Chapter XXII.—Texts Explained; Sixthly, the Context of Proverbs viii. 22 Vz. 22–30It is right to interpret this passage by the Regula Fidei. ‘Founded’ is used in contrast to superstructure; and it implies, as in the case of stones in building, previous existence. ‘Before the world’ signifies the divine intention and purpose. Recurrence to Prov. viii. 22, and application of it to created Wisdom as seen in the works. The Son reveals the Father, first by the works, then by the Incarnation.

But since the heretics, reading the next verse, take a perverse view of that also, because it is written, ‘He founded me before the world889    Prov. viii. 23.,’ namely, that this is said of the Godhead of the Word and not of His incarnate Presence890    Or. i. 49, n. 2., it is necessary, explaining this verse also, to shew their error.

73. It is written, ‘The Lord in Wisdom founded the earth891    Prov. iii. 19.;’ if then by Wisdom the earth is founded, how can He who founds be founded? nay, this too is said after the manner of proverbs892    Cf. 44, n. 3., and we must in like manner investigate its sense; that we may know that, while by Wisdom the Father frames and founds the earth to be firm and steadfast893    §69. 3., Wisdom Itself is founded for us, that It may become beginning and foundation of our new creation and renewal. Accordingly here as before, He says not, ‘Before the world He hath made me Word or Son,’ lest there should be as it were a beginning of His making. For this we must seek before all things, whether He is Son894    Serap. ii. 7, 8., ‘and on this point specially search the Scriptures895    Vid. supr. pp. 74, 172, and notes. vid. also Serap. i. 32 init. iv. fin. contr. Apoll. i. 6, 8, 9, 11, 22; ii. 8, 9, 13, 14, 17–19. ‘The doctrine of the Church should be proved, not announced (ἀποδεικτικῶς οὐκ ἀποφαντικῶς); therefore shew that Scripture thus teaches.’ Theod. Eran. p. 199. Ambros. de Incarn. 14. Non recipio quod extra Scripturam de tuo infers. Tertull. Carn. Christ. 7. vid. also 6. Max. dial. v. 29. Heretics in particular professed to be guided by Scripture. Tertull. Præscr. 8. For Gnostics vid. Tertullian’s grave sarcasm: ‘Utantur hæretici omnes scripturis ejus, cujus utuntur etiam mundo.’ Carn. Christ. 6. For Arians, vid. supr. Or. i. 1, n. 4. And so Marcellus, ‘We consider it unsafe to lay down doctrine concerning things which we have not learned with exactness from the divine Scriptures.’ (leg. περὶ ὧν παρὰ τῶν). Euseb. Eccl. Theol. p. 177, d. And Macedonians, vid. Leont. de Sect. iv. init. And Monophysites, ‘I have not learned this from Scripture; and I have a great fear of saying what it is silent about.’ Theod. Eran. p. 215; also Hilar. ad Const. ii. 9. Hieron. c. Lucif. 27. August. Ep. 120, 13.;’ for this it was, when the Apostles were questioned, that Peter answered, saying, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God896    Matt. xvi. 16..’ This also the father897    Ep. Æg. 4. Sent. D. 3. c. infr. 59 init. 67. fin. note infr. on iii. 8. of the Arian heresy asked as one of his first questions; ‘If Thou be the Son of God898    Matt. iv. 3.;’ for he knew that this is the truth and the sovereign principle of our faith; and that, if He were Himself the Son, the tyranny of the devil would have its end; but if He were a creature, He too was one of those descended from that Adam whom he deceived, and he had no cause for anxiety. For the same reason the Jews of the day899    §1, n. 6. were angered, because the Lord said that He was Son of God, and that God was His proper Father. For had He called Himself one of the creatures, or said, ‘I am a work,’ they had not been startled at the intelligence, nor thought such words blasphemy, knowing, as they did, that even Angels had come among their fathers; but since He called Himself Son, they perceived that such was not the note of a creature, but of Godhead and of the Father’s nature900    πατρικήν, vid. de Syn. 45, n. 1.. The Arians then ought, even in imitation of their own father the devil, to take some special pains901    περιεργάζεσθαι, vid. iii. 18. on this point; and if He has said, ‘He founded me to be Word or Son,’ then to think as they do; but if He has not so spoken, not to invent for themselves what is not.

74. For He says not, ‘Before the world He founded me as Word or Son,’ but simply, ‘He founded me,’ to shew again, as I have said, that not for His own sake902    §60, n. 2. but for those who are built upon Him does He here also speak, after the way of proverbs. For this knowing, the Apostle also writes, ‘Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ; but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon903    1 Cor. iii. 10, 11; Didym. Trin. iii. 3. p. 341..’ And it must be that the foundation should be such as the things built on it, that they may admit of being well compacted together. Being then the Word, He has not, as Word904    §8, note 3a., any such as Himself, who may be compacted with Him; for He is Only-begotten; but having become man, He has the like of Him, those namely the likeness of whose flesh He has put on. Therefore according to His manhood He is founded, that we, as precious stones, may admit of building upon Him, and may become a temple of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in us. And as He is a foundation, and we stones built upon Him, so again He is a Vine and we knit to Him as branches,—not according to the Essence of the Godhead; for this surely is impossible; but according to His manhood, for the branches must be like the vine, since we are like Him according to the flesh. Moreover, since the heretics have such human notions, we may suitably confute them with human resemblances contained in the very matter they urge. Thus He saith not, ‘He made me a foundation,’ lest He might seem to be made and to have a beginning of being, and they might thence find a shameless occasion of irreligion; but, ‘He founded me.’ Now what is founded is founded for the sake of the stones which are raised upon it; it is not a random process, but a stone is first transported from the mountain and set down in the depth of the earth. And while a stone is in the mountain, it is not yet founded; but when need demands, and it is transported, and laid in the depth of the earth, then forthwith if the stone could speak, it would say, ‘He now founded me, who brought me hither from the mountain.’ Therefore the Lord also did not when founded take a beginning of existence; for He was the Word before that; but when He put on our body, which He severed and took from Mary, then He says ‘He hath founded me;’ as much as to say, ‘Me, being the Word, He hath enveloped in a body of earth.’ For so He is founded for our sakes, taking on Him what is ours905    Letter 59. 6. Leon. Ep. 28. 3., that we, as incorporated and compacted and bound together in Him through the likeness of the flesh, may attain unto a perfect man, and abide906    διαμείνωμεν, 69, n. 3. immortal and incorruptible.

75. Nor let the words ‘before the world’ and ‘before He made the earth’ and ‘before the mountains were settled’ disturb any one; for they very well accord with ‘founded’ and ‘created;’ for here again allusion is made to the Economy according to the flesh. For though the grace which came to us from the Saviour appeared, as the Apostle says, just now, and has come when He sojourned among us; yet this grace had been prepared even before we came into being, nay, before the foundation of the world, and the reason why is kindly and wonderful. It beseemed not that God should counsel concerning us afterwards, lest He should appear ignorant of our fate. The God of all then,—creating us by His own Word, and knowing our destinies better than we, and foreseeing that, being made ‘good907    Gen. i. 31.,’ we should in the event be transgressors of the commandment, and be thrust out of paradise for disobedience,—being loving and kind, prepared beforehand in His own Word, by whom also He created us908    i. 49, n. 10., the Economy of our salvation; that though by the serpent’s deceit we fell from Him, we might not remain quite dead, but having in the Word the redemption and salvation which was afore prepared for us, we might rise again and abide immortal, what time He should have been created for us ‘a beginning of the ways,’ and He who was the ‘First-born of creation’ should become ‘first-born’ of the ‘brethren,’ and again should rise ‘first-fruits of the dead.’ This Paul the blessed Apostle teaches in his writings; for, as interpreting the words of the Proverbs ‘before the world’ and ‘before the earth was,’ he thus speaks to Timothy909    Didym. Trin. iii. 3. p. 342.; ‘Be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and brought to light life910    2 Tim. i. 8–10..’ And to the Ephesians; ‘Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself911    Eph. i. 3–5..’

