Chapter XXI.—Texts Explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22, Continued.Our Lord not said in Scripture to be ‘created,’ or the works to be ‘begotten.’ ‘In the beginning’ means in the case of the works ‘from the beginning.’ Scripture passages explained. We are made by God first, begotten next; creatures by nature, sons by grace. Christ begotten first, made or created afterwards. Sense of ‘First-born of the dead;’ of ‘First-born among many brethren;’ of ‘First-born of all creation,’ contrasted with ‘Only-begotten.’ Further interpretation of ‘beginning of ways,’ and ‘for the works.’ Why a creature could not redeem; why redemption was necessary at all. Texts which contrast the Word and the works.

57. For had He been a creature, He had not said, ‘He begets me,’ for the creatures are from without, and are works of the Maker; but the Offspring is not from without nor a work, but from the Father, and proper to His Essence. Wherefore they are creatures; this God’s Word and Only-begotten Son. For instance, Moses did not say of the creation, ‘In the beginning He begat,’ nor ‘In the beginning was,’ but ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth760    Gen. i. 1..’ Nor did David say in the Psalm, ‘Thy hands have “begotten me,”’ but ‘made me and fashioned me761    Ps. cxix. 73.,’ everywhere applying the word ‘made’ to the creatures. But to the Son contrariwise; for he has not said ‘I made,’ but ‘I begat762    Ps. ii. 7.,’ and ‘He begets me,’ and ‘My heart uttered a good Word763    Ps. xlv. 1..’ And in the instance of the creation, ‘In the beginning He made;’ but in the instance of the Son, ‘In the beginning was the Word764    John i. 1..’ And there is this difference, that the creatures are made upon the beginning, and have a beginning of existence connected with an interval; wherefore also what is said of them, ‘In the beginning He made,’ is as much as saying of them, ‘From the beginning He made:’—as the Lord, knowing that which He had made, taught, when He silenced the Pharisees, with the words, ‘He which made them from the beginning, made them male and female765    Matt. xix. 4.;’ for from some beginning, when they were not yet, were originate things brought into being and created. This too the Holy Spirit has signified in the Psalms, saying, ‘Thou, Lord, at the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth766    Ps. cii. 25.;’ and again, ‘O think upon Thy congregation which Thou hast purchased from the beginning767    Ps. lxxiv. 2.;’ now it is plain that what takes place at the beginning, has a beginning of creation, and that from some beginning God purchased His congregation. And that ‘In the beginning He made,’ from his saying ‘made,’ means ‘began to make,’ Moses himself shews by saying, after the completion of all things, ‘And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God began to make768    Gen. ii. 3..’ Therefore the creatures began to be made; but the Word of God, not having beginning of being, certainly did not begin to be, nor begin to come to be, but was ever. And the works have their beginning in their making, and their beginning precedes their coming to be; but the Word, not being of things which come to be, rather comes to be Himself the Framer of those which have a beginning. And the being of things originate is measured by their becoming769    Supr. i. 29, n. 10., and from some beginning does God begin to make them through the Word, that it may be known that they were not before their origination; but the Word has His being, in no other beginning770    ἀρχῇ, vid. Orat. iv. 1. than the Father, whom771    In this passage ‘was from the beginning’ is made equivalent with ‘was not before generation,’ and both are contrasted with ‘without beginning’ or ‘eternal;’ vid. the bearing of this on Bishop Bull’s explanation of the Nicene Anathema, supr. Exc. B, where this passage is quoted. they allow to be without beginning, so that He too exists without beginning in the Father, being His Offspring, not His creature.

58. Thus does divine Scripture recognise the difference between the Offspring and things made, and shew that the Offspring is a Son, not begun from any beginning, but eternal; but that the thing made, as an external work of the Maker, began to come into being. John therefore delivering divine doctrine772    θεολογῶν, vid. §71, note. about the Son, and knowing the difference of the phrases, said not, ‘In the beginning has become’ or ‘been made,’ but ‘In the beginning was the Word;’ that we might understand ‘Offspring’ by ‘was,’ and not account of Him by intervals, but believe the Son always and eternally to exist. And with these proofs, how, O Arians, misunderstanding the passage in Deuteronomy, did you venture a fresh act of irreligion773    The technical sense of εὐσέβεια, ἀσέβεια, pietas, impietas, for ‘orthodoxy, heterodoxy,’ has been noticed supr. p. 150, and derived from 1 Tim. iii. 16. The word is contrasted ch. iv. 8. with the (perhaps Gnostic) ‘profane and old-wives fables,’ and with ‘bodily exercise.’ against the Lord, saying that ‘He is a work,’ or ‘creature,’ or indeed ‘offspring?’ for offspring and work you take to mean the same thing; but here too you shall be shewn to be as unlearned as you are irreligious. Your first passage is this, ‘Is not He thy Father that bought thee? did He not make thee and create thee774    Deut. xxxii. 6. LXX.?’ And shortly after in the same Song he says, ‘God that begat thee thou didst desert, and forgattest God that nourished thee775    Ibid. 18..’ Now the meaning conveyed in these passages is very remarkable; for he says not first ‘He begat,’ lest that term should be taken as indiscriminate with ‘He made,’ and these men should have a pretence for saying, ‘Moses tells us indeed that God said from the beginning, “Let Us make man776    Gen. i. 26.,”’ but he soon after says himself, ‘God that begat thee thou didst desert,’ as if the terms were indifferent; for offspring and work are the same. But after the words ‘bought’ and ‘made,’ he has added last of all ‘begat,’ that the sentence might carry its own interpretation; for in the word ‘made’ he accurately denotes what belongs to men by nature, to be works and things made; but in the word ‘begat’ he shews God’s lovingkindness exercised towards men after He had created them. And since they have proved ungrateful upon this, thereupon Moses reproaches them, saying first, ‘Do ye thus requite the Lord?’ and then adds, ‘Is not He thy Father that bought thee? Did He not make thee and create thee777    Deut. xxxii. 6.?’ And next he says, ‘They sacrificed unto devils, not to God, to gods whom they knew not. New gods and strange came up, whom your fathers knew not; the God that begat thee thou didst desert778    Ibid. 17..’

59. For God not only created them to be men, but called them to be sons, as having begotten them. For the term ‘begat’ is here as elsewhere expressive of a Son, as He says by the Prophet, ‘I begat sons and exalted them;’ and generally, when Scripture wishes to signify a son, it does so, not by the term ‘created,’ but undoubtedly by that of ‘begat.’ And this John seems to say, ‘He gave to them power to become children of God, even to them that believe on His Name; which were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God779    John i. 12, 13..’ And here too the cautious distinction780    παρατηρήσεως, §12, note. is well kept up, for first he says ‘become,’ because they are not called sons by nature but by adoption; then he says ‘were begotten,’ because they too had received at any rate the name of son. But the People, as says the Prophet, ‘despised’ their Benefactor. But this is God’s kindness to man, that of whom He is Maker, of them according to grace He afterwards becomes Father also; becomes, that is, when men, His creatures, receive into their hearts, as the Apostle says, ‘the Spirit of His Son, crying, Abba, Father781    De Decr. 31 fin..’ And these are they who, having received the Word, gained power from Him to become sons of God; for they could not become sons, being by nature creatures, otherwise than by receiving the Spirit of the natural and true Son. Wherefore, that this might be, ‘The Word became flesh,’ that He might make man capable of Godhead. This same meaning may be gained also from the Prophet Malachi, who says, ‘Hath not One God created us? Have we not all one Father782    Mal. ii. 10.?’ for first he puts ‘created,’ next ‘Father,’ to shew, as the other writers, that from the beginning we were creatures by nature, and God is our Creator through the Word; but afterwards we were made sons, and thenceforward God the Creator becomes our Father also. Therefore ‘Father’ is proper to the Son; and not ‘creature,’ but ‘Son’ is proper to the Father. Accordingly this passage also proves, that we are not sons by nature, but the Son who is in us783    τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν υἱ& 231·ν. vid. also supr. 10. circ. fin. 56. init. and τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἰκοῦντα λόγον. 61. init. Also Orat. i. 50 fin. iii. 23–25. and de Decr. 31 fin. Or. i. 48, note 7, §56, n. 5. infr. notes on 79.; and again, that God is not our Father by nature, but of that Word in us, in whom and because of whom we ‘cry, Abba, Father784    Gal. iv. 6..’ And so in like manner, the Father calls them sons in whomsoever He sees His own Son, and says, ‘I begat;’ since begetting is significant of a Son, and making is indicative of the works. And thus it is that we are not begotten first, but made; for it is written, ‘Let Us make man785    Gen. i. 26.;’ but afterwards, on receiving the grace of the Spirit, we are said thenceforth to be begotten also; just as the great Moses in his Song with an apposite meaning says first ‘He bought,’ and afterwards ‘He begat;’ lest, hearing ‘He begat,’ they might forget their own original nature; but that they might know that from the beginning they are creatures, but when according to grace they are said to be begotten, as sons, still no less than before are men works according to nature.

60. And that creature and offspring are not the same, but differ from each other in nature and the signification of the words, the Lord Himself shews even in the Proverbs. For having said, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways;’ He has added, ‘But before all the hills He begat me.’ If then the Word were by nature and in His Essence786    §45, note 2. a creature, and there were no difference between offspring and creature, He would not have added, ‘He begat me,’ but had been satisfied with ‘He created,’ as if that term implied ‘He begat;’ but, as it is, after saying, ‘He created me a beginning of His ways for His works,’ He has added, not simply ‘begat me,’ but with the connection of the conjunction ‘But,’ as guarding thereby the term ‘created,’ when he says, ‘But before all the hills He begat me.’ For ‘begat me’ succeeding in such close connection to ‘created me,’ makes the meaning one, and shews that ‘created’ is said with an object787    Ch. 20., but that ‘begat me’ is prior to ‘created me.’ For as, if He had said the reverse, ‘The Lord begat me,’ and went on, ‘But before the hills He created me,’ ‘created’ would certainly precede ‘begat,’ so having said first ‘created,’ and then added ‘But before all the hills He begat me,’ He necessarily shews that ‘begat’ preceded ‘created.’ For in saying, ‘Before all He begat me,’ He intimates that He is other than all things; it having been shewn to be true788    pp. 367, 374. in an earlier part of this book, that no one creature was made before another, but all things originate subsisted at once together upon one and the same command789    §48.. Therefore neither do the words which follow ‘created,’ also follow ‘begat me;’ but in the case of ‘created’ is added ‘beginning of ways,’ but of ‘begat me,’ He says not, ‘He begat me as a beginning,’ but ‘before all He begat me.’ But He who is before all is not a beginning of all, but is other than all790    §6, note 49.; but if other than all (in which ‘all’ the beginning of all is included), it follows that He is other than the creatures; and it becomes a clear point, that the Word, being other than all things and before all, afterwards is created ‘a beginning of the ways for works,’ because He became man, that, as the Apostle has said, He who is the ‘Beginning’ and ‘First-born from the dead, in all things might have the preeminence791    Col. i. 18..’

61. Such then being the difference between ‘created’ and ‘begat me,’ and between ‘beginning of ways’ and ‘before all,’ God, being first Creator, next, as has been said, becomes Father of men, because of His Word dwelling in them. But in the case of the Word the reverse; for God, being His Father by nature, becomes afterwards both His Creator and Maker, when the Word puts on that flesh which was created and made, and becomes man. For, as men, receiving the Spirit of the Son, become children through Him, so the Word of God, when He Himself puts on the flesh of man, then is said both to be created and to have been made. If then we are by nature sons, then is He by nature creature and work; but if we become sons by adoption and grace, then has the Word also, when in grace towards us He became man, said, ‘The Lord created me.’ And in the next place, when He put on a created nature and became like us in body, reasonably was He therefore called both our Brother and ‘First-born792    Rom. viii. 29. Bishop Bull’s hypothesis about the sense of πρωτοτόκος τῆς κτίσεως has been commented on supr. p. 347. As far as Athan.’s discussion proceeds in this section, it only relates to πρωτοτόκος of men (i.e. from the dead), and is equivalent to the ‘beginning of ways.’.’ For though it was after us793    Marcellus seems to have argued against Asterius from the same texts (Euseb. in Marc. p. 12), that, since Christ is called ‘first-born from the dead,’ though others had been recalled to life before Him, therefore He is called ‘first-born of creation,’ not in point of time, but of dignity. vid. Montacut. Not. p. 11. Yet Athan. argues contrariwise. Orat. iv. 29. that He was made man for us, and our brother by similitude of body, still He is therefore called and is the ‘First-born’ of us, because, all men being lost, according to the transgression of Adam, His flesh before all others was saved and liberated, as being the Word’s body794    §10. n. 7; Orat. iii. 31. note.; and henceforth we, becoming incorporate with It, are saved after Its pattern. For in It the Lord becomes our guide to the Kingdom of Heaven and to His own Father, saying, ‘I am the way’ and ‘the door795    John xiv. 6; x. 9.,’ and ‘through Me all must enter.’ Whence also is He said to be ‘First-born from the dead796    Rev. i. 5.,’ not that He died before us, for we had died first; but because having undergone death for us and abolished it, He was the first to rise, as man, for our sakes raising His own Body. Henceforth He having risen, we too from Him and because of Him rise in due course from the dead.

