with God? Because He was both with God, and was in the world. For nowhere is He limited, neither the Father, nor the Son. For if of His greatness there is no end, And of His understanding there is no number; neither of His essence is it clear that there is any beginning in time. Have you heard, that In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth? What do you understand from this beginning? Clearly, that they came to be before all visible things. Thus also hearing concerning the Only-Begotten, that He was in the beginning, understand Him to be before all intelligible things and before the ages. But if someone should say: And how is it, that being the Son, He is not younger than the Father? for that which is from something, is of all necessity after that from which it is, we will say, that these are especially of 59.48 human reasonings; and he who seeks this, will also seek other things more absurd than these; and one ought not even to receive such things by hearing. For our discourse now is about God, not about the nature of men, which is subject to the sequence and necessity of these reasonings. Nevertheless, for the full assurance of the weaker, we will speak also to these things. b. For tell me, does the radiance of the sun spring from the very nature of the sun, or from some other source? It is of all necessity for one not maimed in his senses to confess, that it is from itself. But yet, although the radiance is from the sun itself, we would never say that it is after the solar nature, since the sun has never appeared without its radiance. And if in the case of these visible and sensible bodies, something being from something else, was shown not to be after that from which it is, why do you disbelieve in the case of the invisible and ineffable nature? This very thing is so, as it was fitting for that essence. For on this account Paul also called Him thus, presenting both that He is from Him and that He is co-eternal. What then? tell me, have not all the ages and all interval come to be through Him? It is of all necessity for one not delirious to confess. Therefore there is nothing between the Son and the Father. And if there is nothing, He is not after, but co-eternal. For "before" and "after" are concepts indicative of times. For without age or time one would not be able to understand these words. But God is superior to times and ages. But if you say that you have apprehended a beginning of the Son at all, see lest you be compelled to bring the Father also under a beginning according to this word and reasoning, an older one, but a beginning nonetheless. For tell me, do you not, by adding a certain limit and beginning to the Son, and thus proceeding upwards from it, say that the Father pre-exists? Clearly. Tell me then, how much does the Father pre-exist? For whether you say a small or a great interval, you have brought the Father under a beginning. For it is clear that by measuring the interval, you will thus say "small" or "great"; but it is not possible to measure, unless there is a beginning on both sides. So that you have also given a beginning to the Father, as far as you are concerned; and the Father will therefore no longer be without beginning according to you. Do you see that what was said by the Savior is true, and His saying shows its power everywhere? What is that? He who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father. And I know indeed that what has been said is incomprehensible to many; for which reason we often put off moving on to things from reasonings, because the rest of the people would not be able to follow them; nor, if they did follow, does it have anything firm and secure. For the reasonings of men are timid, and their thoughts are uncertain. And I would gladly ask those who contradict us, what is that which is said by the prophet, "Before Me there was no other God, and after Me there will be none"? For if the Son is younger than the Father, how does He say, "after Me there will be none"? Will you therefore do away with the very essence of the Only-Begotten? For it is necessary either to dare this, or to accept one divinity in the proper hypostasis of Father and Son. And where at all is it true that, All things were made through Him? For if there is an age older than Him, how could that which is before Him have been made through Him?

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καὶ τῷ Μονογενεῖ δῷς ἀρχὴν, ἐπήγαγε τὸ, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἦν, οὕτως ἀΐδιος, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Πατήρ· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἔρημος οὐδέποτε τοῦ Λόγου, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ Θεὸς πρὸς Θεὸν ἦν, ἐν ὑποστάσει μέντοι ἰδίᾳ. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶν, εἶπεν, ὅτι· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, εἴ γε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἦν; Ὅτι καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἦν, καὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν. Οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ περατοῦται, οὔτε ὁ Πατὴρ, οὔτε ὁ Υἱός. Εἰ γὰρ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι πέρας, Καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός· οὐδὲ τῆς οὐσίας εὔδηλον ὅτι ἀρχή τις χρονική. Ἤκουσας, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν; Τί νοεῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης; Εὔδηλον ὅτι τὸ πρὸ πάντων γενέσθαι αὐτὰ τῶν ὁρατῶν. Οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἀκούων, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν, πρὸ πάντων αὐτὸν νόει τῶν νοητῶν καὶ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις· Καὶ πῶς ἐστιν, Υἱὸν ὄντα μὴ νεώτερον εἶναι τοῦ Πατρός; τὸ γὰρ ἔκ τινος ὂν, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ὕστερον εἶναι τοῦ ἐξ οὗ ἐστιν, ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι μάλιστα μὲν ταῦτα λογισμῶν 59.48 ἀνθρωπίνων ἐστί· καὶ ὁ τοῦτο ζητῶν, καὶ ἕτερα τούτων ἀτοπώτερα ζητήσει· καὶ οὐδὲ τῇ ἀκοῇ τὰ τοιαῦτα παραδέχεσθαι ἔδει. Περὶ Θεοῦ γὰρ νῦν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος ἐστὶν, οὐ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσεως, ὑποκειμένης τῇ τῶν λογισμῶν τούτων ἀκολουθίᾳ τε καὶ ἀνάγκῃ. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ πληροφορίας τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων, καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα ἐροῦμεν. βʹ. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, Τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τοῦ ἡλίου ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐκπηδᾷ τῆς τοῦ ἡλίου φύσεως, ἢ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν; Ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ὁμολογῆσαι τὸν μὴ καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις πεπηρωμένον, ὅτι ἐξ αὐτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὂν τοῦ ἡλίου τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, οὐκ ἄν ποτε ὕστερον εἶναι φαίημεν τῆς ἡλιακῆς φύσεως, ἐπειδὴ μηδὲ χωρὶς ἀπαυγάσματος ἥλιος ἐφάνη ποτέ. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων τούτων τῶν ὁρατῶν καὶ αἰσθητῶν, καὶ ἐκ τινὸς ὂν, καὶ οὐχ ὕστερον ἐξ οὗ ἐστιν ἐφάνη τι ὂν, τί ἀπιστεῖς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀοράτου καὶ ἀῤῥήτου φύσεως; Τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν οὕτως, ὡς ἐκείνῃ τῇ οὐσίᾳ πρέπον ἦν. ∆ιὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος αὐτὸν οὕτως ἐκάλεσε, καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ συναΐδιον παριστῶν. Τί δέ; εἰπέ μοι, οὐχ οἱ αἰῶνες δι' αὐτοῦ γεγόνασιν ἅπαντες καὶ διάστημα ἅπαν; Ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ὁμολογῆσαι τὸν μὴ παραπαίοντα. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲν μέσον Υἱοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν, οὐχ ὕστερος, ἀλλὰ συναΐδιος. Τὸ γὰρ πρὸ, καὶ τὸ μετὰ, χρόνων εἰσὶν ἔννοιαι δηλωτικαί. Χωρὶς γὰρ αἰῶνος ἢ χρόνου οὐκ ἂν δυνηθείη τις ταῦτα νοῆσαι τὰ ῥήματα. Χρόνων δὲ καὶ αἰώνων ἀνώτερος ὁ Θεός. Εἰ δὲ ὅλως τοῦ Υἱοῦ φῂς ἀρχὴν κατειληφέναι. ὅρα μὴ καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ὑπὸ ἀρχὴν ἀναγκασθῇς ἀγαγεῖν κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν, πρεσβυτέραν μὲν, ἀρχὴν δὲ ὅμως. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, οὐχ ὅρον τινὰ καὶ ἀρχὴν προστιθεὶς τῷ Υἱῷ, καὶ οὕτω προϊὼν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω, τὸν Πατέρα προεῖναι λέγεις; Εὔδηλον ὅτι. Εἰπὲ οὖν μοι, πόσον ὁ Πατὴρ προϋπάρχει; Ἄν τε γὰρ ὀλίγον, ἄν τε πολὺ διάστημα εἴπῃς, ὑπὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὸν Πατέρα ἤγαγες. Μετρήσας γὰρ εὔδηλον ὅτι τὸ μέσον, οὕτως ὀλίγον ἐρεῖς ἢ πολύ· μετρῆσαι δὲ οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο, μὴ ἑκατέρωθεν οὔσης ἀρχῆς. Ὥστε καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ δέδωκας ἀρχὴν, τό γε εἰς σὲ ἧκον· καὶ οὐκ ἔσται λοιπὸν οὐδὲ ὁ Πατὴρ ἄναρχος καθ' ὑμᾶς. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος λεχθὲν ἀληθές ἐστι, καὶ πανταχοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἐνδείκνυται τὴν αὐτοῦ τὸ ῥῆμα; Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὁ μὴ τιμῶν τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐ τιμᾷ τὸν Πατέρα. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν πολλοῖς ἀκατάληπτον ὂν τὸ λεχθέν· διὸ πολλαχοῦ καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν ἀναβαλλόμεθα κινεῖν, ὅτι οὔτε παρακολουθεῖν αὐτοῖς ὁ λοιπὸς δύναιτ' ἂν δῆμος· οὔτε, εἰ παρακολουθήσειεν, ἔχει τι βέβαιον καὶ ἀσφαλές. Λογισμοὶ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων δειλοὶ, καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς αἱ ἐπίνοιαι αὐτῶν. Ἡδέως δ' ἂν κἀκεῖνο ἐροίμην τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἡμῖν, τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ λεγόμενον, τὸ, Ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος Θεὸς, καὶ μετ' ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν; Εἰ γὰρ νεώτερος τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, πῶς φησι, Μετ' ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν; Ἆρα οὖν ἀναιρήσετε καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὴν οὐσίαν; Ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἢ τοῦτο τολμᾷν, ἢ μίαν παραδέξασθαι τὴν θεότητα ἐν ἰδίᾳ ὑποστάσει Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ. Ποῦ δὲ ὅλως τὸ, Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, ἀληθές; Εἰ γάρ ἐστιν αἰὼν αὐτοῦ πρεσβύτερος, πῶς ἂν τὸ πρὸ αὐτοῦ, δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένον εἴη;