76. How then has He chosen us, before we came into existence, but that, as he says himself, in Him we were represented912    Cf. 64, notes 3, 5. beforehand? and how at all, before men were created, did He predestinate us unto adoption, but that the Son Himself was ‘founded before the world,’ taking on Him that economy which was for our sake? or how, as the Apostle goes on to say, have we ‘an inheritance being predestinated,’ but that the Lord Himself was founded ‘before the world,’ inasmuch as He had a purpose, for our sakes, to take on Him through the flesh all that inheritance of judgment which lay against us, and we henceforth were made sons in Him? and how did we receive it ‘before the world was,’ when we were not yet in being, but afterwards in time, but that in Christ was stored the grace which has reached us? Wherefore also in the Judgment, when every one shall receive according to his conduct, He says, ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world913    Matt. xxv. 34..’ How then, or in whom, was it prepared before we came to be, save in the Lord who ‘before the world’ was founded for this purpose; that we, as built upon Him, might partake, as well-compacted stones, the life and grace which is from Him? And this took place, as naturally suggests itself to the religious mind, that, as I said, we, rising after our brief death, may be capable of an eternal life, of which we had not been capable914    The Catholic doctrine seems to be, that Adam innocent was mortal, yet would not in fact have died; that he had no principle of eternal life within him, but was sustained continually by divine power, till such time as immortality should have been given him. vid. Incarn. 4. Cf. Augustine, de pecc. mer. i. 3. Gen. ad lit. vi. 20. Pope Pius V. condemned the assertion of Baius, Immortalitas primi hominis non erat gratiæ beneficium sed naturalis conditio. His decision of course is here referred to only historically., men as we are, formed of earth, but that ‘before the world’ there had been prepared for us in Christ the hope of life and salvation. Therefore reason is there that the Word, on coming into our flesh, and being created in it as ‘a beginning of ways for His works,’ is laid as a foundation according as the Father’s will915    Cf. 31. n. 8. was in Him before the world, as has been said, and before land was, and before the mountains were settled, and before the fountains burst forth; that, though the earth and the mountains and the shapes of visible nature pass away in the fulness of the present age, we on the contrary may not grow old after their pattern, but may be able to live after them, having the spiritual life and blessing which before these things have been prepared for us in the Word Himself according to election. For thus we shall be capable of a life not temporary, but ever afterwards abide916    74, n. 5. and live in Christ; since even before this our life had been founded and prepared in Christ Jesus.

77. Nor in any other way was it fitting that our life should be founded, but in the Lord who is before the ages, and through whom the ages were brought to be; that, since it was in Him, we too might be able to inherit that everlasting life. For God is good; and being good always, He willed this, as knowing that our weak nature needed the succour and salvation which is from Him. And as a wise architect, proposing to build a house, consults also about repairing it, should it at any time become dilapidated after building, and, as counselling about this, makes preparation and gives to the workmen materials for a repair; and thus the means of the repair are provided before the house; in the same way prior to us is the repair of our salvation founded in Christ, that in Him we might even be new-created. And the will and the purpose were made ready ‘before the world,’ but have taken effect when the need required, and the Saviour came among us. For the Lord Himself will stand us in place of all things in the heavens, when He receives us into everlasting life. This then suffices to prove that the Word of God is not a creature, but that the sense of the passage is right917    §44, n. 1.. But since that passage, when scrutinized, has a right sense in every point of view, it may be well to state what it is; perhaps many words may bring these senseless men to shame. Now here I must recur to what has been said before, for what I have to say relates to the same proverb and the same Wisdom. The Word has not called Himself a creature by nature, but has said in proverbs, ‘The Lord created me;’ and He plainly indicates a sense not spoken ‘plainly’ but latent918    Cf. 73, n. 2. and reff., such as we shall be able to find by taking away the veil from the proverb. For who, on hearing from the Framing Wisdom, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways,’ does not at once question the meaning, reflecting how that creative Wisdom can be created? who on hearing the Only-begotten Son of God say, that He was created ‘a beginning of ways,’ does not investigate the sense, wondering how the Only-begotten Son can become a Beginning of many others? for it is a dark saying919    αἴνιγμα, supr. i. 41, n. 9.; but ‘a man of understanding,’ says he, ‘shall understand a proverb and the interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark sayings920    Prov. i. 5, 6..’

78. Now the Only-begotten and very Wisdom921    αὐτοσοφία vid. infr. note on iv. 2. of God is Creator and Framer of all things; for ‘in Wisdom hast Thou made them all922    Ps. civ. 24. Sept.,’ he says, and ‘the earth is full of Thy creation.’ But that what came into being might not only be, but be good923    supr. de Decr. 19, n. 3., it pleased God that His own Wisdom should condescend924    Cf. 64, notes 2 and 5. to the creatures, so as to introduce an impress and semblance of Its Image on all in common and on each, that what was made might be manifestly wise works and worthy of God925    Didymus argues in favour of interpreting the passage of created wisdom at length, Trin. iii. 3. He says that the context makes this interpretation necessary.. For as of the Son of God, considered as the Word, our word is an image, so of the same Son considered as Wisdom is the wisdom which is implanted in us an image; in which wisdom we, having the power of knowledge and thought, become recipients of the All-framing Wisdom; and through It we are able to know Its Father. ‘For he who hath the Son,’ saith He, ‘hath the Father also;’ and ‘he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me926    1 John ii. 23; Matt. x. 40..’ Such an impress then of Wisdom being created in us, and being in all the works, with reason does the true and framing Wisdom take to Itself what belongs to its own impress, and say, ‘The Lord created me for His works;’ for what the wisdom in us says, that the Lord Himself speaks as if it were His own; and, whereas He is not Himself created, being Creator, yet because of the image of Him created in the works927    Athan. here considers wisdom as the image of the Creator in the Universe. He explains it of the Church, de Incarn. contr. Ar. 6. if it be his [but see Prolegg. ch. iii. §1 (36)]; (and so Didym. Trin. iii. 3 fin.) Cf. Jerome, in Eph. iv. 23, 24. Naz. Orat. 30, 2. Epiphanius says, ‘Scripture has nowhere confirmed this passage (Prov. viii. 22), nor has any Apostle referred it to Christ.’ (vid. also Basil. contr. Eunom. ii. 20.) Hær. 69. pp. 743–745. He proceeds to shew how it may apply to Him., He says this as if of Himself. And as the Lord Himself has said, ‘He that receiveth you, receiveth Me928    Matt. x. 40.,’ because His impress is in us, so, though He be not among the creatures, yet because His image and impress is created in the works, He says, as if in His own person, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways for His works.’ And therefore has this impress of Wisdom in the works been brought into being, that, as I said before, the world might recognise in it its own Creator the Word, and through Him the Father. And this is what Paul said, ‘Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shewed it unto them: for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made929    Rom. i. 19, 20..’ But if so, the Word is not a creature in essence930    Cf. 45, n. 2.; but the wisdom which is in us and so called, is spoken of in this passage in the Proverbs.