62. But if He is also called ‘First-born of the creation797    Here again, though speaking of the ‘first-born of creation,’ Athan. simply views the phrase as equivalent to ‘first-born of the new creation or “brother” of many;’ and so infr. ‘first-born because of the brotherhood He has made with many.’,’ still this is not as if He were levelled to the creatures, and only first of them in point of time (for how should that be, since He is ‘Only-begotten?’), but it is because of the Word’s condescension798    Bp. Bull considers συγκατάβασις as equivalent to a figurative γέννησις, an idea which (vid. supr. p. 346 sq.) seems quite foreign from Athan.’s meaning. In Bull’s sense of the word, Athan. could not have said that the senses of Only-begotten and First-born were contrary to each other, Or. i. 28. Συγκαταβῆναι occurs supr. 51 fin. of the Incarnation. What is meant by it will be found infr. 78–81. viz. that our Lord came ‘to implant in the creatures a type and semblance of His Image;’ which is just what is here maintained against Bull. The whole passage referred to is a comment on the word συγκατάβασις, and begins and ends with an introduction of that word. Vid. also c. Gent. 47. to the creatures, according to which He has become the ‘Brother’ of ‘many.’ For the term ‘Only-begotten’ is used where there are no brethren, but ‘First-born799    Vid. Rom. viii. 29.’ because of brethren. Accordingly it is nowhere written in the Scriptures, ‘the first-born of God,’ nor ‘the creature of God;’ but ‘Only-begotten’ and ‘Son’ and ‘Word’ and ‘Wisdom,’ refer to Him as proper to the Father800    This passage has been urged against Bull supr. Exc. B. All the words (says Athan.) which are proper to the Son, and describe Him fitly, are expressive of what is ‘internal’ to the Divine Nature, as Begotten, Word, Wisdom, Glory, Hand, &c., but (as he adds presently) the ‘first-born,’ like ‘beginning of ways,’ is relative to creation; and therefore cannot denote our Lord’s essence or Divine subsistence, but something temporal, an office, character, or the like.. Thus, ‘We have seen His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father801    John i. 14.;’ and ‘God sent His Only-begotten Son802    1 John iv. 9.;’ and ‘O Lord, Thy Word endureth for ever803    Ps. cxix. 89.;’ and ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God;’ and ‘Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God804    1 Cor. i. 24.;’ and ‘This is My beloved Son;’ and ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God805    Matt. iii. 17; xvi. 16..’ But ‘first-born’ implied the descent to the creation806    This passage is imitated by Theodoret. in Coloss. i. 15, but the passages from the Fathers referable to these Orations are too many to enumerate.; for of it has He been called first-born; and ‘He created’ implies His grace towards the works, for for them is He created. If then He is Only-begotten, as indeed He is, ‘First-born’ needs some explanation; but if He be really First-born, then He is not Only-begotten807    This passage is imitated by Theodoret. in Coloss. i. 15, but the passages from the Fathers referable to these Orations are too many to enumerate.. For the same cannot be both Only-begotten and First-born, except in different relations;—that is, Only-begotten, because of His generation from the Father, as has been said; and First-born, because of His condescension to the creation and His making the many His brethren. Certainly, those two terms being inconsistent with each other, one should say that the attribute of being Only-begotten has justly the preference in the instance of the Word, in that there is no other Word, or other Wisdom, but He alone is very Son of the Father. Moreover808    We now come to a third and wider sense of πρωτότοκος, as found (not in Rom. viii. 29, and Col. i. 18, but) in Col. i. 15, where by ‘creation’ Athan. understands ‘all things visible and invisible.’ As then ‘for the works’ was just now taken to argue that ‘created’ was used in a relative and restricted sense, the same is shewn as regards ‘first-born’ by the words ‘for in Him all things were created.’, as was before809    i. 52. said, not in connection with any reason, but absolutely810    ἀπολελυμένως; supr. i. 56, note 6, and §§53, 56, and so ἀπολύτως Theophylact to express the same distinction in loc. Coloss. it is said of Him, ‘The Only-begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father811    John i. 18.;’ but the word ‘First-born’ has again the creation as a reason in connection with it, which Paul proceeds to say, ‘for in Him all things were created812    Col. i. 16..’ But if all the creatures were created in Him, He is other than the creatures, and is not a creature, but the Creator of the creatures.

63. Not then because He was from the Father was He called ‘First-born,’ but because in Him the creation came to be; and as before the creation He was the Son, through whom was the creation, so also before He was called the First-born of the whole creation, not the less was the Word Himself with God and the Word was God. But this also not understanding, these irreligious men go about saying, ‘If He is First-born of all creation, it is plain that He too is one of the creation.’ Senseless men! if He is simply ‘First-born813    It would be perhaps better to translate ‘first-born to the creature,’ to give Athan.’s idea; τῆς κτίσεως not being a partitive genitive, or πρωτότοκος a superlative (though he presently so considers it), but a simple appellative and τῆς κτ. a common genitive of relation, as ‘the king of a country,’ ‘the owner of a house.’ ‘First-born of creation’ is like ‘author, type, life of creation.’ Hence S. Paul goes on at once to say, ‘for in Him all things were made,’ not simply ‘by and for,’ as at the end of the verse; or as Athan. says here, ‘because in Him the creation came to be.’ On the distinction of διὰ and ἐν, referring respectively to the first and second creations, vid. In illud Omn. 2. (Supr. p. 88.) of the whole creation,’ then He is other than the whole creation; for he says not, ‘He is First-born above the rest of the creatures,’ lest He be reckoned to be as one of the creatures, but it is written, ‘of the whole creation,’ that He may appear other than the creation814    To understand this passage, the Greek idiom must be kept in view. Cf. Milton’s imitation ‘the fairest of her daughters Eve.’ Vid. as regards the very word πρῶτος, John i. 15; and supr. §30, note 3, also πλείστην ἢ ἔμπροσθεν 3 Maccab. 7, 21. Accordingly as in the comparative to obviate this exclusion, we put in the word ‘other’ (ante ‘alios immanior omnes), so too in the Greek superlative, ‘Socrates is wisest of “other” heathen.’ Athanasius then says in this passage, that ‘first-born of creatures’ implies that our Lord was not a creature; whereas it is not said of Him ‘first-born of brethren,’ lest He should he excluded from men, but first-born “among” brethren,’ where ‘among’ is equivalent to ‘other.’. Reuben, for instance, is not said to be first-born of all the children of Jacob815    Gen. xlix. 3, LXX. Vid. also contr. Gent. 41 sq. where the text Col. i. 15 is quoted., but of Jacob himself and his brethren; lest he should be thought to be some other beside the children of Jacob. Nay, even concerning the Lord Himself the Apostle says not, ‘that He may become First-born of all,’ lest He be thought to bear a body other than ours, but ‘among many brethren816    Rom. viii. 29.,’ because of the likeness of the flesh. If then the Word also were one of the creatures, Scripture would have said of Him also that He was First-born of other creatures; but in fact, the saints saying that He is ‘First-born of the whole creation817    Col. i. 15.,’ the Son of God is plainly shewn to be other than the whole creation and not a creature. For if He is a creature, He will be First-born of Himself. How then is it possible, O Arians, for Him to be before and after Himself? next, if He is a creature, and the whole creation through Him came to be, and in Him consists, how can He both create the creation and be one of the things which consist in Him? Since then such a notion is in itself unseemly, it is proved against them by the truth, that He is called ‘First-born among many brethren’ because of the relationship of the flesh, and ‘First-born from the dead,’ because the resurrection of the dead is from Him and after Him; and ‘First-born of the whole creation,’ because of the Father’s love to man, which brought it to pass that in His Word not only ‘all things consist818    Ib. i. 17.,’ but the creation itself, of which the Apostle speaks, ‘waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, shall be delivered’ one time ‘from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God819    Rom. viii. 19, 21. Thus there are two senses in which our Lord is ‘first-born to the creation;’ viz. in its first origin, and in its restoration after man’s fall; as he says more clearly in the next section..’ Of this creation thus delivered, the Lord will be First-born, both of it and of all those who are made children, that by His being called first, those that come after Him may abide820    De Decr. 19, n. 3., as depending on the Word as a beginning821    i. 48, n. 7..

64. And I think that the irreligious men themselves will be shamed from such a thought; for if the case stands not as we have said, but they will rule it that He is ‘First-born of the whole creation’ as in essence—a creature among creatures, let them reflect that they will be conceiving Him as brother and fellow of the things without reason and life. For of the whole creation these also are parts; and the ‘First-born’ must be first indeed in point of time but only thus, and in kind and similitude822    §20. must be the same with all. How then can they say this without exceeding all measures of irreligion? or who will endure them, if this is their language? or who can but hate them even imagining such things? For it is evident to all, that neither for Himself, as being a creature, nor as having any connection according to essence with the whole creation, has He been called ‘First-born’ of it: but because the Word, when at the beginning He framed the creatures, condescended to things originate, that it might be possible for them to come to be. For they could not have endured His nature, which was untempered splendour, even that of the Father, unless condescending by the Father’s love for man He had supported them and taken hold of them and brought them into existence823    He does not here say with Asterius that God could not create man immediately, for the Word is God, but that He did not create him without at the same time infusing a grace or presence from Himself into his created nature to enable it to endure His external plastic hand; in other words, that he was created in Him, not as something external to Him (in spite of the διὰ supr.63, n. 1. vid. supr. de Decr. 19. 3. and Gent. 47. where the συγκατάβασις is spoken of.; and next, because, by this condescension of the Word, the creation too is made a son824    As God created Him, in that He created human nature in Him, so is He first-born, in that human nature is adopted in Him. Leo Serm. 63. 3. through Him, that He might be in all respects ‘First-born’ of it, as has been said, both in creating, and also in being brought for the sake of all into this very world. For so it is written, ‘When He bringeth the First-born into the world, He saith, Let all the Angels of God worship Him825    Heb. i. 6..’ Let Christ’s enemies hear and tear themselves to pieces, because His coming into the world is what makes Him called ‘First-born’ of all; and thus the Son is the Father’s ‘Only-begotten,’ because He alone is from Him, and He is the ‘First-born of creation,’ because of this adoption of all as sons826    Thus he considers that ‘first-born’ is mainly a title, connected with the Incarnation, and also connected with our Lord’s office at the creation (vid. parallel of Priesthood, §8, n. 4). In each economy it has the same meaning; it belongs to Him as the type, idea, or rule on which the creature was made or new-made, and the life by which it is sustained. Both economies are mentioned Incarn. 13, 14. Orat. i. 51. iii. 20. infr. 76. init. He came τὴν τοῦ ἀρχετύπου πλάσιν ἀναστήσασθαι ἑαυτῷ contr.Apoll. ii. 5. And so again, ἡ ἰδέα ὅπερ λόγον εἰρήκασι. Clem. Strom. v. 3. ἰδέαν ἰδεῶν καὶ ἀρχὴν λεκτέον τὸν πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως Origen. contr. Cels. vi. 64. fin. ‘Whatever God was about to make in the creature, was already in the Word, nor would be in the things, were it not in the Word.’ August. in Psalm xliv. 5. He elsewhere calls the Son, ‘ars quædam omnipotentis atque sapientis Dei, plena omnium rationum viventium incommutabilium.’ de Trin. vi. 11. And so Athan. infr. iii. 9. fin. Eusebius, in commenting on the very passage which Athan. is discussing (Prov. viii. 22), presents a remarkable contrast to these passages, as making the Son, not the ἰδέα, but the external minister of the Father’s ἰδέα. de Eccl. Theol. pp. 164, 5. vid. supr. §31, n. 7.. And as He is First-born among brethren and rose from the dead ‘the first fruits of them that slept827    1 Cor. xv. 20.;’ so, since it became Him ‘in all things to have the preeminence828    Col. i. 18.,’ therefore He is created ‘a beginning of ways,’ that we, walking along it and entering through Him who says, ‘I am the Way’ and ‘the Door,’ and partaking of the knowledge of the Father, may also hear the words, ‘Blessed are the undefiled in the Way,’ and ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God829    Ps. cxix. 1; Matt. v. 8..’

65. And thus since the truth declares that the Word is not by nature a creature, it is fitting now to say, in what sense He is ‘beginning of ways.’ For when the first way, which was through Adam, was lost, and in place of paradise we deviated unto death, and heard the words, ‘Dust thou art, and unto dust830    Gen. iii. 19. shalt thou return,’ therefore the Word of God, who loves man, puts on Him created flesh at the Father’s will831    §31, n. 8., that whereas the first man had made it dead through the transgression, He Himself might quicken it in the blood of His own body832    Vid. Or. i. §48, 7, i. 51, 5, supr. 56, 5. Irenæus, Hær. iii. 19, n. 1. Cyril. in Joan. lib. ix. cir. fin. This is the doctrine of S. Athanasius and S. Cyril, one may say, passim., and might open ‘for us a way new and living,’ as the Apostle says, ‘through the veil, that is to say, His flesh833    Heb. x. 20.;’ which he signifies elsewhere thus, ‘Wherefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new834    2 Cor. v. 17..’ But if a new creation has come to pass, some one must be first of this creation; now a man, made of earth only, such as we are become from the transgression, he could not be. For in the first creation, men had become unfaithful, and through them that first creation had been lost; and there was need of some one else to renew the first creation, and preserve the new which had come to be. Therefore from love to man none other than the Lord, the ‘beginning’ of the new creation, is created as ‘the Way,’ and consistently says, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of ways for His works;’ that man might walk no longer according to that first creation, but there being as it were a beginning of a new creation, and with the Christ ‘a beginning of its ways,’ we might follow Him henceforth, who says to us, ‘I am the Way:’—as the blessed Apostle teaches in Colossians, saying, ‘He is the Head of the body, the Church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.’

66. For if, as has been said, because of the resurrection from the dead He is called a beginning, and then a resurrection took place when He, bearing our flesh, had given Himself to death for us, it is evident that His words, ‘He created me a beginning of ways,’ is indicative not of His essence835    §45, n. 2., but of His bodily presence. For to the body death was proper836    Athanasius here says that our Lord’s body was subject to death; and so Incarn. 20, e. also 8, b. 18. init. Orat. iii. 56. And so τὸν ἄνθρωπον σαθρωθέντα. Orat. iv. 33. And so S. Leo in his Tome lays down that in the Incarnation, suscepta est ab æternitate mortalitas. Ep. 28. 3. And S. Austin, Utique vulnerabile atque mortale corpus habuit [Christus] contr. Faust. xiv. 2. A Eutychian sect denied this doctrine (the Aphthartodocetæ), and held that our Lord’s manhood was naturally indeed corrupt, but became from its union with the Word incorrupt from the moment of conception; and in consequence it held that our Lord did not suffer and die, except by miracle. vid. Leont. c. Nest. ii. (Canis. t. i. pp. 563, 4, 8.) vid. supr. i. 43 and 44, notes; also infr. 76, note. And further, note on iii. 57.; and in like manner to the bodily presence are the words proper, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways.’ For since the Saviour was thus created according to the flesh, and had become a beginning of things new created, and had our first fruits, viz. that human flesh which He took to Himself, therefore after Him, as is fit, is created also the people to come, David saying, ‘Let this be written for another generation, and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord837    Ps. cii. 18..’ And again in the twenty-first Psalm, ‘The generation to come shall declare unto the Lord, and they shall declare His righteousness, unto a people that shall be born whom the Lord made838    Ib. xxii. 32..’ For we shall no more hear, ‘In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die839    Gen. ii. 17.,’ but ‘Where I am, there ye’ shall ‘be also;’ so that we may say, ‘We are His workmanship, created unto good works840    John xiv. 3; Eph. ii. 10..’ And again, since God’s work, that is, man, though created perfect, has become wanting through the transgression, and dead by sin, and it was unbecoming that the work of God should remain imperfect (wherefore all the saints were praying concerning this, for instance in the hundred and thirty-seventh Psalm, saying, ‘Lord, Thou shalt requite for me; despise not then the works of Thine hands841    Ps. cxxxviii. 8.’); therefore the perfect842    Cf. Orat. iv. 11. Word of God puts around Him an imperfect body, and is said to be created ‘for the works;’ that, paying the debt843    ἀνθ᾽ ἡμῶν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδούς, and so the Lord’s death λύτρον πάντων. Incarn. V.D. 25. λύτρον καθάρσιον. Naz. Orat. 30, 20. fin. also supr. 9, 13, 14, 47, 55, 67. In Illud. Omn. 2 fin. in our stead, He might, by Himself, perfect what was wanting to man. Now immortality was wanting to him, and the way to paradise. This then is what the Saviour says, ‘I glorified Thee on the earth, I perfected the work which Thou hast given Me to do844    John xvii. 4.;’ and again, ‘The works which the Father hath given Me to perfect, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me;’ but ‘the works845    Ib. v. 36.’ He here says that the Father had given Him to perfect, are those for which He is created, saying in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways, for His works;’ for it is all one to say, ‘The Father hath given me the works,’ and ‘The Lord created me for the works.’

67. When then received He the works to perfect, O God’s enemies? for from this also ‘He created’ will be understood. If ye say, ‘At the beginning when He brought them into being out of what was not,’ it is an untruth; for they were not yet made; whereas He appears to speak as taking what was already in being. Nor is it pious to refer to the time which preceded the Word’s becoming flesh, lest His coming should thereupon seem superfluous, since for the sake of these works that coming took place. Therefore it remains for us to say that when He has become man, then He took the works. For then He perfected them, by healing our wounds and vouchsafing to us the resurrection from the dead. But if, when the Word became flesh, then were given to Him the works, plainly when He became man, then also is He created for the works. Not of His essence then is ‘He created’ indicative, as has many times been said, but of His bodily generation. For then, because the works were become imperfect and mutilated from the transgression, He is said in respect to the body to be created; that by perfecting them and making them whole, He might present the Church unto the Father, as the Apostle says, ‘not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish846    Eph. v. 27..’ Mankind then is perfected in Him and restored, as it was made at the beginning, nay, with greater grace. For, on rising from the dead, we shall no longer fear death, but shall ever reign in Christ in the heavens. And this has been done, since the own Word of God Himself, who is from the Father, has put on the flesh, and become man. For if, being a creature, He had become man, man had remained just what he was, not joined to God; for how had a work been joined to the Creator by a work847    Vid. de Decr. 10, 2. 4; Or. i. 49, §16, n. 7. Iren. Hær. iii. 20.? or what succour had come from like to like, when one as well as other needed it848    Cf. infr. Orat. iv. 6. vid. also iii. 33 init. August. Trin. xiii. 18. Id. in Psalm 129, n. 12. Leon. Serm. 28, n. 3. Basil. in Psalm 48, n. 4. Cyril. de rect. fid. p. 132. vid. also Procl. Orat. i. p. 63. (ed. 1630.) Vigil. contr.Eutych. v. p. 529, e. Greg. Moral. xxiv. init. Job. ap. Phot. 222. p. 583.? And how, were the Word a creature, had He power to undo God’s sentence, and to remit sin, whereas it is written in the Prophets, that this is God’s doing? For ‘who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by transgression849    Mic. vii. 18.?’ For whereas God has said, ‘Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return850    Gen. iii. 19.,’ men have become mortal; how then could things originate undo sin? but the Lord is He who has undone it, as He says Himself, ‘Unless the Son shall make you free851    Vid. John viii. 36.;’ and the Son, who made free, has shewn in truth that He is no creature, nor one of things originate, but the proper Word and Image of the Father’s Essence, who at the beginning sentenced, and alone remitteth sins. For since it is said in the Word, ‘Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return,’ suitably through the Word Himself and in Him the freedom and the undoing of the condemnation has come to pass.

68. ‘Yet,’ they say, ‘though the Saviour were a creature, God was able to speak the word only and undo the curse.’ And so another will tell them in like manner, ‘Without His coming among us at all, God was able just to speak and undo the curse;’ but we must consider what was expedient for mankind, and not what simply is possible with God852    Vid. also Incarn. 44. In this statement Athan. is supported by Naz. Orat. 19, 13. Theodor. adv. Gent. vi. p. 876, 7. August. de Trin. xiii. 13. It is denied in a later age by S. Anselm, but S. Thomas and the schoolmen side with the Fathers. vid. Petav. Incarn. ii. 13. However, it will be observed from what follows that Athan. thought the Incarnation still absolutely essential for the renewal of human nature in holiness. Cf. de Incarn. 7. That is, we might have been pardoned, we could not have been new-made, without the Incarnation; and so supr. 67.. He could have destroyed, before the ark of Noah, the then transgressors; but He did it after the ark. He could too, without Moses, have spoken the word only and have brought the people out of Egypt; but it profited to do it through Moses. And God was able without the judges to save His people; but it was profitable for the people that for a season judges should be raised up to them. The Saviour too might have come among us from the beginning, or on His coming might not have been delivered to Pilate; but He came ‘at the fulness of the ages853    Gal. iv. 4.,’ and when sought for said, ‘I am He854    John xviii. 5..’ For what He does, that is profitable for men, and was not fitting in any other way; and what is profitable and fitting, for that He provides855    ‘Was it not in His power, had He wished it, even in a day to bring on the whole rain [of the deluge]? in a day, nay in a moment?’ Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 24, 7. He proceeds to apply this principle to the pardon of sin. On the subject of God’s power as contrasted with His acts, Petavius brings together the statements of the Fathers, de Deo, v. 6.. Accordingly He came, not ‘that He might be ministered unto, but that He might minister856    Vid. Matt. xx. 28,’ and might work our salvation. Certainly He was able to speak the Law from heaven, but He saw that it was expedient to men for Him to speak from Sinai; and that He has done, that it might be possible for Moses to go up, and for them hearing the word near them the rather to believe. Moreover, the good reason of what He did may be seen thus; if God had but spoken, because it was in His power, and so the curse had been undone, the power had been shewn of Him who gave the word, but man had become such as Adam was before the transgression, having received grace from without857    Athan. here seems to say that Adam in a state of innocence had but an external divine assistance, not an habitual grace; this, however, is contrary to his own statements already referred to, and the general doctrine of the fathers. vid. e.g. Cyril. in Joan. v. 2. August. de Corr. et Grat. 31. vid also infr. §76, note., and not having it united to the body; (for he was such when he was placed in Paradise) nay, perhaps had become worse, because he had learned to transgress. Such then being his condition, had he been seduced by the serpent, there had been fresh need for God to give command and undo the curse; and thus the need had become interminable858    εἰς ἄπειρον, de Decr. 8., and men had remained under guilt not less than before, as being enslaved to sin; and, ever sinning, would have ever needed one to pardon them, and had never become free, being in themselves flesh, and ever worsted by the Law because of the infirmity of the flesh.

69. Again, if the Son were a creature, man had remained mortal as before, not being joined to God; for a creature had not joined creatures to God, as seeking itself one to join it859    De Decr. 10.; nor would a portion of the creation have been the creation’s salvation, as needing salvation itself. To provide against this also, He sends His own Son, and He becomes Son of Man, by taking created flesh; that, since all were under sentence of death, He, being other than them all, might Himself for all offer to death His own body; and that henceforth, as if all had died through Him, the word of that sentence might be accomplished (for ‘all died860    2 Cor. v. 14.’ in Christ), and all through Him might thereupon become free from sin and from the curse which came upon it, and might truly abide861    διαμείνωσιν, §63, n. 8; §73, Gent. 41, Serm. Maj. de Fid. 5. for ever, risen from the dead and clothed in immortality and incorruption. For the Word being clothed in the flesh, as has many times been explained, every bite of the serpent began to be utterly staunched from out it; and whatever evil sprung from the motions of the flesh, to be cut away, and with these death also was abolished, the companion of sin, as the Lord Himself says862    John xiv. 30. ἔχει t. rec. εὑρίσκει Ath. et al., ‘The prince of this world cometh, and findeth nothing in Me;’ and ‘For this end was He manifested,’ as John has written, ‘that He might destroy the works of the devil863    1 John iii. 8..’ And these being destroyed from the flesh, we all were thus liberated by the kinship of the flesh, and for the future were joined, even we, to the Word. And being joined to God, no longer do we abide upon earth; but, as He Himself has said, where He is, there shall we be also; and henceforward we shall fear no longer the serpent, for he was brought to nought when he was assailed by the Saviour in the flesh, and heard Him say, ‘Get thee behind Me, Satan864    Matt. xvi. 23.,’ and thus he is cast out of paradise into the eternal fire. Nor shall we have to watch against woman beguiling us, for ‘in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angels865    Mark xii. 25.;’ and in Christ Jesus it shall be ‘a new creation,’ and ‘neither male nor female, but all and in all Christ866    Gal. vi. 15; iii. 28.;’ and where Christ is, what fear, what danger can still happen?

70. But this would not have come to pass, had the Word been a creature; for with a creature, the devil, himself a creature, would have ever continued the battle, and man, being between the two, had been ever in peril of death, having none in whom and through whom he might be joined to God and delivered from all fear. Whence the truth shews us that the Word is not of things originate, but rather Himself their Framer. For therefore did He assume the body originate and human, that having renewed it as its Framer, He might deify it867    ἐν ἑαυτῷ θεοποιήσῃ. supr. p. 65, note 5. vid. also ad Adelph. 4. a. Serap. i. 24, e. and §56, note 5. and iii. 33. De Decr. 14. Orat. i. 42. vid. also Orat. iii. 23. fin. 33. init. 34. fin. 38, b. 39, d. 48. fin. 53. For our becoming θεοὶ vid. Orat. iii. 25. θεοὶ κατὰ χάριν. Cyr. in Joan. p. 74. θεοφορούμεθα. Orat. iii. 23, c. 41, a. 45 init. χριστόφοροι. ibid. θεούμεθα. iii. 48 fin. 53. Theodor. H. E. i. p. 846. init. in Himself, and thus might introduce us all into the kingdom of heaven after His likeness. For man had not been deified if joined to a creature, or unless the Son were very God; nor had man been brought into the Father’s presence, unless He had been His natural and true Word who had put on the body. And as we had not been delivered from sin and the curse, unless it had been by nature human flesh, which the Word put on (for we should have had nothing common with what was foreign), so also the man had not been deified, unless the Word who became flesh had been by nature from the Father and true and proper to Him. For therefore the union was of this kind, that He might unite what is man by nature to Him who is in the nature of the Godhead, and his salvation and deification might be sure. Therefore let those who deny that the Son is from the Father by nature and proper to His Essence, deny also that He took true human flesh868    §45, n. 2. of Mary Ever-Virgin869    Vid. also Athan. in Luc. (Migne xxvii. 1393 c). This title, which is commonly applied to S. Mary by later writers, is found Epiph. Hær. 78, 5. Didym. Trin. i. 27. p. 84. Rufin. Fid. i. 43. Lepor. ap Cassian. Incarn. i. 5. Leon. Ep. 28, 2. Cæsarius has ἀειπαῖς. Qu. 20. On the doctrine itself vid. a letter of S. Ambrose and his brethren to Siricius, and the Pope’s letter in response. (Coust. Ep. Pont. p. 669–682.) Also Pearson On the Creed, Art. 3. [§§9, 10, p. 267 in Bohn’s ed.] He replies to the argument from ‘until’ in Matt. i. 25, by referring to Gen. xxviii 15; Deut. xxxiv. 6; 1 Sam. xv. 35; 2 Sam. vi. 23; Matt. xxviii. 20. He might also have referred to Psalm cx. 1; 1 Cor. xv. 25. which are the more remarkable, because they were urged by the school of Marcellus as a proof that our Lord’s kingdom would have an end, and are explained by Euseb. Eccl. Theol. iii. 13, 14. Vid. also Cyr. Cat. 15, 29; where the true meaning of ‘until’ (which may be transferred to Matt. i. 25), is well brought out. ‘He who is King before He subdued His enemies, how shall He not the rather be King, after He has got the mastery over them?’; for in neither case had it been of profit to us men, whether the Word were not true and naturally Son of God, or the flesh not true which He assumed. But surely He took true flesh, though Valentinus rave; yea the Word was by nature Very God, though Ario-maniacs rave870    De Syn. 13, n. 4.; and in that flesh has come to pass the beginning871    i. 48, n. 7. of our new creation, He being created man for our sake, and having made for us that new way, as has been said.