79. But if this too fails to persuade them, let them tell us themselves, whether there is any wisdom in the creatures or not931    Vid. Epiph. Hær. 69.? If not how is it that the Apostle complains, ‘For after that in the Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God932    1 Cor. i. 21.?’ or how is it if there is no wisdom, that a ‘multitude of wise men933    Vid. Wisd. vi. 24’ are found in Scripture? for ‘a wise man feareth and departeth from evil934    Prov. xiv. 16.;’ and ‘through wisdom is a house builded935    Ib. xxiv.;’ and the Preacher says, ‘A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine;’ and he blames those who are headstrong thus, ‘Say not thou, what is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire in wisdom concerning this936    Eccles. viii. 1; vii. 10..’ But if, as the Son of Sirach says, ‘He poured her out upon all His works; she is with all flesh according to His gift, and He hath given her to them that love Him937    Ecclus. i. 9, 10.,’ and this outpouring is a note, not of the Essence of the Very938    Cf. 78, n. 1. Wisdom and Only-begotten, but of that wisdom which is imaged in the world, how is it incredible that the All-framing and true Wisdom Itself, whose impress is the wisdom and knowledge poured out in the world, should say, as I have already explained, as if of Itself, ‘The Lord created me for His works?’ For the wisdom in the world is not creative, but is that which is created in the works, according to which ‘the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His handywork939    Ps. xix. 1..’ This if men have within them940    Cf. contr. Gent. 2, 30, 40, &c. vid. also Basil. de Sp. S. n. 19. Cyril. in Joan. p. 75., they will acknowledge the true Wisdom of God; and will know that they are made really941    De Decr. 31, n. 5. after God’s Image. And, as some son of a king, when the father wished to build a city942    This is drawn out somewhat differently, and very strikingly in contr.Gent. 43. The Word indeed is regarded more as the Governor than the Life of the world, but shortly before he spoke of the Word as the Principle of permanence. 41 fin., might cause his own name to be printed upon each of the works that were rising, both to give security to them of the works remaining, by reason of the show of his name on everything, and also to make them remember him and his father from the name, and having finished the city might be asked concerning it, how it was made, and then would answer, ‘It is made securely, for according to the will of my father, I am imaged in each work, for my name was made in the works;’ but saying this, he does not signify that his own essence is created, but the impress of himself by means of his name; in the same manner, to apply the illustration, to those who admire the wisdom in the creatures, the true Wisdom makes answer, ‘The Lord created me for the works,’ for my impress is in them; and I have thus condescended for the framing of all things.

80. Moreover, that the Son should be speaking of the impress that is within us as if it were Himself, should not startle any one, considering (for we must not shrink from repetition943    τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ λέγειν οὐκ ὀκνητέον: where Petavius, de Trin. ii. 1. §8. ingeniously but without any authority reads οὐκ ὀκνεῖ θεόν. It is quite a peculiarity of Athan. to repeat and to apologize for doing so. The very same words occur supr. 22, c. Orat. iii. 54, a. Serap. i. 19, b. 27, e. Vid. also 2, c. 41, d. 67, a. 69, b. iii. 39 init. vid. especially supr. p. 47, note 6.) that, when Saul was persecuting the Church, in which was His impress and image, He said, as if He were Himself under persecution, ‘Saul, why persecutest thou Me944    Acts ix. 4.?’ Therefore (as has been said), as, supposing the impress itself of Wisdom which is in the works had said, ‘The Lord created me for the works,’ no one would have been startled, so, if He, the True and Framing Wisdom, the Only-begotten Word of God, should use what belongs to His image as about Himself, namely, ‘The Lord created me for the works,’ let no one, overlooking the wisdom created in the world and in the works, think that ‘He created’ is said of the Substance of the Very945    Cf. above, 79, n. 8. Wisdom, lest, diluting the wine with water946    Isa. i. 22. Infr. iii. 35. Ep. Æg. §17. Ambros. de Fid. iii. 65. p. 157. note 4., he be judged a defrauder of the truth. For It is Creative and Framer; but Its impress is created in the works, as the copy of the image. And He says, ‘Beginning of ways,’ since such wisdom becomes a sort of beginning. and, as it were, rudiments of the knowledge of God; for a man entering, as it were, upon this way first, and keeping it in the fear of God (as Solomon says947    Prov. i. 7, LXX., ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’), then advancing upwards in his thoughts and perceiving the Framing Wisdom which is in the creation, will perceive in It also Its Father948    The whole of this passage might be illustrated at great length from the contr. Gent. and the Incarn. V. D. vid. supr. notes on 79. Cf. c. Gent. 34, and Incarn. 11, 41, 42, &c. Vid. also Basil. contr. Eunom. ii. 16., as the Lord Himself has said, ‘He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father,’ and as John writes, ‘He who acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also949    John xiv. 9; 1 John ii. 23. and so Cyril in Joan. p. 864. vid. Wetstein in loc..’ And He says, ‘Before the world He founded me950    Vid. Prov. viii. 24–26.,’ since in Its impress the works remain settled and eternal. Then, lest any, hearing concerning the wisdom thus created in the works, should think the true Wisdom, God’s Son, to be by nature a creature, He has found it necessary to add, ‘Before the mountains, and before the earth, and before the waters, and before all hills He begets me,’ that in saying, ‘before every creature’ (for He includes all the creation under these heads), He may shew that He is not created together with the works according to Essence. For if He was created ‘for the works,’ yet is before them, it follows that He is in being before He was created. He is not then a creature by nature and essence, but as He Himself has added, an Offspring. But in what differs a creature from an offspring, and how it is distinct by nature, has been shewn in what has gone before.

81. But since He proceeds to say, ‘When He prepared the heaven, I was present with Him951    Ib. viii. 27.,’ we ought to know that He says not this as if without Wisdom the Father prepared the heaven or the clouds above (for there is no room to doubt that all things are created in Wisdom, and without It was made not even one952    John i. 3. thing); but this is what He says, ‘All things took place in Me and through Me, and when there was need that Wisdom should be created in the works, in My Essence indeed I was with the Father, but by a condescension953    Here again the συγκατάβασις has no reference whatever to a figurative γέννησις, as Bishop Bull contends, but to His impressing the image of Wisdom on the works, or what He above calls the Son’s image, on which account He is πρωτοτόκος to things originate, I was disposing over the works My own impress, so that the whole world as being in one body, might not be at variance but in concord with itself.’ All those then who with an upright understanding, according to the wisdom given unto them, come to contemplate the creatures, are able to say for themselves, ‘By Thy appointment all things continue954    Vid. Ps. cxix. 91;’ but they who make light of this must be told, ‘Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools;’ for ‘that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has revealed it unto them; for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived by the things that are made, even His eternal Power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, but served the creature more than the Creator of all, who is blessed for ever. Amen955    Rom. i. 19–25.’ And they will surely be shamed at hearing, ‘For, after that in the wisdom of God (in the mode we have explained above), the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe956    1 Cor. i. 21..’ For no longer, as in the former times, God has willed to be known by an image and shadow of wisdom, that namely which is in the creatures, but He has made the true Wisdom Itself to take flesh, and to become man, and to undergo the death of the cross; that by the faith in Him, henceforth all that believe may obtain salvation. However, it is the same Wisdom of God, which through Its own Image in the creatures (whence also It is said to be created), first manifested Itself, and through Itself Its own Father; and afterwards, being Itself the Word, has ‘become flesh957    John i. 14.,’ as John says, and after abolishing death and saving our race, still more revealed Himself and through Him His own Father, saying, ‘Grant unto them that they may know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent958    Vid. ib. xvii. 3..’

82. Hence the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of Him; for the knowledge of Father through Son and of Son from Father is one and the same, and the Father delights in Him, and in the same joy the Son rejoices in the Father, saying, ‘I was by Him, daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him959    Prov. viii. 30..’ And this again proves that the Son is not foreign, but proper to the Father’s Essence. For behold, not because of us has He come to be, as the irreligious men say, nor is He out of nothing (for not from without did God procure for Himself a cause of rejoicing), but the words denote what is His own and like. When then was it, when the Father rejoiced not? but if He ever rejoiced, He was ever, in whom He rejoiced. And in whom does the Father rejoice, except as seeing Himself in His own Image, which is His Word? And though in sons of men also He had delight, on finishing the world, as it is written in these same Proverbs960    Prov. viii. 31., yet this too has a consistent sense. For even thus He had delight, not because joy was added to Him, but again on seeing the works made after His own Image; so that even this rejoicing of God is on account of His Image. And how too has the Son delight, except as seeing Himself in the Father? for this is the same as saying, ‘He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father,’ and ‘I am in the Father and the Father in Me961    John xiv. 9, 10..’ Vain then is your vaunt as is on all sides shewn, O Christ’s enemies, and vainly did ye parade962    ἐνεπομπεύσατε. ‘The ancients said πομπεύειν “to use bad language,” and the coarse language of the procession, πομπεία. This arose from the custom of persons in the Bacchanalian cars using bad language towards by-standers, and their retorting it.’ Erasm. Adag. p. 1158. He quotes Menander,   ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαξῶν εἰσὶ πομπεῖαί τινες   σφόδρα λοίδοροι. and circulate everywhere your text, ‘The Lord created me a beginning of His ways,’ perverting its sense, and publishing, not Solomon’s meaning, but your own comment963    διάνοιαν, ἐπίνοιαν, supr. Or. i. 52, n. 7.. For behold your sense is proved to be but a fantasy; but the passage in the Proverbs, as well as all that is above said, proves that the Son is not a creature in nature and essence, but the proper Offspring of the Father, true Wisdom and Word, by whom ‘all things were made,’ and ‘without Him was made not one thing.964    John i. 3.’

ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὸν ἑξῆς στίχον ἀναγινώσκοντες οἱ αἱρετικοὶ, κακῶς καὶ περὶ τού του ἐνθυμούμενοι νομίζουσιν, ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται, Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέ με, εἰς τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Λόγου καὶ μὴ εἰς τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν εἰ ρῆσθαι καὶ ταῦτα, ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ τοῦτον τὸν στίχον διαλύοντας, δεῖξαι τὴν πλάνην ἐκείνων. Γέγραπται· Ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν· εἰ τοίνυν τῇ σοφίᾳ ἡ γῆ τεθεμελίωται, πῶς ὁ θεμελιῶν θεμελιοῦται; Ἀλλὰ παροιμιωδῶς ἐστιν εἰρη μένον καὶ τοῦτο· καὶ δεῖ καὶ τούτου τὸν νοῦν ζητεῖν, ἵνα γινώσκωμεν, ὅτι τῇ μὲν σοφίᾳ ὁ Πατὴρ δημιουρ γεῖ, καὶ θεμελιοῖ τὴν γῆν εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἑδραίαν καὶ δια μένειν αὐτήν· αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ σοφία ἐθεμελιοῦτο εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρχὴ καὶ θεμέλιος τῆς καινῆς ἡμῶν κτίσεως καὶ ἀνακαινίσεως γένηται. Οὐκ εἴρηκε γοῦν οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις, Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος Λόγον ἢ Υἱόν με πεποίηκεν, ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἀρχὴν ἔχῃ τοῦ ποιεῖσθαι· τοῦτο γὰρ πρὸ πάντων δεῖ ζητεῖν, εἰ Υἱός ἐστι, καὶ περὶ τούτου τὰς Γραφὰς προηγουμένως ἐρευνᾷν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐρωτηθέντων ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ τῆς Ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεως ἐν πρώτοις ἠρώτησεν, Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἤδει γὰρ, ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ τὸ κύριον τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν· καὶ ὅτι, ἐὰν μὲν αὐτὸς ᾖ ὁ Υἱὸς, τέλος ἕξει ἡ διαβολικὴ τυραννίς· ἐὰν δὲ κτίσμα ᾖ, εἷς ἐστι καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τοῦ ἀπατηθέντος παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐδεμία φροντὶς ἦν αὐτῷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ τότε Ἰουδαῖοι ἠγανάκτουν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος Υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἑαυτὸν καὶ Πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγεν ἑαυτοῦ εἶναι τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἑαυτὸν ἕνα τῶν κτισμάτων εἰρηκὼς, ἢ ὅτι Ποίημά εἰμι, οὐκ ἐξενίζοντο ἀκούον τες, οὐδὲ βλασφημίαν ἐνόμιζον τὰ τοιαῦτα ῥήματα, εἰδότες καὶ ἀγγέλων ἐπιδημίαν γενομένην πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ Υἱὸν ἑαυτὸν ἔλεγεν, ἐθεώ ρουν μὴ κτίσματος εἶναι τὸ τοιοῦτον γνώρισμα, ἀλλὰ θεότητος καὶ φύσεως πατρικῆς. Ἔδει τοίνυν τοὺς Ἀρειανοὺς, κἂν τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτῶν τὸν διάβολον μιμουμένους, περιεργάζεσθαι· καὶ εἰ μὲν εἴρηκε, Λόγον ἢ Υἱόν με ἐθεμελίωσε, φρονεῖν, ὡς φρονοῦσιν· εἰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως εἴρηκε, μὴ ἐπινοεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τὰ μὴ ὄντα. Οὐ γὰρ εἴρηκε, Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος Λόγον ἢ Υἱόν με ἐθεμελίωσεν· ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, ἐθεμελίωσέ με, ἵνα δείξῃ πάλιν, καθάπερ εἶπον, ὅτι οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν, διὰ δὲ τοὺς ἐποικοδομουμέ νους ἐπ' αὐτὸν παροιμιωδῶς καὶ τοῦτο λέγει. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἰδὼς καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφει· Θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω, πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ. Ἀνάγκη δὲ τὸν θεμέλιον τοιοῦτον εἶναι, οἷα καὶ τὰ ἐποικοδομούμενά ἐστιν, ἵνα καὶ συναρμολογεῖσθαι δυνηθῇ. Λόγος μὲν οὖν ὢν, ᾗ Λόγος ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἔχει τοιούτους, οἷός ἐστι καὶ αὐτὸς, τοὺς συναρμολογουμένους αὐτῷ· μο νογενὴς γάρ ἐστιν· ἄνθρωπος δὲ γενόμενος ἔχει τοὺς ὁμοίους, ὧν καὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν ἐνεδύσατο σάρκα. Οὐκοῦν κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον θεμελιοῦται, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὡς λίθοι τίμιοι ἐποικοδομεῖσθαι δυνηθῶμεν, καὶ γενώμεθα ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν οἰκοῦντος ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ὥσπερ δὲ θεμέλιος αὐτὸς, ἡμεῖς δὲ λίθοι ἐποικοδομούμενοι ἐπ' αὐτόν· οὕτως αὐτὸς πάλιν ἄμ πελός ἐστιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς κλήματα συνημμένα, οὐ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς θεότητος· ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοῦτό γε· ἀλλὰ πάλιν κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον· ὅμοια γὰρ εἶναι δεῖ τὰ κλήματα τῇ ἀμπέλῳ· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὅμοιοι κατὰ τὴν σάρκα τυγχάνομεν ὄντες αὐτοῦ. Ἄλ λως τε ἀνθρώπινα φρονοῦντας τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, ἀνθρω πίνοις παραδείγμασι διελέγχειν προσήκει διὰ τῶν αὐ τῶν λόγων. Οὐκ εἴρηκε γοῦν, ὅτι Θεμέλιόν με πεποίηκεν, ἵνα μὴ, ὡς ποιήματος καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ γίνεσθαι, κἂν ἐν τούτῳ πρόφασιν εὕρωσιν ἀναίσχυντον πρὸς ἀσέβειαν· ἀλλ' ὅτι Ἐθεμελίωσέ με. Τὸ δὲ θεμελιούμενον θεμελιοῦται μὲν διὰ τοὺς ἐπιβαλ λομένους ἐπ' αὐτὸ λίθους· γίνεται δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐξ ὄρους μετενεχθῇ λίθος, καὶ εἰς τὸ βάθος τῆς γῆς κατατεθῇ. Καὶ ἕως μὲν ἐν τῷ ὄρει λίθος ἐστὶν, οὔπω τεθεμελίωται· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἡ χρεία ἀπαιτῇ, καὶ μετενεχθῇ, καὶ περιβάληται τὸ βάθος τῆς γῆς· τότε λοιπὸν, εἰ λάβοι φωνὴν ὁ λίθος, εἴποι ἄν· Νῦν ἐθεμελίωσέ με, ὁ ἐξ ὄρους ὧδε μεταθείς. Οὐκοῦν οὐχ ὁ Κύριος καὶ ὅτε τεθεμελίωται, ἀρχὴν ἔχει τοῦ εἶναι (ἦν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τούτου Λόγος)· ἀλλ' ὅτε τὸ ἡμέτερον ἐνεδύσατο σῶμα, ὅπερ ἐκ Μαρίας τμηθὲν ἔλαβε, τότε φησὶν, Ἐθεμελίωσέ με· ἴσον τῷ εἰπεῖν· Λόγον ὄντα με περιέβαλε γηΐνῳ σώματι. Οὕτω γὰρ δι' ἡμᾶς θεμελιοῦται, τὰ ἡμῶν ἀναδεχόμενος, ἵνα ἡμεῖς, ὡς σύσσωμοι συναρμολογούμενοι καὶ συνδεθέντες ἐν αὐ τῷ διὰ τῆς ὁμοιώσεως τῆς σαρκὸς, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον καταντήσαντες, ἀθάνατοι καὶ ἄφθαρτοι διαμείνωμεν. Τὸ δὲ, Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ, Πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι, καὶ, Πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι, μηδένα ταραττέτω· πάνυ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο καλῶς συνῆψε τῷ, ἐθεμελίωσε, καὶ τῷ, ἔκτισε· τοῦτο γὰρ πάλιν τῆς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίας ἅπτεται. Ἡ γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰς ἡμᾶς γενομένη χάρις, ἄρτι μὲν ἐπε φάνη, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καὶ γέγονεν ἐπιδημή σαντος αὐτοῦ· προητοίμαστο δὲ αὕτη καὶ πρὶν γενέσθαι ἡμᾶς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς καταβολῆς τοῦ κόσμου· καὶ ἡ αἰτία χρηστὴ καὶ θαυμαστή πώς ἐστιν. Οὐκ ἔπρεπε τὸν Θεὸν ὕστερον περὶ ἡμῶν βου λεύεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἀγνοῶν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς φαίνηται. Κτίζων τοίνυν ἡμᾶς διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Λόγου ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ εἰδὼς τὰ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, προγινώσκων τε, ὅτι, καλοὶ γενόμενοι, ὕστερον παραβάται τῆς ἐν τολῆς ἐσόμεθα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου ἐκβληθησόμεθα διὰ τὴν παρακοὴν, φιλάνθρωπος καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὢν, προετοιμάζει ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ Λόγῳ, δι' οὗ καὶ ἔκτισεν ἡμᾶς, τὴν περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν οἰκονομίαν, ἵνα, κἂν ἀπατηθέντες παρὰ τοῦ ὄφεως ἐκπέσωμεν, μὴ τέ λεον ἀπομείνωμεν νεκροὶ, ἀλλ' ἔχοντες ἐν τῷ Λόγῳ τὴν προητοιμασμένην ἡμῖν λύτρωσίν τε καὶ σωτη ρίαν, πάλιν ἀναστάντες, ἀθάνατοι διαμείνωμεν, ὅταν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁδῶν κτισθῇ, καὶ ὁ πρω τότοκος τῆς κτίσεως γένηται πρωτότοκος ἀδελφῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπαρχὴ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ. Τοῦτο Παῦλος ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος γράφων διδάσκει· τὸ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις, Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ, Πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν γενέσθαι, διερμηνεύων, οὕτω φησὶ πρὸς μὲν Τιμόθεον· Συγκακοπάθησον τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, κατὰ δύναμιν Θεοῦ τοῦ σώσαντος ἡμᾶς καὶ καλέ σαντος κλήσει ἁγίᾳ· οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν πρόθεσιν καὶ χάριν, τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων, φανερωθεῖσαν δὲ νῦν διὰ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καταργήσαν τος μὲν τὸν θάνατον, φωτίσαντος δὲ τὴν ζωήν. Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς Ἐφεσίους· Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· καθὼς ἐξελέ ξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατ' ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ, προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν. Πῶς οὖν ἐξελέξατο, πρὶν γενέσθαι ἡμᾶς, εἰ μὴ, ὡς αὐτὸς εἴρηκεν, ἐν αὐτῷ ἦμεν προτετυπωμένοι; Πῶς δὲ ὅλως, πρὶν ἀνθρώπους κτισθῆναι, ἡμᾶς προώ ρισεν εἰς υἱοθεσίαν, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος τεθεμελίωτο, ἀναδεξάμενος τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίαν; Ἢ πῶς, ὡς ἐπιφέρει λέγων ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἦν θεμελιωθεὶς, ὥστε αὐτὸν πρόθεσιν ἔχειν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντα τὸν καθ' ἡμῶν κλῆρον τοῦ κρίματος ἀναδέξασθαι διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ λοι πὸν ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ υἱοποιηθῆναι; Πῶς δὲ καὶ πρὸ χρό νων αἰωνίων ἐλαμβάνομεν, μήπω γεγονότες, ἀλλ' ἐν χρόνῳ γεγονότες, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἦν ἀπο κειμένη ἡ εἰς ἡμᾶς φθάνουσα χάρις; διὸ καὶ ἐν τῇ κρίσει, ὅταν ἕκαστος κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀπολαμβά νῃ, φησί· ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου· κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Πῶς οὖν ἢ ἐν τίνι, πρὶν γενέσθαι ἡμᾶς, ἡτοιμάσθη, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ πρὸ αἰῶνος εἰς τοῦτο θεμελιωθέντι, ἵν' ἡμεῖς, ὡς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐποικοδομούμενοι, μεταλάβωμεν, ὡς λίθοι εὐάρμοστοι, τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ ζωῆς τε καὶ χάριτος. Τοῦτο δὲ γέγονεν, ὥς γε μετρίως ἐπέρχεταί τινι νοεῖν εὐσεβῶς, ἵνα, καθὰ προεῖπον, ἀναστάντες ἀπὸ τοῦ πρὸς ὀλίγον θανάτου, αἰωνίως ζῆσαι δυνη θῶμεν· οὐκ ἂν δυνηθέντες ἄνθρωποι τυγχάνοντες ἀπὸ γῆς, εἰ μὴ πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἦν προετοιμασθεῖσα ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ ἡ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ σωτηρίας ἐλπίς. Οὐκ οῦν εἰκότως ἐπιβαίνων ὁ Λόγος εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν σάρκα, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ κτιζόμενος ἀρχὴ ὁδῶν εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, θεμελιοῦται οὕτως, ὥσπερ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ βού λημα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καθάπερ εἴρηται, πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν γενέσθαι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὰς πηγὰς προελθεῖν· ἵνα κἂν ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ τὰ σχήματα τῶν φαι νομένων παρέλθῃ ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος, μὴ κατ' αὐτὰ παλαιωθῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς· ἀλλὰ δυνηθῶμεν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ζῇν, ἔχοντες τὴν πρὸ τού των ἑτοιμασθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Λόγῳ, κατ' ἐκλο γὴν, ζωήν τε καὶ εὐλογίαν πνευματικήν. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα μὴ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ με τὰ ταῦτα διαμεῖναι ζῶντες ἐν Χριστῷ· ἐπειδὴ καὶ πρὸ τούτων, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν ἐτεθεμελίωτο καὶ ἡτοίμαστο ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ ἐν ἄλλῳ θεμελιωθῆναι τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἔπρεπεν ἢ ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ πρὸ αἰώνων ὄντι, δι' οὗ καὶ οἱ αἰῶνες γεγόνασιν, ἵν' ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ αὐτῆς οὔσης, δυνηθῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς αἰώνιον κληρονομῆσαι ζωήν. Ἀγαθὸς γὰρ ὁ Θεός· ἀγαθὸς δὲ ὢν ἀεὶ, τοῦτο βεβούληται, γινώσκων τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθενῆ φύσιν χρῄζουσαν τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ βοηθείας τε καὶ σωτηρίας. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἀρχιτέκτων σο φὸς, προθέμενος οἰκίαν οἰκοδομεῖν, βουλεύεται ἅμα, ἵνα, ἐάν ποτε καὶ φθαρῇ μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι ταύ την, πάλιν ἀνανεώσηται, τοῦτο δὲ βουλευόμενος προετοιμάζει, καὶ δίδωσι τῷ ἐργασαμένῳ τὴν εἰς ἀνανέωσιν παρασκευὴν, καὶ γίνεται πρὸ τῆς οἰ κίας ἡ τῆς ἀνανεώσεως προπαρασκευή· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον πρὸ ἡμῶν ἡ τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας ἀνανέωσις θεμελιοῦται ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, ἵν' ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνακτισθῆναι δυνηθῶμεν. Καὶ ἡ μὲν βουλὴ καὶ ἡ πρόθεσις πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἡτοιμάσθη· τὸ δὲ ἔργον γέγονεν, ὅτε ἡ χρεία ἀπῄτησε, καὶ ἐπεδήμησεν ὁ Σω τήρ· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἀντὶ πάντων ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς γενήσεται, προσλαμβάνων ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν. Ἤρκει μὲν οὖν ταῦτα πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ μὴ εἶναι κτίσμα τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀρθὴν εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ῥητοῦ διάνοιαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ διε ρευνώμενον τὸ ῥητὸν, ὀρθὸν ἔχει πανταχόθεν τὸν νοῦν, ἀκόλουθον καὶ τοῦτον τὸν νοῦν εἰπεῖν· ἴσως ἐκ πολλῶν ἐντραπῶσιν οἱ ἀνόητοι. Χρεία δὲ πάλιν τῶν προειρημένων· περὶ γὰρ τῆς αὐτῆς παροιμίας καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς σοφίας ἐστὶ τὸ προκείμενον. Οὐκ εἴρη κεν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τῇ φύσει κτίσμα ὁ Λόγος, ἀλλ' ἐν Παροιμίαις εἴρηκε τὸ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με· καὶ δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι νοῦν τινα οὐ παῤῥησίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τοῦτον κεκρυμ μένον σημαίνει, ὅντινα καὶ ἡμᾶς δυνατὸν εὑρεῖν, εἰ Περιέλοιμεν τὸ κάλυμμα τῆς παροιμίας. Τίς γὰρ ἀκούων τῆς δημιουργοῦ σοφίας, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, φασκούσης, οὐκ εὐθὺς ζητεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν, λογιζόμενος πῶς δύναται ἡ κτίζουσα κτίζεσθαι; Τίς, ἀκούσας τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος, ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν ἑαυτὸν κτίζεσθαι, οὐκ ἐρευνᾷ τὸν νοῦν, θαυμάζων, πῶς δύναται ὁ μονογε νὴς Υἱὸς ἄλλων πολλῶν ἀρχὴ γίνεσθαι; Αἴνιγμα μὲν ἔστιν· Ὁ δὲ νοήμων, φησὶ, νοήσει παραβο λὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον, ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα. Ἡ μὲν οὖν μονογενὴς καὶ αὐτοσοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ κτίζουσα καὶ δημιουργός ἐστι τῶν πάντων· Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας, καὶ, Ἐπλη ρώθη ἡ γῆ τῆς κτίσεώς σου. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ μόνον ὑπάρχῃ τὰ γενόμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ καλῶς ὑπάρχῃ, ηὐ δόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς συγκαταβῆναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ Σοφίαν τοῖς κτίσμασιν· ὥστε τύπον τινὰ καὶ φαντασίαν εἰκόνος αὐτῆς ἐν πᾶσί τε κοινῇ καὶ ἑκάστῳ ἐνθεῖναι, ἵνα καὶ σοφὰ τὰ γενόμενα, καὶ ἄξια τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργα δεί κνυται. Ὡς γὰρ Λόγου ὄντος τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰ κών ἐστιν ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος, οὕτως ὄντος αὐτοῦ Σο φίας εἰκὼν πάλιν ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν ἡμῖν γενομένη σοφία· ἐν ᾗ τὸ εἰδέναι καὶ τὸ φρονεῖν ἔχοντες, δεκτικοὶ γινό μεθα τῆς δημιουργοῦ Σοφίας, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς γινώσκειν δυνάμεθα τὸν αὐτῆς Πατέρα. Ὁ γὰρ ἔχων, φησὶ, τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔχει καὶ τὸν Πατέρα· καὶ, Ὁ δεχόμενός με, δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. Τοιούτου τοί νυν τύπου τῆς Σοφίας κτισθέντος ἐν ἡμῖν τε καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις ὄντος, εἰκότως ἡ ἀληθινὴ καὶ δη μιουργὸς Σοφία, τὰ τοῦ τύπου ἑαυτῆς εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἀναλαμβάνουσα, φησὶ τὸ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Ἃ γὰρ ἡ ἐν ἡμῖν σοφία εἶπε, ταῦτα αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ὡς ἴδια λέγει· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι μὲν αὐτὸς κτιζόμενος κτίστης ὢν, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις εἰ κόνα κτισθεῖσαν αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα αὐτὸς ὡς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει. Καὶ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος εἴρηκεν· Ὁ δεχό μενος ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ δέχεται, διὰ τὸ τὸν τύπον αὐ τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν εἶναι· οὕτως, καίτοι μὴ ὢν τῶν κτιζομέ νων, ὅμως διὰ τὸ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ καὶ τύπον ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις κτίζεσθαι, ὡς αὐτὸς ὢν, λέγει· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω δὲ γέγονεν ὁ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῆς σοφίας τύπος, ἵνα, καθὰ προεῖπον, ὁ κόσμος ἐν αὐτῇ γινώσκῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ δημιουργὸν Λόγον, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τὸν Πατέρα. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ ἔλεγεν ὁ Παῦλος· ∆ιότι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστι ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσε. Τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθ ορᾶται. Ὥστε οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα τῇ οὐσίᾳ ὁ Λό γος, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν οὔσης καὶ λεγομένης σο φίας, ἐστὶ τὸ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις ῥητόν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τούτοις ἀπιστοῦσι, λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν αὐτοὶ, εἰ ἔστι τις σοφία ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασι, ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν; Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔστι, πῶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος αἰτιᾶ ται, λέγων· Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν Θεόν; Ἢ πῶς, εἰ μή ἐστι σοφία, πλῆθος σοφῶν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ εὑρίσκεται; Καὶ, Σοφὸς γὰρ φοβηθεὶς ἐξέκλινεν ἀπὸ κακοῦ· καὶ, Μετὰ σοφίας οἰκοδο μεῖται οἶκος. Ὁ δὲ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς λέγει· Σοφία ἀνθρώπου φωτιεῖ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· καὶ μέμφεται τοῖς προπετευομένοις, λέγων· Μὴ εἴπῃς· Τί ἐγένετο, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι αἱ πρότερον ἦσαν ἀγαθαὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἠρώτησας περὶ τούτου. Εἰ δέ ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ τοῦ Σιράχ φησιν· Ἐξέχεεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ μετὰ πάσης σαρκὸς κατὰ τὴν δόσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐχορήγησεν αὐ τὴν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη ἔκχυ σις οὐ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς Αὐτοσοφίας καὶ μονογενοῦς ἐστι γνώρισμα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐξεικονισθείσης· τί ἄπιστον εἰ αὐτὴ ἡ δημιουργὸς καὶ ἀληθινὴ Σοφία, ἧς τύπος ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν κόσμῳ ἐκχυθεῖσα σοφία καὶ ἐπιστήμη, ὡς περὶ ἑαυτῆς ἐστι, καθὰ προεῖπον, λέγουσα· Κύ ριος ἔκτισέ με εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ ἐν κόσμῳ σοφία κτίζουσά ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐγκτιζομένη τοῖς ἔρ γοις, καθ' ἣν οἱ μὲν οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, ποίησιν δὲ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στερέωμα. Οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι, εἰ ταύτην ἐν ἑαυτοῖς φέ ροιεν, ἐπιγνώσονται τὴν ἀληθινὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίαν· καὶ γνωσθήσονται, ὅτι ὄντως κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γεγόνασι. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις βασιλέως υἱὸς, θέλον τος πατρὸς οἰκοδομῆσαι πόλιν, καὶ ποιῶν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν γινομένων ἔργων ἐγγραφῆναι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ὄνο μα, ἀσφαλείας τε χάριν τοῦ διαμένειν τὰ ἔργα διὰ τὴν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ φαντασίαν· καὶ ἵν' ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἀναμιμνήσκεσθαι αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ δύνωνται· τελειώσας δὲ εἰ ἐρωτηθείη περὶ τῆς πόλεως, πῶς γέγονεν, εἴποι ἄν· Ἀσφαλῶς γέγονε· κατὰ γὰρ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ πα τρὸς, ἐν ἑκάστῳ ἔργῳ ἐξεικονίσθην· τὸ γὰρ ἐμὸν ὄνομα ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ἐνεκτίσθη. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγων, οὐ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίαν κτισθεῖσαν σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τύπον διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τοῦ παραδείγματος τοῖς θαυμά ζουσι τὴν ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασι σοφίαν ἀποκρίνεται ἡ ἀληθινὴ Σοφία· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με εἰς ἔργα· ἐμοῦ γὰρ τύπος ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν αὐτοῖς· κἀγὼ οὕτω συγκατ έβην τῇ δημιουργίᾳ. Οὐ δεῖ δὲ πάλιν ξενίζεσθαι, εἰ τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν τύ πον ὄντα ὡς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἐστι λέγων ὁ Υἱὸς, ὅπου γε (τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ λέγειν οὐκ ὀκνητέον)· καὶ Σαύλου τότε διώκοντος τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἐν ᾗ τύπος ἦν αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰκὼν, ὡς αὐτὸς διωκόμενος ἔλεγε· Σαῦλε, τί με διώκεις; Οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ εἴρηται, εἰ ἔλεγεν αὐτὸς ὁ τύπος τῆς σοφίας ὁ ὢν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τὸ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με εἰς ἔργα, οὐκ ἄν τις ἐξενίσθη· οὕτως ἐὰν καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἀληθινὴ καὶ δημιουργὸς Σοφία, ὁ μονο γενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, λέγῃ τὰ τῆς εἰκόνος ἑαυ τοῦ ὡς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τὸ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με εἰς ἔργα, μηδεὶς, ἀφεὶς τὴν ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις ἐγκτι σθεῖσαν, νομιζέτω περὶ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς Αὐτοσοφίας εἰρῆσθαι τὸ, ἔκτισεν, ἵνα μὴ, τὸν οἶνον ὕδατι μίσγων, κλέπτειν δοκῇ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Αὕτη μὲν γὰρ κτίζουσα καὶ δημιουργός ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ ταύτης τύπος ἐγκτίζεται τοῖς ἔργοις, ὥσπερ καὶ τῆς εἰκόνος τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα. Ἀρχὴν δὲ ὁδῶν λέγει, ἐπειδὴ ἡ τοιαύτη σοφία, ἀρχή τις καὶ ὥσπερ στοιχείωσις τῆς ἐπὶ Θεὸν γνώσεως γίνεται· ταύτῃ γὰρ πρώτῃ ὥσπερ ἐπιβάς τις τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ ταύτην φυλάττων τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Σολομὼν, Ἀρχὴ σοφίας φό βος Κυρίου, εἶτα ἐπαναβαίνων τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ νοήσας τὴν ἐν τῇ κτίσει δημιουργὸν Σοφίαν, νοήσει ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ τὸν αὐτῆς Πατέρα, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος εἴρη κεν· Ὁ ἐμὲ ἑωρακὸς, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Καὶ ὡς ὁ Ἰωάννης γράφει· Ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει. Πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος δὲ, φησὶν, ἐθεμελίωσέ με, ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῆς τύπῳ ἑδραῖα καὶ ἀεὶ μένει τὰ ἔργα. Εἶτα ἵνα μή τις, ἀκούων περὶ τῆς οὕτως ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις κτισθείσης σοφίας, νομίσῃ τὴν ἀληθινὴν Σοφίαν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν εἶναι τῇ φύ σει κτίσμα, ἀναγκαίως ἐπήγαγε· Πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη, καὶ, πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν, καὶ, πρὸ τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ, πρὸ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με· ἵνα ἐν μὲν τῷ λέ γειν πρὸ πάσης κτίσεως (τὴν γὰρ πᾶσαν κτίσιν ἐν τούτοις ἐδήλωσε·) δείξῃ, ὅτι μὴ κατ' οὐσίαν συνεκτί σθη τοῖς ἔργοις. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς τὰ ἔργα ἐκτίσθη, πρὸ δὲ τῶν ἔργων ἐστὶ, δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἐκτίσθαι ἐστίν. Οὐκ ἄρα τῇ φύσει καὶ οὐσίᾳ κτίσμα ἐστὶν, ἀλλ', ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπήγαγε, γέννημά ἐστι. Τί δὲ διαφέ ρει ἢ πῶς διέστηκε τὴν φύσιν κτίσμα γεννήμα τος, δέδεικται ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπάγει λέγουσα, ἡνίκα ἡτοίμαζε τὸν οὐρανὸν, συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ, εἰδέναι χρὴ, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς μὴ δι' αὐτῆς ἑτοιμάζοντος τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἢ τὰ ἄνω νέφη, ταῦτά φησιν· οὐ γὰρ ἀμφίβολον, ὅτι πάντα ἐν Σοφίᾳ ἐκτίσθη, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτῆς ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ λέ γει· Πάντα μὲν ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ δι' ἐμοῦ γέγονε· χρείας δὲ οὔσης ἐγκτίζεσθαι σοφίαν τοῖς ἔργοις, τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν ἤμην σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ, τῇ δὲ πρὸς τὰ γε νητὰ συγκαταβάσει, ἤμην ἁρμόζουσα τὸν παρ' ἐμοὶ τύπον τοῖς ἔργοις, ὥστε καὶ ὡς ἑνὶ σώματι πάντα τὸν κόσμον μὴ στασιάζειν, ἀλλ' ὁμονοεῖν πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Ὅσοι μὲν οὖν ὀρθῇ τῇ διανοίᾳ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυ τοῖς δοθεῖσαν σοφίαν θεωροὶ τῶν κτισμάτων γί νονται, δύνανται λέγειν καὶ αὐτοί· Τῇ διατάξει σου διαμένει τὰ πάντα· οἱ δὲ τούτου κατολιγωρήσαντες ἀκούσονται· Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράν θησαν· τὸ γὰρ γνωστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσε· τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου, τοῖς ποιή μασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύνα μις καὶ θεότης, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους, διότι, γνόντες τὸν Θεὸν, οὐχ ὡς Θεὸν ἐδόξασαν, ἀλλ' ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα τὰ πάντα, ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶ νας, ἀμήν. Καὶ ἐντραπήσονταί γε ἀκούοντες· Ἐπει δὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸν προειρη μένον τρόπον, οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν Θεὸν, ηὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος σῶσαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας. Οὐκ έτι γὰρ, ὡς ἐν τοῖς προτέροις χρόνοις, δι' εἰκόνος καὶ σκιᾶς τῆς σοφίας, τῆς ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασιν οὔσης, ἠθέλησε γινώσκεσθαι ὁ Θεός· ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἀληθι νὴν Σοφίαν ἐποίησε σάρκα λαβεῖν, καὶ γενέσθαι ἄν θρωπον, θάνατόν τε ὑπομεῖναι σταυροῦ, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἐν τούτῳ πίστεως πάντες λοιπὸν οἱ πιστεύοντες σώ ζεσθαι δύνωνται. Ἡ αὐτὴ μέντοι Σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ἥτις πρότερον μὲν διὰ τῆς ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασιν εἰκόνος ἑαυτῆς, δι' ἣν καὶ λέγεται κτίζεσθαι, ἐφανέρου ἑαυτὴν, καὶ δι' ἑαυτῆς τὸν ἑαυτῆς Πατέρα· ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὴ, οὖσα Λόγος, γέγονε σὰρξ, ὡς εἶ πεν ὁ Ἰωάννης, καὶ μετὰ τὸ καταργῆσαι τὸν θάνα τον καὶ σῶσαι τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἔτι καὶ πλέον ἀπεκάλυ ψεν ἑαυτόν τε καὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα, λέ γων· ∆ὸς αὐτοῖς, ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. Ἐπληρώθη γοῦν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς γνώσεως αὐ τοῦ· μία γὰρ γνῶσις Πατρὸς δι' Υἱοῦ ἐστι, καὶ Υἱοῦ παρὰ Πατρὸς, καὶ χαίρει τούτῳ ὁ Πατήρ· καὶ τῇ χα ρᾷ ταύτῃ εὐφραίνεται ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, λέγων· Ἐγὼ ἤμην, ᾗ προσέχαιρε· καθ' ἡμέραν δὲ ηὐ φραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα δὲ δείκνυσι πάλιν μὴ εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν ἀλλότριον, ἀλλ' ἴδιον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οὐ δι' ἡμᾶς, ὡς οἱ ἀσεβεῖς λέγουσι, γέγονεν, οὐδὲ ὅλως ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστίν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔξωθεν ἑαυτῷ ὁ Θεὸς περιεποιήσατο χαρᾶς ποιητικόν· ἀλλ' ἰδίου καὶ ὁμοίου γνώρισμά ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον. Πότε οὖν ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἔχαιρεν ὁ Πατήρ; Εἰ δὲ ἀεὶ ἔχαιρεν, ἀεὶ ἦν ἐν ᾧ ἔχαιρεν. Ἐν τίνι δὲ ὁ Πατὴρ χαίρει, ἢ βλέπων ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ εἰκόνι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος αὐτοῦ; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων ηὐφραίνετο τὴν οἰκουμένην συντε λέσας, ὡς ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς Παροιμίαις γέγραπται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει διάνοιαν. Ηὐφραί νετο γὰρ καὶ οὕτως, οὐκ ἐπιγενομένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς, ἀλλὰ πάλιν βλέπων κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ εἰκόνα γενόμενα τὰ ἔργα· ὥστε καὶ τὸ οὕτω χαίρειν τὸν Θεὸν τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ τὴν πρόφασιν εἶναι. Πῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς εὐφραίνεται, ἢ βλέπων ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῷ Πατρί; Ἴσον γάρ ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο τῷ λέγειν· Ὁ ἐμὲἑωρακὼς, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ, Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί. Κενὸν ὑμῶν ἄρα τὸ καύχημα πανταχόθεν δέδεικται, ὦ χριστομάχοι, καὶ μάτην ἐνεπομπεύσατε καὶ τεθρυλήκατε παντα χοῦ τὸ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, παρ εξηγούμενοι τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ καὶ μᾶλλον τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐπίνοιαν, ἢ τὸν νοῦν τοῦ Σολομῶνος ἀπαγγέλλοντες. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ τὸ μὲν ὑμῶν φρόνημα δέδεικται μόνον φαντασία· τὸ δὲ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις ῥητὸν, καὶ πάντα τὰ προειρημένα δείκνυσι μὴ εἶναι τῇ φύσει καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ κτίσμα τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλ' ἴδιον γέννημα τοῦ Πατρὸς, σοφίαν καὶ Λόγον ἀληθι νὸν, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγέ νετο οὐδὲ ἕν.