71. The Word then is neither creature nor work; for creature, thing made, work, are all one; and were He creature and thing made, He would also be work. Accordingly He has not said, ‘He created Me a work,’ nor ‘He made Me with the works,’ lest He should appear to be in nature and essence872    §45, note 2. a creature; nor, ‘He created Me to make works,’ lest, on the other hand, according to the perverseness of the irreligious, He should seem as an instrument873    ὄργανον, note on iii. 31. made for our sake. Nor again has He declared, ‘He created Me before the works,’ lest, as He really is before all, as an Offspring, so, if created also before the works, He should give ‘Offspring’ and ‘He created’ the same meaning. But He has said with exact discrimination874    §12, note., ‘for the works;’ as much as to say, ‘The Father has made Me, into flesh, that I might be man,’ which again shews that He is not a work but an offspring. For as he who comes into a house, is not part of the house, but is other than the house, so He who is created for the works, must be by nature other than the works. But if otherwise, as you hold, O Arians, the Word of God be a work, by what875    §22, n. 2. Hand and Wisdom did He Himself come into being? for all things that came to be, came by the Hand and Wisdom of God, who Himself says, ‘My hand hath made all these things876    Is. lxvi. 2.;’ and David says in the Psalm, ‘And Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands877    Ps. cii. 25.;’ and again, in the hundred and forty-second Psalm, ‘I do remember the time past, I muse upon all Thy works, yea I exercise myself in the works of Thy hands878    Ib. cxliii. 5..’ Therefore if by the Hand of God the works are wrought, and it is written that ‘all things were made through the Word,’ and ‘without Him was not made one thing879    John i. 3.,’ and again, ‘One Lord Jesus, through whom are all things880    1 Cor. viii. 9.,’ and ‘in Him all things consist881    Col. i. 17.,’ it is very plain that the Son cannot be a work, but He is the Hand882    §31, n. 4. of God and the Wisdom. This knowing, the martyrs in Babylon, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, arraign the Arian irreligion. For when they say, ‘O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord,’ they recount things in heaven, things on earth, and the whole creation, as works; but the Son they name not. For they say not, ‘Bless, O Word, and praise, O Wisdom;’ to shew that all other things are both praising and are works; but the Word is not a work nor of those that praise, but is praised with the Father and worshipped and confessed as God883    θεολογούμενος. vid. de Decr. 31, n. 5. also Incarn. c. Ar. 3. 19, Serap. i. 28. 29. 31. contr. Sab. Greg. and passim ap. Euseb. contr. Marcell. e.g. p. 42, d. 86, a. 99, d. 122, c. 124, b. &c. κυριολογεῖν, In Illud. Omn. 6, contr. Sab. Greg. §4, f., being His Word and Wisdom, and of the works the Framer. This too the Spirit has declared in the Psalms with a most apposite distinction, ‘the Word of the Lord is true, and all His works are faithful884    Ps. xxxiii. 4.;’ as in another Psalm too He says, ‘O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in Wisdom hast Thou made them all885    Ib. civ. 24..’

72. But if the Word were a work, then certainly He as others had been made in Wisdom; nor would Scripture distinguish Him from the works, nor while it named them works, preach Him as Word and own Wisdom of God. But, as it is, distinguishing Him from the works, He shews that Wisdom is Framer of the works, and not a work. This distinction Paul also observes, writing to the Hebrews, ‘The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, reaching even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, neither is there any creature hidden before Him, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom is our account886    Heb. iv. 12, 13..’ For behold he calls things originate ‘creature;’ but the Son he recognises as the Word of God, as if He were other than the creatures. And again saying, ‘All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom is our account,’ he signifies that He is other than all of them. For hence it is that He judges, but each of all things originate is bound to give account to Him. And so also, when the whole creation is groaning together with us in order to be set free from the bondage of corruption, the Son is thereby shewn to be other than the creatures. For if He were creature, He too would be one of those who groan, and would need one who should bring adoption and deliverance to Himself as well as others. But if the whole creation groans together, for the sake of freedom from the bondage of corruption, whereas the Son is not of those that groan nor of those who need freedom, but He it is who gives sonship and freedom to all, saying to the Jews of His time887    §1, n. 6., ‘The servant remains not in the house for ever, but the Son remaineth for ever; if then the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed888    John viii. 35, 36.;’ it is clearer than the light from these considerations also, that the Word of God is not a creature but true Son, and by nature genuine, of the Father. Concerning then ‘The Lord hath created me a beginning of the ways,’ this is sufficient, as I think, though in few words, to afford matter to the learned to frame more ample refutations of the Arian heresy.

εἰ γὰρ κτίσμα ἦν, οὐκ ἂν εἶπε, Γεννᾷ με· ὅτι τὰ μὲν κτίσματα ἔξωθέν ἐστιν ἔργα τοῦ ποιοῦντος, τὸ δὲ γέννημα οὐκ ἔξωθεν, ὡς ἔργον, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας. ∆ιόπερ τὰ μὲν κτίσματα, ὁ δὲ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς μονογενής. Ἀμέλει ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κτίσεως οὐκ εἴρηκε Μω σῆς· Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐγέννησεν, οὐδὲ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν· ἀλλ', Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐδὲ ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἔψαλεν· Αἱ χεῖρές σου ἐγέννησάν με, ἀλλ', ἐποίησάν με καὶ ἔπλασάν με, πανταχοῦ τὸ, ἐποίησεν, ἐπὶ τῶν κτισμάτων λέγων· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ ἔμπαλιν· οὐ γὰρ εἴρηκεν, ἐποίησα, ἀλλ', ἐγέννησα, καὶ, γεννᾷ με, καὶ, Ἐξηρεύξατο ἡ καρδία μου Λόγον ἀγαθόν· καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κτίσεως, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος. ∆ιαφέρει δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι τὰ μὲν κτίσματα ὑπὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν πεποίηται, καὶ διαστηματικὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἔχει· διόπερ καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ἐπ' αὐτῶν, Ἐν ἀρ χῇ ἐποίησεν, ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ εἰπεῖν πάλιν ἐπ' αὐτῶν τὸ, Ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐποίησεν, ὥσπερ ὁ Κύριος, εἰδὼς ὅπερ ἐποίησεν, ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτε τοὺς Φαρισαίους ἐνέτρεπε λέ γων· Ἀπ' ἀρχῆς δὲ ὁ κτίσας αὐτοὺς, ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς. Ἀπὸ γὰρ ἀρχῆς τινος τοῦ μὴ εἶναί ποτε γέγονε καὶ ἐκτίσθη τὰ γενητά. Τοῦτο καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐσήμαινεν ἐν ψαλμοῖς λέγον· Καὶ σὺ κατ' ἀρχὰς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας· καὶ πάλιν· Μνήσθητι τῆς συναγωγῆς σου, ἧς ἐκτήσω ἀπ' ἀρχῆς. ∆ῆλον δέ ἐστιν ὅτι τὸ κατ' ἀρχὰς γινόμενον ἀρχὴν ἔχει τοῦ κτίζεσθαι, καὶ ὅτι τὴν συναγωγὴν ἀπό τινος ἀρχῆς ἐκτήσατο ὁ Θεός. Ὅτι δὲ τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν, ἐκ τοῦ λέγειν, ἐποίησεν, τὸ ἤρξατο ποιεῖν ἐστιν, αὐτὸς Μω σῆς τοῦτο δηλοῖ μετὰ τὴν τῶν πάντων τελεσιουρ γίαν λέγων· Καὶ εὐλόγησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἑβδόμην, καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτὴν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ κατέπαυ σεν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι. Οὐκοῦν τὰ μὲν κτίσματα ἤρξατο γίνεσθαι· ὁ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, οὐκ ἔχων ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι, εἰκότως οὐκ ἤρξατο τοῦ εἶναι, οὐδὲ ἤρξατο γί νεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἦν ἀεί. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἔργα ἀρχὴν ἐν τῷ ποι εῖσθαι ἔχει, καὶ προάγει τῶν γινομένων ἡ ἀρχή· ὁ δὲ Λόγος, οὐκ ὢν τῶν γινομένων, μᾶλλον τῶν ἀρχὴν ἐχόντων αὐτὸς δημιουργὸς γίνεται. Καὶ τῶν μὲν γενη τῶν τὸ εἶναι ἐν τῷ γίνεσθαι μετρεῖται, καὶ ἀπό τινος ἀρχῆς ἄρχεται ταῦτα διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ποιεῖν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα καὶ τὸ μὴ εἶναι, πρὶν γενέσθαι, ταῦτα γινώσκηται· ὁ δὲ Λόγος τὸ εἶναι οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῃ ἀρχῇ ἔχει, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, τῷ καὶ κατ' ἐκείνους ἀνάρχῳ, ἵνα καὶ αὐ τὸς ἀνάρχως ὑπάρχῃ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, γέννημα καὶ οὐ κτίσμα τυγχάνων αὐτοῦ. Οὕτως ἄρα ἡ θεία Γραφὴ τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ γεν νήματος οἶδε καὶ τῶν ποιημάτων, καὶ τὸ μὲν γέννημα Υἱὸν, οὐκ ἀπό τινος ἀρχῆς ἀρξάμενον, ἀλλ' ἀΐδιον δείκνυσι· τὸ δὲ ποίημα, ὡς ἔξωθεν ἔργον τοῦ πεποιη κότος τυγχάνον, ἀρξάμενον τοῦ γίνεσθαι σημαίνει. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης, περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ θεολογῶν, καὶ γινώσκων τὴν τῶν λέξεων διαφορὰν, οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἐν ἀρχῇ γέγονεν, ἢ πεποίηται, ἀλλ', Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λό γος· ἵνα τὸ γέννημα τῷ, ἦν, συνεξακούηται, καὶ μὴ ἐν διαστάσει τις λογίσηται, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ καὶ ἀϊδίως ὑπάρχοντα τὸν Υἱὸν πιστεύῃ. Τούτων δὲ οὕτω δεικνυ μένων, πῶς, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, μὴ νοήσαντες τὰ ἐν τῷ ∆ευτερονομίῳ ῥητὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πάλιν ἀσεβεῖν εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἐτολμήσατε λέγοντες, ποίημα, ἢ κτίσμα, ἤτοι γέννημα εἶναι αὐτόν; Ταὐτὸν γὰρ τὸ γέννημα καὶ τὸ ποίημα σημαίνειν φάσκετε· καὶ ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀπαίδευτοι καὶ ἀσεβεῖς γνωσθήσεσθε. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον ῥητόν ἐστι τοῦτο· Οὐκ αὐτὸς οὗτός σου Πατὴρ ἐκτήσατό σε, καὶ ἐποίησέ σε, καὶ ἔκτισέ σε; καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ Ὠδῇ φησι· Θεὸν τὸν γεννήσαντά σε ἐγκατέλιπες, καὶ ἐπελάθου Θεοῦ τοῦ τρέφοντός σε. Ἡ δὲ διάνοια πάνυ θαυμαστὴ τυγχάνει οὖσα. Οὐ γὰρ εἴρηκε πρῶτον τὸ, ἐγέννη σεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀδιάφορος ἡ λέξις ᾖ πρὸς τὸ, ἐποίη σε, καὶ πρόφασιν εὕρωσιν οὗτοι λέγειν· Μωσῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν εἶπεν εἰρηκέναι τὸν Θεόν· Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον· αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἔφησε· Θεὸν τὸν γεννήσαντά σε ἐγκατέλιπες· ὡς ἀδιαφόρων τῶν λέ ξεων οὐσῶν· ταὐτὸν γὰρ τὸ γέννημα καὶ ποίημά ἐστιν. Ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ, ἐκτήσατο, καὶ, ἐποίησε, λοι πὸν ὕστερον τὸ, ἐγέννησεν, ἐπήγαγε, ἵνα καὶ ἑρμη νείαν ὁ Λόγος ἔχων φανῇ. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ, ἐποίη σεν, ἀληθῶς σημαίνει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ κατὰ φύσιν, ὅτι ἔργα τέ ἐστι καὶ ποιήματα· ἐν δὲ τῷ, ἐγέννησε, δηλοῖ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ γενομένην εἰς ἀνθρώπους μετὰ τὸ κτίσαι αὐτοὺς φιλανθρωπίαν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀχά ριστοι γεγόνασιν ἐπὶ ταύτῃ, λοιπὸν Μωσῆς ὀνειδίζων αὐτοὺς πρῶτον μέν φησι· Ταῦτα Κυρίῳ ἀντ αποδίδοτε; εἶτα ἐπάγει· Οὐκ αὐτὸς οὗτός σου Πα τὴρ ἐκτήσατό σε, καὶ ἐποίησέ σε, καὶ ἔκτισέ σε; Καὶ δεύτερον πάλιν λέγει· Ἔθυσαν δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ Θεῷ, θεοῖς οἷς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν. Καινοὶ πρόσφατοι ἥκασιν, οὓς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν· Θεὸν τὸν γεννήσαντά σε ἐγκατέλιπες. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς οὐ μόνον ἀνθρώπους αὐτοὺς ἔκτισεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ υἱοὺς ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς γεννήσας αὐ τούς. Τοῦ γὰρ, υἱὸς, καὶ ὧδε σημαντικόν ἐστι τὸ, ἐγέννησεν· ὡς καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησίν· Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα· καὶ ὅλως ὅτε ἡ Γραφὴ υἱὸν σημᾶναι βούλεται, οὐ διὰ τῆς, ἔκτισα, ἀλλὰ πάντως διὰ τῆς, ἐγέννησα, λέξεως σημαίνει. Καὶ τοῦτο πά λιν Ἰωάννης φαίνεται λέγων· Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν· πάνυ καλῶς ἐχούσης καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῆς παρατηρήσεως. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ, γενέσθαι, διὰ τὸ μὴ φύσει, ἀλλὰ θέσει αὐτοὺς λέγεσθαι υἱούς φησι· τὸ δὲ, ἐγεννήθησαν, διὰ τὸ ὅλως ὄνομα υἱοῦ καὶ αὐτοὺς εἰληφέναι, εἴρηκεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ λαὸς, ὡς ὁ προφήτης φησὶν, ἠθέτησαν τὸν εὐεργέτην. Αὕτη δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία ἐστὶν, ὅτι ὧν ἐστι ποιητὴς, τούτων καὶ πατὴρ κατὰ χάριν ὕστερον γίνεται· γίνεται δὲ, ὅταν οἱ κτισθέντες ἄν θρωποι, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, λάβωσιν εἰς τὰς καρδίας ἑαυτῶν τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ κρᾶ ζον, Ἀββᾶ, ὁ Πατήρ. Οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν ὅσοι, δεξά μενοι τὸν Λόγον, ἔλαβον ἐξουσίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι· ἄλλως γὰρ οὐκ ἂν γένοιντο υἱοὶ, ὄντες φύσει κτίσματα, εἰ μὴ τοῦ ὄντος φύσει καὶ ἀλη θινοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα ὑποδέξονται. ∆ιὸ, ἵνα τοῦτο γένηται, ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἵνα τὸν ἄνθρωπον δεκτικὸν θεότητος ποιήσῃ. Ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ παρὰ Μαλαχίου τοῦ προφήτου μαθεῖν ἔξεστι λέ γοντος· Οὐχὶ Θεὸς εἷς ἔκτισεν ὑμᾶς; Οὐχὶ πάν των ὑμῶν εἷς πατήρ; Καὶ ἐνταῦθα γὰρ πάλιν πρῶ τον τὸ, ἔκτισε, καὶ δεύτερον τὸ, πατὴρ, ἔθηκεν, ἵνα δείξῃ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὅτι ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν κατὰ φύσιν ἐσμὲν κτίσματα, καὶ κτίστης ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Λόγου, ὕστερον δὲ υἱοποιούμεθα, καὶ λοιπὸν ὁ κτίστης Θεὸς γίνεται καὶ πατὴρ ἡμῶν. Οὐκοῦν τὸ, Πατὴρ, τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστιν ἴδιον, καὶ οὐ τὸ κτίσμα ἀλλὰ τὸ, Υἱὸς, τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν ἴδιον. Ὥστε καὶ ἐκ τούτου δείκνυσθαι μὴ εἶναι ἡμᾶς φύσει υἱοὺς, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν Υἱόν· καὶ μὴ εἶναι πάλιν ἡμῶν φύ σει πατέρα τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν Λόγου, ἐν ᾧ καὶ δι' ὃν κράζομεν, Ἀββᾶ, ὁ Πατήρ. Ὥσπερ δὲ τοῦτο, οὕτως ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν οἷς ἐὰν βλέπῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν, τού τους καὶ αὐτὸς υἱοὺς καλεῖ, καὶ λέγει, ἐγέννησα· ἐπει δήπερ τὸ μὲν, γεννᾷν, σημαντικόν ἐστιν Υἱοῦ, τὸ δὲ, ποιεῖν, δηλωτικόν ἐστι τῶν ἔργων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν ἡμεῖς οὐ πρῶτον γεννώμεθα, ἀλλὰ ποιούμεθα· γέγραπται γάρ· Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον· ὕστερον δὲ, δεξάμενοι τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν, λεγόμεθα τό τε λοιπὸν καὶ γεννᾶσθαι. Ἀμέλει καὶ ἐν τῇ Ὠδῇ Μωσῆς ὁ μέγας μετὰ διανοίας καλῆς πρῶτον τὸ, ἐκτήσατο, καὶ ὕστερον τὸ, ἐγέννησεν, εἴρηκεν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ, ἀκούσαντας τὸ, ἐγέννησεν, ἐπιλαθέσθαι αὐτοὺς τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἑαυτῶν φύσεως, ἀλλ' ἵνα γινώσκω σιν, ὅτι ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέν εἰσι κτίσματα, ὅταν δὲ κατὰ χάριν λέγωνται γεννᾶσθαι, ὡς υἱοὶ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἧτ τόν εἰσι πάλιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ποιήματα κατὰ φύσιν. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστι κτίσμα καὶ γέννημα, ἀλλὰ διεστήκασιν ἀλλήλων τῇ τε φύσει καὶ τῇ ἐκ τῶν λέξεων σημασίᾳ, αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς Παρ οιμίαις δείκνυσιν. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ τὸ, Κύριος ἔκ τισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, ἐπήγαγε· Πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἦν φύσει καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ κτίσμα ὁ Λόγος, καὶ διαφορὰ ἦν τοῦ γεννή ματος πρὸς τὸ κτίσμα, οὐκ ἂν ἐπήγαγε τὸ, γεννᾷ με, ἀλλ' ἠρκεῖτο τῷ, ἔκτισεν, ὡς τῆς λέξεως ταύτης σημαινούσης τὸ, ἐγέννησε· νῦν δὲ εἰρηκὼς, Ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἐπήγαγεν οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸ, γεννᾷ με, ἀλλὰ μετὰ συμπλοκῆς τοῦ, δὲ, συνδέσμου, ὡς ἀσφαλιζόμενος ἐν τούτῳ τὴν τοῦ, ἔκτισε, λέξιν, λέγων· Πρὸ δὲ πάντων βου νῶν γεννᾷ με. Τὸ γὰρ, γεννᾷ με, τῷ, ἔκτισε, συμπεπλεγμένως ἐπιφερόμενον μίαν ποιεῖ τὴν διά νοιαν καὶ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι τὸ μὲν, ἔκτισε, διά τι εἴρη ται· τὸ δὲ γεννᾷ με, πρὸ τοῦ, ἔκτισεν, ἐστίν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ ἔμπαλιν εἰρήκει, Κύριος γεννᾷ με, καὶ ἐπ έφερε· Πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν ἔκτισέ με, πάν τως προηγεῖτο τοῦ, ἐγέννησε, τὸ, ἔκτισεν· οὕτως εἰρηκὼς πρῶτον, ἔκτισεν, εἶτα ἐπαγαγὼν, πρὸ δὲ πάντων γεννᾷ με, ἐξ ἀνάγκης δείκνυσι προηγεῖσθαι τὸ, ἐγέννησε, τοῦ, ἔκτισε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ λέγων, πρὸ πάντων γεννᾷ με, ἄλλον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τῶν πάντων σημαίνει, δειξάσης ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅτι περὶ τῶν κτισμάτων οὐδὲν ἕτερον τοῦ ἑτέρου προγέγονεν, ἀλλ' ἀθρόως ἅμα πάντα τὰ γενητὰ ἑνὶ καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ προστάγματι ὑπέστη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὐδὲ τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ, ἔκτισε, ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ, γεννᾷ με, κεῖται· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ, ἔκτισε, κεῖται, ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ, γεννᾷ με, οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀρχὴν γεννᾷ με, ἀλλὰ, πρὸ πάντων γεννᾷ με. Ὁ δὲ πρὸ πάντων ὢν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρχὴ τῶν πάντων ἀλλ' ἄλλος ἐστὶ τῶν πάντων. Εἰ δὲ ἄλλος ἐστὶ τῶν πάν των, ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῶν πάντων σημαίνεται, δῆλον ὅτι ἄλλος ἐστὶ τῶν κτισμάτων· καὶ συνίσταται φανε ρῶς, ὅτι ἄλλος ὢν ὁ Λόγος τῶν πάντων καὶ πρὸ πάντων ὢν, ὕστερον κτίζεται ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁδῶν εἰς ἔργα διὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν, ἵνα, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστο λος, ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχὴ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων. Τοιαύτης τοίνυν οὔσης τῆς διαφορᾶς τοῦ, ἔκ τισε, καὶ τοῦ, γεννᾷ με, καὶ, τῆς ἀρχῆς ὁδῶν, καὶ τοῦ, πρὸ πάντων· τῶν μὲν ἀνθρώπων κτίστης ὢν ὁ Θεὸς, οὕτως, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, γίνεται καὶ ὕστερον Πατὴρ, διὰ τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἰκοῦντα Λόγον αὐτοῦ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ ἔμπαλιν· Πατὴρ γὰρ ὢν αὐτοῦ φύσει ὁ Θεὸς, γίνεται μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ κτίστης αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιητὴς, ὅταν τὴν κτισθεῖσαν καὶ ποιηθεῖσαν ἐν δύσηται σάρκα ὁ Λόγος, καὶ γένηται ἄνθρωπος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνοντες τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, γίνονται τέκνα δι' αὐτοῦ· οὕτως ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνεδύσατο τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν σάρκα, τότε λέγεται καὶ κτίζεσθαι καὶ πεποιῆσθαι. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἡμεῖς κατὰ φύσιν υἱοὶ, δῆλον ὅτι κἀκεῖ νος κατὰ φύσιν κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα· εἰ δὲ ἡμεῖς θέ σει καὶ κατὰ χάριν γινόμεθα υἱοὶ, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ὁ Λόγος διὰ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς χάριν γενόμενος ἄνθρω πος εἴρηκε· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ τὸ κτι στὸν ἐνδυσάμενος γέγονεν ἡμῖν ὅμοιος κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, διὰ τοῦτο εἰκότως καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν καὶ πρω τότοκος ἐκλήθη. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμᾶς δι' ἡμᾶς γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὁμοίωσιν, ἀλλὰ Ερευνητικό έργο: ∆ΡΟΜΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΠΙΣΤΗΣ – ΨΗΦΙΑΚΗ ΠΑΤΡΟΛΟΓΙΑ. Εργαστήριο ∆ιαχείρισης Πολιτισµικής Κληρονοµιάς, www.aegean.gr/culturaltec/chmlab. Χρηµατοδότηση: ΚΠ Interreg ΙΙΙΑ (ETΠΑ 75%, Εθν. πόροι 25%). Πανεπιστήµιο Αιγαίου, Τµήµα Πολιτισµικής Τεχνολογίας και Επικοινωνίας, © 2006. Επιτρέπεται η ελεύθερη χρήση του υλικού µε αναφορά στην πηγή προέλευσής του. καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πρωτότοκος λέγεται καὶ ἔστιν ἡμῶν, ἐπειδὴ, πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώ πων ἀπολλυμένων κατὰ τὴν παράβασιν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, πρώτη τῶν ἄλλων ἐσώθη καὶ ἠλευθερώθη ἡ ἐκείνου σὰρξ, ὡς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου σῶμα γενομένη, καὶ λοι πὸν ἡμεῖς, ὡς σύσσωμοι τυγχάνοντες, κατ' ἐκεῖνο σωζόμεθα. Ἐν ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἡμῶν καὶ ὁδηγὸς ὁ Κύριος εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα γίνεται, λέγων· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ θύρα, καὶ δι' ἐμοῦ δεῖ πάντας εἰσελθεῖν. Ὅθεν καὶ πρωτότοκος λέγεται πάλιν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, οὐχ ὅτι πρῶτος ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε· προετεθνήκειμεν γὰρ ἡμεῖς· ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀναδεξάμενος θάνατον, καὶ τοῦτον καταργήσας, ἀνέστη πρῶτος, ὡς ἄνθρω πος, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀναστήσας τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα. Λοιπὸν γὰρ ἀναστάντος ἐκείνου, καθεξῆς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπ' ἐκείνου καὶ δι' ἐκεῖνον ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγειρόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πρωτότοκος τῆς κτίσεως λέ γεται, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ἐξισούμενος τοῖς κτίσμασι, καὶ πρῶτος αὐτῶν κατὰ χρόνον, πρωτότοκος λέγεται· (πῶς γὰρ, ὅπου γε Μονογενής ἐστιν αὐτός;) ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα συγκατάβασιν τοῦ Λόγου, καθ' ἢν καὶ πολλῶν γέγονεν ἀδελφός. Ὁ γάρ τοι μο νογενὴς, οὐκ ὄντων ἄλλων ἀδελφῶν, μονογενής ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ πρωτότοκος διὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀδελφοὺς πρω τότοκος λέγεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὐδαμοῦ τῶν Γρα φῶν εἴρηται, πρωτότοκος τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ, κτίσμα τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ τὸ, Μονογενὴς, καὶ τὸ, Υἱὸς, καὶ, ὁ Λόγος, καὶ, ἡ Σοφία, εἰς τὸν Πατέρα τὴν ἀναφο ρὰν ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἰδιότητα· Ἐθεασάμεθα γὰρ τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πα τρός· καὶ, Ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν Μονογενῆ· καὶ, Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Κύριε, ὁ Λόγος σου διαμένει· καὶ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· καὶ, Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία· καὶ, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός· καὶ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Τὸ δὲ, πρωτότοκος, εἰς τὴν κτίσιν ἔχει τὴν συγκατάβασιν· αὐτῆς γὰρ καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐλέχθη. Καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισε, δὲ εἰς τὰ ἔργα τὴν χάριν ἔχει· εἰς αὐτὰ γὰρ καὶ κτίζεται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν Μονογενής ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστιν, ἑρμηνευέσθω τὸ, πρωτότοκος· εἰ δὲ πρωτότοκός ἐστι, μὴ ἔστω Μονογενής. Οὐ δύναται γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς Μονογενής τε καὶ πρωτότοκος εἶναι, εἰ μὴ ἄρα πρὸς ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο· ἵνα Μονογενὴς μὲν διὰ τὴν ἐκ Πα τρὸς γέννησιν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, πρωτότοκος δὲ διὰ τὴν εἰς τὴν κτίσιν συγκατάβασιν, καὶ τὴν τῶν πολ λῶν ἀδελφοποίησιν. Ἀμέλει, τῶν δύο τούτων ῥητῶν ἀντικειμένων ἀλλήλοις, κρατεῖν ἄν τις εἴποι δικαίως ἐπὶ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς μᾶλλον ἰδίωμα, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἕτερον Λόγον, ἢ ἄλλην σο φίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτον μόνον ἀληθινὸν Υἱὸν εἶναι τοῦ Πα τρός. Καὶ γὰρ, ὥσπερ ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, οὐ μετά τινος συμπεπλεγμένης αἰτίας, ἀλλὰ ἀπολελυμένως μὲν εἴρηται ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ, Ὁ Μονογενὴς Υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός· τὸ δὲ, πρωτότο κος, συμπεπλεγμένην ἔχει πάλιν τὴν τῆς κτίσεως αἰτίαν, ἢν ἐπήγαγεν ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα. Εἰ δὲ πάντα τὰ κτίσματα ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη, ἄλλος ἐστὶ τῶν κτισμάτων, καὶ κτίσμα μὲν οὐκ ἔστι, κτίστης δὲ τῶν κτισμάτων. Οὐ διὰ τὸ ἐκ Πατρὸς ἄρα πρωτότοκος ἐκλήθη, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ γεγενῆσθαι τὴν κτίσιν. Καὶ ὥσπερ πρὸ τῆς κτίσεως ἦν αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, δι' οὗ γέ γονεν ἡ κτίσις· οὕτω καὶ πρὸ τοῦ κληθῆναι πρωτότοκος πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ἦν οὐδὲν ἧττον αὐ τὸς ὁ Λόγος πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο μὴ νοήσαντες οἱ δυσσεβεῖς, περιέρ χονται λέγοντες· Εἰ πρωτότοκός ἐστι πάσης κτίσεως, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς εἷς ἐστι τῆς κτίσεως. Ἄφρονες! εἰ ὅλως πάσης τῆς κτίσεως πρωτότοκός ἐστιν, ἄρα πάσης τῆς κτίσεως ἄλλος ἐστίν. Οὐ γὰρ εἴρηκε, πρω τότοκός ἐστι τῶν ἄλλων κτισμάτων, ἵνα μὴ ὡς εἷς τῶν κτισμάτων εἶναι νομισθῇ ἀλλὰ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως γέγραπται, ἵνα ἄλλος τῆς κτίσεως εἶναι δειχθῇ. Ὁ γοῦν Ῥουβὴν οὐκ εἴρηται πρωτότοκος πάντων τῶν τέ κνων τοῦ Ἰακὼβ, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ τῶν ἀδελ φῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλος παρὰ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ Ἰακὼβ εἶναι νομισθῇ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ὁ Ἀπόστολος οὐκ εἴρηκεν, Ἵνα γένηται πρωτότοκος πάντων, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλο παρὰ τὸ ἡμῶν σῶμα φορεῖν νομι σθῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς διὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τῆς σαρκός. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ ὁ Λόγος εἷς ἦν τῶν κτισμά των, εἶπεν ἂν ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι πρωτό τοκος τῶν ἄλλων κτισμάτων ἐστί· νῦν δὲ, λεγόντων τῶν ἁγίων, ὅτι πρωτότοκός ἐστι πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ἄντικρυς δείκνυται ἄλλος ὢν πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, καὶ μὴ κτίσμα ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱός. Εἰ γὰρ κτίσμα ἐστὶν, ἔσται καὶ αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ πρωτότοκος. Πῶς οὖν δύναται, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, καὶ πρῶτος ἑαυτοῦ καὶ δεύτε ρος εἶναι; Ἔπειτα εἰ κτίσμα ἐστὶ, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις δι' αὐτοῦ γέγονε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκε, πῶς δύνα ται καὶ κτίζειν τὴν κτίσιν, καὶ εἷς εἶναι τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ συνεστηκότων; Ἀτόπου δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτῶν ἐπινοίας φαινομένης, ἐλέγχονται παρὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅτι πρωτότοκος μὲν ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐκλήθη διὰ τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς συγγένειαν· πρωτότοκος δὲ ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, διὰ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν εἶναι τὴν τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν· πρωτότοκος δὲ πάσης κτίσεως διὰ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς, δι' ἣν ἐν τῷ Λόγῳ αὐτοῦ οὐ μόνον τὰ πάντα συνέστηκεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις, περὶ ἧς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Ἀπεκδεχομένη τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλευθερωθήσεταί ποτε ἀπὸ τῆς δου λείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὕτω δὲ αὐτῆς ἐλευθερω θείσης, ἔσται καὶ αὐτῆς μετὰ καὶ πάντων τῶν τεκνοποιηθέντων πρωτότοκος ὁ Κύριος, ἵν', ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι πρῶτον αὐτὸν, τὰ μετ' αὐτὸν διαμείνῃ, ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος ἀρχῆς τοῦ Λόγου συνημμένα. Ἡγοῦμαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς αὐτοὺς ἐντρα πήσεσθαι ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης διανοίας· εἰ γὰρ μὴ οὕ τως ἔχοι, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν, ἀλλ' ὡς τῇ οὐσίᾳ κτί σμα ἐν κτίσμασι πρωτότοκον αὐτὸν θελήσουσιν εἶναι πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, σκοπείτωσαν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἀλό γων καὶ τῶν ἀψύχων αὐτὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ ὅμοιον ὑπονοήσουσιν εἶναι. Πάσης γὰρ τῆς κτίσεως καὶ ταῦτα μέρη τυγχάνει ὄντα· ἀνάγκη δὲ τὸν πρωτό τοκον μόνῳ μὲν τῷ χρόνῳ πρῶτον εἶναι, τῷ δὲ γένει καὶ τῇ ὁμοιότητι τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι πρὸς πάντας. Πῶς οὖν, καὶ τοῦτο λέγοντες, οὐ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν ὑπερ βάλλουσιν; Ἢ τίς ἀνέξεται τούτων ταῦτα λε γόντων; ἢ πῶς καὶ μόνον αὐτοὺς ἐνθυμουμένους τοι αῦτα οὐ μισήσειεν ἄν τις; Πᾶσι γάρ ἐστι δῆλον ὅτι οὔτε δι' ἑαυτὸν, ὡς κτίσμα ὢν, οὔτε διὰ τὸ συγ γένειάν τινα κατ' οὐσίαν πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν ἔχειν, πρωτότοκος αὐτῆς ἐκλήθη· ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ κατ' ἀρχὴν μὲν δημιουργῶν ὁ Λόγος τὰ κτίσματα, συγκαταβέβηκε τοῖς γεννητοῖς, ἵνα γενέσθαι ταῦτα δυνηθῇ. Οὐκ ἂν γὰρ ἤνεγκεν αὐτοῦ τὴν φύσιν ἄκρατον καὶ πατρικὴν οὖσαν λαμπρότητα, εἰ μὴ φι λανθρωπίᾳ πατρικῇ συγκαταβὰς ἀντελάβετο, καὶ κρατήσας αὐτὰ εἰς οὐσίαν ἤνεγκε. Καὶ δεύτερον δὲ πάλιν, ὅτι καὶ συγκαταβάντος τοῦ Λόγου, υἱο ποιεῖται καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις δι' αὐτοῦ· ἵνα καὶ αὐτῆς, καθάπερ εἴρηται, πρωτότοκος κατὰ πάντα γένηται, ἔν τε τῷ κτίζειν, καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσάγεσθαι ὑπὲρ πάντων εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν οἰκουμένην. Οὕτω γὰρ γέγρα πται· Ὅταν δὲ εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει· Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ χριστομάχοι, καὶ σπαραττέτωσαν ἑαυτοὺς, ὅτι τὸ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐποίησε καὶ πρω τότοκον πάντων κληθῆναι· ὥστε τοῦ μὲν Πατρὸς εἶναι Μονογενῆ τὸν Υἱὸν, διὰ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ μόνον αὐτὸν εἶναι, τῆς δὲ κτίσεως πρωτότοκον διὰ τὴν τῶν πάν των υἱοποίησιν. Ὡς δὲ ἐν ἀδελφοῖς πρωτότοκος, καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἀνέστη· οὕτως, ἐπειδήπερ ἔπρεπεν ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸν πρωτεύειν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀρχὴ ὁδῶν κτίζεται· ἵνα, ταύτης ἐπιβάν τες καὶ εἰσελθόντες δι' αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ θύρα, μεταλαβόντες τε τῆς περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς γνώσεως, ἀκούσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς· Μακάριοι οἱ ἄμωμοι ἐν ὁδῷ, καὶ, Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Τῆς ἀληθείας τοίνυν δειξάσης μὴ εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν κτίσμα τὸν Λόγον, ἀκόλουθον λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν, πῶς καὶ ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁδῶν εἴρηται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ πρώτη ἡ διὰ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ὁδὸς ἀπώλετο, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ παραδείσου ἐξεκλίναμεν εἰς τὸν θάνατον, ἠκού σαμέν τε, Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ, διὰ τοῦτο ὁ φιλάνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος βουλήσει τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐνδιδύσκεται τὴν κτισθεῖσαν σάρκα, ἵνα ἣν ἐνέκρωσεν ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως, ταύτην αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος ζωοποιήσῃ, καὶ ἐγκαινίσῃ ἡμῖν ὁδὸν πρόσφατον καὶ ζῶσαν, ὡς εἴρηκεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, διὰ τοῦ καταπετάσματος, τουτέστι διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ. Ὅπερ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ σημαίνων, φησίν· Ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ καινὴ κτίσις, τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά. Εἰ δὲ καινὴ κτίσις γέγονεν, ἔδει ταύτης τῆς κτίσεως πρῶ τόν τινα εἶναι· ἄνθρωπος μὲν οὖν ψιλὸς καὶ μόνον χοϊκὸς, οἷοι γεγόναμεν ἡμεῖς ἐκ τῆς παραβάσεως, οὐκ ἠδύνατο εἶναι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ κτίσει ἄπιστοι γεγόνασιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἀπώ λετο ἡ πρώτη· χρεία δὲ ἦν ἄλλου τοῦ ἀνανεοῦντος καὶ τὴν πρώτην, καὶ τὴν καινὴν γενομένην διατη ροῦντος. Οὐκοῦν φιλανθρώπως οὐχ ἕτερός τις, ἀλλ' ὁ Κύριος, ἀρχὴ τῆς καινῆς κτίσεως κτίζεται ὁδὸς, καὶ εἰκότως λέγει· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μηκέτι κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἐκείνην ὁ ἄνθρωπος πολιτεύηται, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀρχῆς οὔσης καινῆς κτίσεως, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχοντες ταύτης ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν, τούτῳ λοιπὸν ἀκο λουθῶμεν λέγοντι· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός. Τοῦτο γὰρ δι δάσκων καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς, ἔλεγεν· Αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχὴ πρω τότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων. Εἰ γὰρ, καθάπερ εἴρηται, διὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν λέγεται καὶ διὰ ταύτην αὐτὸς ἀρχὴ, τότε δὲ γέγονεν ἀνάστασις, ὅτε τὴν ἡμετέραν σάρκα φορῶν δέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῷ θανάτῳ· φα νερὸν ἂν εἴη, ὅτι καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, Ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν, οὐ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐνσωμάτου παρουσίας αὐτοῦ σημαντικόν ἐστι. Τοῦ γὰρ σώματος ἴδιον ἦν ὁ θάνατος· καὶ ὥσπερ τοῦ σώματος ἴδιός ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος, οὕτω τῆς σω ματικῆς παρουσίας ἴδιον ἂν εἴη τὸ λεγόμενον· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ γὰρ Σωτῆρος οὕτω κατὰ σάρκα κτισθέντος, καὶ ἀρχῆς γενομένου τῶν ἀνακτιζομένων, καὶ ἔχοντος ἡμῶν τὴν ἀπαρχὴν, ἣν προσέλαβεν ἀνθρωπίνην σάρκα, ἀκολούθως μετ' αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ μέλλων λαὸς κτίζεται, λέγοντος τοῦ ∆αβίδ· Γραφήτω αὕτη εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν, καὶ λαὸς ὁ κτιζόμενος αἰνέσει τὸν Κύριον· καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ εἰκοστῷ πρώτῳ ψαλμῷ· Ἀναγ γελήσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ γενεὰ ἡ ἐρχομένη· καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσι τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ λαῷ τῷ τεχθησομένῳ, ὃν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος. Οὐκέτι γὰρ ἀκουσόμεθα, Ἧ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ' αὐ τοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε· ἀλλὰ, Ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθε· ὥστε λέγειν ἡμᾶς· Αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα κτισθέντες ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγα θοῖς. Πάλιν τε, ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τουτέστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, τέλειος κτισθεὶς, ἐλλιπὴς γέγονε διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως, καὶ γέγονε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ νεκρὸς, ἀπρε πὲς δὲ ἦν μένειν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀτελές· διὸ καὶ ἐδέ οντο πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι περὶ τούτου λέγοντες ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ τριακοστῷ καὶ ἑβδόμῳ ψαλμῷ, Κύριε, ἀνταποδώσεις ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ· Κύριε, τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου μὴ παρίδῃς· διὰ τοῦτο ὁ τέλειος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος τὸ ἀτελὲς περιτίθεται σῶμα, καὶ λέγεται εἰς τὰ ἔργα κτίζεσθαι, ἵνα, ἀνθ' ἡμῶν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδοὺς, τὰ λείποντα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τελειώσῃ. Ἔλειπε δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ ἀθανασία, καὶ ἡ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον ὁδός. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ λεγό μενον παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· Ἐγώ σε ἐδόξασα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· τὸ ἔργον ἐτελείωσα, ὃ δέδωκάς μοι, ἵνα ποιήσω· καὶ πάλιν· Τὰ ἔργα, ἃ δέδωκέ μοι ὁ Πατὴρ, ἵνα τελειώσω αὐτὰ, αὐτὰ τὰ ἔρ γα, ἃ ποιῶ, μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ· ἃ δὲ λέγει ἐν ταῦθα ἔργα δεδωκέναι αὐτῷ τὸν Πατέρα εἰς τελείωσιν, ταῦτά ἐστι, εἰς ἃ κτίζεται, λέγων ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐ τοῦ· ἴσον γάρ ἐστι τὸ εἰπεῖν, Ἔδωκέ μοι ὁ Πατὴρ τὰ ἔργα, καὶ, Ἔκτισέ με Κύριος εἰς ἔργα. Πότε οὖν ἔλαβε τὰ ἔργα εἰς τὸ τελειῶσαι, ὦ θεο μάχοι; Ἐκ γὰρ τούτου καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισε, γνωσθήσεται. Κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὅτε ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὰ ἐποίει, ἐὰν εἴπητε, ψεῦδός ἐστιν· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν γενόμενα· φαίνεται δὲ λέγων, ὡς τὰ ἤδη ὄντα λαμβάνων. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸν πρὸ τοῦ γένηται ὁ Λό γος σὰρξ χρόνον εἰπεῖν εὐαγὲς, ἵνα μὴ περιττὴ λοι πὸν αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐπιδημία φανῇ· τούτων γὰρ χάριν καὶ ἡ ἐπιδημία ἐγένετο. Οὐκοῦν λείπει λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τότε ἔλαβε τὰ ἔργα· τότε γὰρ αὐτὰ καὶ ἐτελείωσεν, ἰασάμενος τὰ τραύματα ἡμῶν, καὶ χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνά στασιν. Εἰ δὲ ὅτε γέγονεν ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ, τότε ἐδόθη αὐ τῷ τὰ ἔργα, δῆλον, ὅτι, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τότε καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔργα κτίζεται. Οὐκ ἄρα τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ σημαντικόν ἐστι τὸ, ἔκτισεν, ὥσπερ πολλάκις εἴρη ται, ἀλλὰ τῆς σωματικῆς αὐτοῦ γενέσεως. Τότε γὰρ διὰ τὸ γεγενῆσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς παραβάσεως ἀτελῆ καὶ χωλὰ τὰ ἔργα, λέγεται σωματικῶς, ὅτι κτίζεται, ἵνα, τελειώσας αὐτὰ καὶ ὁλόκληρα ποιήσας, παραστήσῃ τῷ Πατρὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Μὴ ἔχουσαν σπῖλον ἢ ῥυτίδα, ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλ' ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία καὶ ἄμωμος. Τετελείωται οὖν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀποκατεστάθη, ὥσπερ ἦν καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀρ χὴν γεγονὸς, τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος, καὶ μείζονι μᾶλλον χάριτι· ἀναστάντες γὰρ ἐκ νεκρῶν, οὐκέτι φοβούμεθα θάνατον, ἀλλ' ἐν Χριστῷ βασιλεύσομεν ἀεὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Τοῦτο δὲ γέγονεν, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἴδιος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὢν ἐνεδύσατο τὴν σάρκα, καὶ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος. Εἰ γὰρ κτίσμα ὢν ἐγεγόνει ἄνθρωπος, ἔμενεν οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁ ἄνθρω πος, ὥσπερ καὶ ἦν, οὐ συναφθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ποίημα ὢν, διὰ ποιήματος συνήπτετο τῷ κτί στῃ; Ἢ ποία βοήθεια παρὰ τῶν ὁμοίων τοῖς ὁμοίοις γένοιτ' ἂν, δεομένων καὶ αὐτῶν τῆς αὐτῆς βοηθείας; Πῶς δὲ, εἴπερ κτίσμα ἦν ὁ Λόγος, τὴν ἀπόφα σιν τοῦ Θεοῦ λῦσαι δυνατὸς ἦν, καὶ ἀφεῖναι τὴν ἁμαρ τίαν, γεγραμμένου παρὰ τοῖς προφήταις, ὅτι τοῦτο Θεοῦ ἐστι; Τίς γὰρ Θεὸς ὥσπερ σὺ ἐξαίρων ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ὑπερβαίνων ἀνομίας; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς εἶπε· Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ· οἱ δὲ ἄν θρωποι γεγόνασι θνητοί. Πῶς τοίνυν οἷον τε ἦν παρὰ τῶν γενητῶν λυθῆναι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν; ἀλλ' ἔλυσέ γε αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, ὡς εἶπεν αὐτὸς, Ἐὰν μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃ· καὶ ἔδειξεν ἀληθῶς ὁ Υἱὸς ὁ ἐλευθερώσας, ὡς οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα, οὐδὲ τῶν γενη τῶν, ἀλλὰ ἴδιος Λόγος, καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐ σίας, τοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποφηναμένου καὶ ἀφιέν τος μόνου τὰς ἁμαρτίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἴρηται ἐν τῷ Λόγῳ, Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ, ἀκολούθως δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἡ ἐλευθερία καὶ ἡ λύ σις τῆς κατακρίσεως γεγένηται. Ἀλλ' ἠδύνατο, φασὶ, καὶ κτίσματος ὄντος τοῦ Σωτῆρος, μόνον εἰπεῖν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ λῦσαι τὴν κατάραν. Τὸ αὐτὸ δ' ἂν ἀκούσαιεν καὶ αὐτοὶ παρ' ἑτέρου λέγον τος· Ἠδύνατο καὶ μηδ' ὅλως ἐπιδημήσαντος αὐτοῦ, μόνον εἰπεῖν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ λῦσαι τὴν κατάραν. Ἀλλὰ σκοπεῖν δεῖ τὸ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις λυσιτελοῦν καὶ μὴ ἐν πᾶσι τὸ δυνατὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λογίζεσθαι· ἐπεὶ ἠδύ νατο καὶ πρὸ τῆς Νῶε κιβωτοῦ τοὺς τότε παραβάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀπολέσαι· ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν κιβωτὸν πεποίη κεν. Ἠδύνατο καὶ χωρὶς Μωσέως καὶ μόνον εἰπεῖν, καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν τὸν λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου· ἀλλὰ συνέφερε διὰ Μωσέως. Ἠδύνατο καὶ χωρὶς τῶν κριτῶν σώζειν τὸν λαὸν ὁ Θεός· ἀλλὰ συνέφερε τοῖς λαοῖς κατὰ καιρὸν ἐγείρεσθαι κριτὴν αὐτοῖς. Ἠδύνατο καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπιδημῆσαι, ἢ ἐλθὼν μὴ παραδοθῆναι Πιλάτῳ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων ἦλ θε, καὶ ζητούμενος εἶπεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι· ὃ γὰρ ποιεῖ, τοῦτο καὶ συμφέρει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ ἄλλως οὐκ ἔπρεπε γενέσθαι· καὶ ὅπερ δὲ συμφέρει καὶ πρέπει, τούτου καὶ πρόνοιαν ποιεῖται. Ἦλθε γοῦν, οὐχ ἵνα δια κονηθῇ, ἀλλ' ἵνα διακονήσῃ, καὶ τὴν ἡμῶν ἐργάση ται σωτηρίαν. Ἀμέλει δυνάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρα νοῦ λαλῆσαι τὸν νόμον, εἶδεν, ὅτι λυσιτελεῖ τοῖς ἀν θρώποις ἀπὸ τοῦ Σινᾶ λαλῆσαι, καὶ τοῦτο πεποίηκεν, ἵνα καὶ Μωσῆς ἀναβῆναι δυνηθῇ, κἀκεῖνοι τὸν λόγον ἐγγύθεν ἀκούοντες, μᾶλλον πιστεῦσαι δυνηθῶσι. Πλὴν καὶ τὸ εὔλογον τοῦ γενομένου θεωρεῖν ἔξεστιν ἐντεῦθεν· Εἰ διὰ τὸ δυνατὸν εἰρήκει, καὶ ἐλέλυτο ἡ κατάρα· τοῦ μὲν κελεύσαντος ἡ δύναμις ἐπεδείκνυ το, ὁ μέντοι ἄνθρωπος τοιοῦτος ἐγίνετο, οἷος ἦν καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ πρὸ τῆς παραβάσεως, ἔξωθεν λαβὼν τὴν χάριν, καὶ μὴ συνηρμοσμένην ἔχων αὐτὴν τῷ σώ ματι· τοιοῦτος γὰρ ὢν καὶ τότε τέθειτο ἐν τῷ παρα δείσῳ· τάχα δὲ καὶ χείρων ἐγίνετο, ὅτι καὶ πα ραβαίνειν μεμάθηκεν. Ὢν τοίνυν τοιοῦτος, εἰ καὶ παραπέπειστο ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄφεως, ἐγίνετο πάλιν χρεία προστάξαι τὸν Θεὸν καὶ λῦσαι τὴν κατάραν· καὶ οὕτως εἰς ἄπειρον ἐγίνετο ἡ χρεία, καὶ οὐδὲν ἧττον οἱ ἄν θρωποι ἔμενον ὑπεύθυνοι, δουλεύοντες τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ· ἀεὶ δὲ ἁμαρτάνοντες, ἀεὶ ἐδέοντο τοῦ συγχωροῦντος, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἠλευθεροῦντο, σάρκες ὄντες καθ' ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ ἀεὶ ἡττώμενοι τῷ νόμῳ διὰ τὴν ἀσθέ νειαν τῆς σαρκός. Πάλιν τε εἰ κτίσμα ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔμενεν ὁ ἄν θρωπος οὐδὲν ἧττον θνητὸς, μὴ συναπτόμενος τῷ Θεῷ· οὐ γὰρ κτίσμα συνῆπτε τὰ κτίσματα τῷ Θεῷ, ζητοῦν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸν συνάπτοντα· οὐδὲ τὸ μέρος τῆς κτίσεως σωτηρία τῆς κτίσεως ἂν εἴη, δεόμενον καὶ αὐτὸ σωτηρίας. Ἵνα οὖν μηδὲ τοῦτο γένηται, πέμπει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν, καὶ γίνεται υἱὸς ἀνθρώ που, τὴν κτιστὴν σάρκα λαβών· ἵν', ἐπειδὴ πάν τες εἰσὶν ὑπεύθυνοι τῷ θανάτῳ, ἄλλος ὢν τῶν πάν των, αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ πάντων τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα τῷ θανάτῳ προσενέγκῃ, καὶ λοιπὸν, ὡς πάντων δι' αὐτοῦ ἀπο θανόντων, ὁ μὲν λόγος τῆς ἀποφάσεως πληρωθῇ (πάν τες γὰρ ἀπέθανον ἐν Χριστῷ)· πάντες δὲ δι' αὐ τοῦ γένωνται λοιπὸν ἐλεύθεροι μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς δι' αὐτὴν κατάρας, ἀληθῶς δὲ διαμείνωσιν εἰσαεὶ ἀναστάντες ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ἀθανασίαν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν ἐνδυσάμενοι. Τοῦ γὰρ Λόγου ἐνδυσαμένου τὴν σάρκα, καθὼς πολλάκις δέδεικται, πᾶν μὲν δῆγμα τοῦ ὄφεως δι' ὅλου κατεσβέννυτο ἀπ' αὐτῆς· εἴ τι ἐκ τῶν σαρκικῶν κινημάτων ἀνεφύετο κακὸν, ἐξεκόπτε το, καὶ συνανῃρεῖτο τούτοις ὁ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀκό λουθος θάνατος, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριός φησιν· Ἔρχεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, καὶ οὐδὲν εὑρί σκει ἐν ἐμοί· καὶ, Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐφανερώθη, ὡς ἔγραψεν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβό λου. Τούτων δὲ λυθέντων ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς, πάντες οὕτω κατὰ τὴν συγγένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ἠλευθερώθη μεν, καὶ λοιπὸν συνήφθημεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τῷ Λόγῳ. Συν αφθέντες δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, οὐκέτι μὲν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀπομένο μεν, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτὸς εἶπεν, ὅπου αὐτὸς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσόμεθα· καὶ λοιπὸν οὔτε τὸν ὄφιν ἔτι φοβηθησόμεθα· κατηργήθη γὰρ ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ διωχθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ Σω τῆρος, καὶ ἀκούσας· Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· καὶ οὕτως ἔξω τοῦ παραδείσου τυγχάνει βαλλόμενος εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον· οὔτε δὲ γυναῖκα παραπεί θουσαν φυλαξόμεθα· Ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίζονται, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ὡς ἄγγε λοι· καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καινὴ κτίσις ἔσται· καὶ οὔτε ἄρσεν, οὔτε θῆλυ, ἀλλὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἔσται ὁ Χριστός. Ἔνθα δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, ποῖος φό βος ἢ ποῖος κίνδυνος ἔτι γενήσεται; Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐγεγόνει, εἰ κτίσμα ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Πρὸς γὰρ κτίσμα, κτίσμα ὢν καὶ ὁ διάβο λος, εἶχεν ἀεὶ τὴν μάχην· καὶ μέσος ὢν ὁ ἄνθρω πος, ὕποπτος ἦν ἀεὶ τῷ θανάτῳ, μὴ ἔχων ἐν ᾧ καὶ δι' οὗ συναφθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ ἐλεύθερος παντὸς φόβου γένη ται. Ὅθεν ἡ ἀλήθεια δείκνυσι μὴ εἶναι τῶν γε νητῶν τὸν Λόγον, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τούτων αὐτὸν δημιουρ γόν· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ προσελάβετο τὸ γενητὸν καὶ ἀνθρώ πινον σῶμα, ἵνα, τοῦτο ὡς δημιουργὸς ἀνακαινίσας, ἐν ἑαυτῷ θεοποιήσῃ, καὶ οὕτως εἰς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν εἰσαγάγῃ πάντας ἡμᾶς καθ' ὁμοιότητα ἐκείνου. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ πάλιν ἐθεοποιήθη κτίσματι συναφθεὶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, εἰ μὴ Θεὸς ἦν ἀληθινὸς ὁ Υἱός· καὶ οὐκ ἂν παρέστη τῷ Πατρὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, εἰ μὴ φύσει καὶ ἀληθινὸς ἦν αὐτοῦ Λόγος ὁ ἐνδυσάμενος τὸ σῶμα. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἂν ἠλευθερώθημεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς κατά ρας, εἰ μὴ φύσει σὰρξ ἦν ἀνθρωπίνη, ἣν ἐνεδύσατο ὁ Λόγος· οὐδὲν γὰρ κοινὸν ἦν ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ ἀλλότριον· οὕτως οὐκ ἂν ἐθεοποιήθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος, εἰ μὴ φύσει ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ ἀληθινὸς καὶ ἴδιος αὐτοῦ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, ὁ γενόμενος σάρξ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ τοιαύτη γέγονεν ἡ συναφὴ, ἵνα τῷ κατὰ φύσιν τῆς θεότητος συν άψῃ τὸν φύσει ἄνθρωπον, καὶ βεβαία γένηται ἡ σωτη ρία καὶ ἡ θεοποίησις αὐτοῦ. Οὐκοῦν οἱ ἀρνούμε νοι ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι φύσει καὶ ἴδιον αὐτοῦ τῆς οὐ σίας τὸν Υἱὸν ἀρνείσθωσαν καὶ ἀληθινὴν σάρκα ἀνθρωπίνην αὐτὸν εἰληφέναι ἐκ Μαρίας τῆς ἀειπαρ θένου. Οὐδὲν γὰρ πλέον ἡμῖν κέρδος τοῖς ἀνθρώ ποις ἦν, εἰ μήτε ἀληθινὸς καὶ φύσει ἦν Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Λόγος, μήτε ἀληθινὴ σὰρξ ἦν, ἣν προσελάβετο. Ἀλλ' ἔλαβέ γε ἀληθινὴν σάρκα, κἂν μαίνηται Οὐα λεντῖνος· ἦν γὰρ καὶ φύσει καὶ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς ὁ Λόγος, κἂν μαίνωνται οἱ Ἀρειομανῖται· καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ γέγονεν ἡμῶν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς καινῆς κτίσεως, κτισθεὶς ἄν θρωπος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῖν ἐκείνην ἐγκαι νίσας, ὥσπερ εἴρηται. Οὔτε οὖν κτίσμα ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος, οὔτε ἔργον· ταὐτὸν γάρ ἐστι κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα, καὶ ἔργον· καὶ εἴπερ κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα ἦν, ἦν ἂν καὶ ἔργον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὐδὲ εἴρηκεν· Ἔκτισέ με ἔργον· οὐδὲ, Σὺν τοῖς ἔργοις ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μὴ τῇ φύσει καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ κτίσμα εἶναι δόξῃ· οὔτε ὅτι, ∆ιὰ τὸ ποιῆσαί με ἔργα, ἔκτισεν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν κατὰ τὴν κακόνοιαν τῶν ἀσε βῶν ὡς ὄργανον δι' ἡμᾶς γενόμενος νομισθῇ· ἀλλ' οὐδ' ὅτι Πρὸ τῶν ἔργων ἔκτισέ με, ἀνήγγειλεν, ἵνα μὴ, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ γέννημα ὢν πρὸ πάντων, οὕτω καὶ κτι ζόμενος πρὸ τῶν ἔργων, ταὐτὸν ποιήσῃ νομί ζεσθαι τὸ, γέννημα, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισεν· ἀλλὰ μετὰ παρατηρήσεως ἀκριβοῦς, εἰς ἔργα, εἴρηκεν· ἴσον τῷ εἰπεῖν, Εἰς σάρκα με πεποίηκεν ὁ Πατὴρ γενέσθαι ἄνθρωπον· ὥστε καὶ ἐκ τούτου πάλιν δείκνυσθαι, μὴ εἶναι ἔργον αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ γέννημα. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ εἰσερ χόμενος εἰς οἰκίαν οὐκ ἔστι μέρος τῆς οἰκίας, ἀλλὰ ἄλλος ἐστὶ παρὰ τὴν οἰκίαν· οὕτως ὁ εἰς τὰ ἔργα κτιζόμενος ἄλλος ἂν εἴη τὴν φύσιν παρὰ τὰ ἔργα· ἐπεὶ εἰ καθ' ὑμᾶς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἔργον ἐστὶν, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, ἐν ποίᾳ ἄρα χειρὶ καὶ σοφίᾳ γέγονε καὶ αὐτός; Πάντα γὰρ τὰ γενόμενα, ἐν τῇ χειρὶ καὶ ἐν σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονε, λέγοντος μὲν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησε ταῦτα πάντα· τοῦ δὲ ∆αβὶδ ψάλλοντος· Καὶ σὺ κατ' ἀρχὰς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου εἰ σὶν οἱ οὐρανοί· καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ τεσσαρα κοστῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ· Ἐμνήσθην ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων, καὶ ἐμελέτησα ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου, ἐν ποιήμασι τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐμελέτων. Οὐκοῦν εἰ ἐν χει ρὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ ποιήματα εἰργάσθη, γέγραπται δὲ, ὅτι Πάντα διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐ τοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν· καὶ πάλιν, Εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ ὅτι· Ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα συν έστηκεν· εὔδηλον, ὡς οὐκ ἂν εἴη ὁ Υἱὸς ἔργον, ἀλλ' αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ σοφία. Τοῦτο γι νώσκοντες καὶ οἱ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι γενόμενοι μάρτυ ρες, Ἀνανίας, Ἀζαρίας, Μισαὴλ, ἐλέγχουσι τὴν Ἀρειανὴν ἀσέβειαν. Εἰπόντες γάρ· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον· τὰ μὲν ἐν οὐρα νῷ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν, ὡς ἔργα κατέλεξαν· τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν οὐκ ὠνόμασαν· οὐ γὰρ εἰρή κασιν· Εὐλόγει, Λόγε, καὶ ὕμνει, σοφία· ἵνα δεί ξωσιν, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ὑμνοῦντά ἐστι, καὶ ἔργα ἐστί· ὁ δὲ Λόγος οὐκ ἔστιν ἔργον οὐδὲ τῶν ὑμνούντων, ἀλλὰ σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ ὑμνούμενος, καὶ προσκυνούμενός ἐστι καὶ θεολογούμενος, Λόγος μὲν αὐτοῦ καὶ σοφία ὢν, τῶν δὲ ἔργων δημιουργός. Τοῦτο καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐν Ψαλμοῖς μετὰ καλλίστης δια στολῆς εἴρηκεν, ὅτι Εὐθὺς ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πίστει· καθάπερ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ φησίν· Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε· πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. Εἰ δὲ ἔργον ἦν ὁ Λόγος, πάντως ἂν καὶ αὐ τὸς ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐγεγόνει, καὶ οὔτ' ἂν διέστελλεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ἡ Γραφὴ, οὔτε τὰ μὲν ἔργα ὠνόμαζε, τὸν δὲ Λόγον καὶ σοφίαν ἰδίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐηγγελίζετο. Νῦν δὲ, διαστέλλουσα τῶν ἔργων αὐτὸν ἡ Γραφὴ, δεί κνυσιν, ὅτι τῶν ἔργων δημιουργός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία, καὶ οὐκ ἔργον. Ταύτῃ τῇ διαστολῇ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος κέχρηται γράφων Ἑβραίοις· Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐνεργὴς, καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαι ραν δίστομον, καὶ διικνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κτίσις ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, πάντα δὲ γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ὃν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ τὰ μὲν γενητὰ κτίσιν ὠνό μασε· τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν Λόγον οἶδεν ὄντα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς ἄλλου ὄντος αὐτοῦ παρὰ τὰ κτίσματα. Πάλιν δὲ λέγων· Πάντα δὲ γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ὃν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος· ἄλ λον αὐτὸν εἶναι σημαίνει τῶν πάντων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ μὲν κρίνει, τῶν δὲ γενητῶν πάντων ἕκαστος ὑπεύθυνός ἐστιν αὐτῷ διδόναι λόγον. Οὕτως ἄρα καὶ τῆς κτίσεως πάσης συστεναζούσης ἡμῖν εἰς τὸ ἐλευ θερωθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς, ἄλλος τῶν κτισμάτων δείκνυται εἶναι ὁ Υἱός. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν κτί σμα, εἷς ἦν καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν στεναζόντων, καὶ δεόμενος τοῦ υἱοποιοῦντος καὶ ἐλευθεροῦντος καὶ αὐτὸν μετὰ πάν των. Εἰ δὲ πᾶσα μὲν ἡ κτίσις συστενάζει ἐλευθερίας χάριν τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς τῆς δουλείας, ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔστι τῶν στεναζόντων, οὐδὲ τῶν δεομένων ἐλευ θερίας, ἀλλ' αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱοποιῶν καὶ ἐλευθε ρῶν τὰ πάντα, λέγων τοῖς τότε Ἰουδαίοις· Ὁ δὲ δοῦλος οὐ μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὁ δὲ υἱὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ἐὰν οὖν ὁ Υἱὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃ, ὄντως ἐλεύθεροι ἔσεσθε· λευκότερον φωτὸς ἀποδείκνυται καὶ ἐκ τούτων, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ἀλλ' Υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς καὶ φύσει γνήσιος τοῦ Πατρός. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν, εἰ καὶ δι' ὀλίγων, ἀλλ' ἱκανά ἐστιν, ὥς γε νομίζω, πρόφασιν παρασχεῖν ταῦτα τοῖς λογιωτέροις πλείονα κατασκευάζειν εἰς ἀναίρεσιν τῆς Ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεως·