§10. All his insulting epithets are shewn by facts to be false.

I therefore pass over everything else, as mere insolent mockery and scoffing abuse, and hasten to the question of his doctrine. Should any one say that I decline to be abusive only because I cannot pay him back in his own coin, let such an one consider in his own case what proneness there is to evil generally, what a mechanical sliding into sin, dispensing with the need of any practice. The power of becoming bad resides in the will; one act of wishing is often the sufficient occasion for a finished wickedness; and this ease of operation is more especially fatal in the sins of the tongue. Other classes of sins require time and occasion and co-operation to be committed; but the propensity to speak can sin when it likes. The treatise of Eunomius now in our hands is sufficient to prove this; one who attentively considers it will perceive the rapidity of the descent into sins in the matter of phrases: and it is the easiest thing in the world to imitate these, even though one is quite unpractised in habitual defamation. What need would there be to labour in coining our intended insults into names, when one might employ upon this slanderer his own phrases? He has strung together, in fact, in this part of his work, every sort of falsehood and evil-speaking, all moulded from the models which he finds in himself; every extravagance is to be found in writing these. He writes “cunning,” “wrangling,” “foe to truth,” “high-flown33    σοφίστης,” “charlatan,” “combating general opinion and tradition,” “braving facts which give him the lie,” “careless of the terrors of the law, of the censure of men,” “unable to distinguish the enthusiasm for truth from mere skill in reasoning;” he adds, “wanting in reverence,” “quick to call names,” and then “blatant,” “full of conflicting suspicions,” “combining irreconcileable arguments,” “combating his own utterances,” “affirming contradictories;” then, though eager to speak all ill of him, not being able to find other novelties of invective in which to indulge his bitterness, often in default of all else he reiterates the same phrases, and comes round again a third and a fourth time and even more to what he has once said; and in this circus of words he drives up and then turns down, over and over again, the same racecourse of insolent abuse; so that at last even anger at this shameless display dies away from very weariness. These low unlovely street boys’ jeers do indeed provoke disgust rather than anger; they are not a whit better than the inarticulate grunting of some old woman who is quite drunk.

Must we then enter minutely into this, and laboriously refute all his invectives by showing that Basil was not this monster of his imagination? If we did this, contentedly proving the absence of anything vile and criminal in him, we should seem to join in insulting one who was a ‘bright particular star’ to his generation. But I remember how with that divine voice of his he quoted the prophet34    Jeremiah iii. 3. with regard to him, comparing him to a shameless woman who casts her own reproaches on the chaste. For whom do these reasonings of his proclaim to be truth’s enemy and in arms against public opinion? Who is it who begs the readers of his book not ‘to look to the numbers of those who profess a belief, or to mere tradition, or to let their judgment be biassed so as to consider as trustworthy what is only suspected to be the stronger side?’ Can one and the same man write like this, and then make those charges, scheming that his readers should follow his own novelties at the very moment that he is abusing others for opposing themselves to the general belief? As for ‘brazening out facts which give him the lie, and men’s censure,’ I leave the reader to judge to whom this applies; whether to one who by a most careful self-restraint made sobriety and quietness and perfect purity the rule of his own life as well as that of his entourage, or to one who advised that nature should not be molested when it is her pleasure to advance through the appetites of the body, not to thwart indulgence, nor to be so particular as that in the training of our life; but that a self-chosen faith should be considered sufficient for a man to attain perfection. If he denies that this is his teaching, I and any right-minded person would rejoice if he were telling the truth in such a denial. But his genuine followers will not allow him to produce such a denial, or their leading principles would be gone, and the platform of those who for this reason embrace his tenets would fall to pieces. As for shameless indifference to human censure, you may look at his youth or his after life, and you would find him in both open to this reproach. The two men’s lives, whether in youth or manhood, tell a widely-different tale.

Let our speech-writer, while he reminds himself of his youthful doings in his native land, and afterwards at Constantinople, hear from those who can tell him what they know of the man whom he slanders. But if any would inquire into their subsequent occupations, let such a person tell us which of the two he considers to deserve so high a reputation; the man who ungrudgingly spent upon the poor his patrimony even before he was a priest, and most of all in the time of the famine, during which he was a ruler of the Church, though still a priest in the rank of presbyters35    ἔτι ἐν τῷ κληρῳ τῶν πρεσβυτερων ιερατεύων; and afterwards did not hoard even what remained to him, so that he too might have made the Apostles’ boast, ‘Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought36    2 Thess. iii. 8.;’ or, on the other hand, the man who has made the championship of a tenet a source of income, the man who creeps into houses, and does not conceal his loathsome affliction by staying at home, nor considers the natural aversion which those in good health must feel for such, though according to the law of old he is one of those who are banished from the inhabited camp because of the contagion of his unmistakeable37    According to Ruffinus (Hist. Eccl. x. 25), his constitution was poisoned with jaundice within and without. disease.

Basil is called ‘hasty’ and ‘insolent,’ and in both characters ‘a liar’ by this man who ‘would in patience and meekness educate those of a contrary opinion to himself;’ for such are the airs he gives himself when he speaks of him, while he omits no hyperbole of bitter language, when he has a sufficient opening to produce it. On what grounds, then, does he charge him with this hastiness and insolence? Because ‘he called me a Galatian, though I am a Cappadocian;’ then it was because he called a man who lived on the boundary in an obscure corner like Corniaspine38    ἐν ἀνωνύμῳ τινι Κορνιασπινῆς ἐσχατί& 139·. Cf. μεγὰ χρῆμα ὑ& 232·ς (Herod.) for the use of this genitive. In the next sentence εἰ ἀντὶ, though it gives the sense translated in the text, is not so good as ᾗ ἀντὶ (i.e. ἐσχατία), which Oehler suggests, but does not adopt.   With regard to Eunomius’ birthplace, Sozomen and Philostorgius give Dacora (which the former describes as on the slopes of Mt. Argæus: but that it must have been on the borders of Galatia and Cappadocia is certain from what Gregory says here): ‘Probably Dacora was his paternal estate: Oltiseris the village to which it belonged’ (Dict. Christ. Biog.; unless indeed Corniaspa, marked on the maps as a town where Cappadocia, Galatia and Pontus join, was the spot, and Oltiseris the district. Eunomius died at Dacora. a Galatian instead of an Oltiserian; supposing, that is, that it is proved that he said this. I have not found it in my copies; but grant it. For this he is to be called ‘hasty,’ ‘insolent,’ all that is bad. But the wise know well that the minute charges of a faultfinder furnish a strong argument for the righteousness of the accused; else, when eager to accuse, he would not have spared great faults and employed his malice on little ones. On these last he is certainly great, heightening the enormity of the offence, and making solemn reflections on falsehood, and seeing equal heinousness in it whether in great or very trivial matters. Like the fathers of his heresy, the scribes and Pharisees, he knows how to strain a gnat carefully and to swallow at one gulp the hump-backed camel laden with a weight of wickedness. But it would not be out of place to say to him, ‘refrain from making such a rule in our system; cease to bid us think it of no account to measure the guilt of a falsehood by the slightness or the importance of the circumstances.’ Paul telling a falsehood and purifying himself after the manner of the Jews to meet the needs of those whom he usefully deceived did not sin the same as Judas for the requirement of his treachery putting on a kind and affable look. By a falsehood Joseph in love to his brethren deceived them; and that too while swearing ‘by the life of Pharaoh39    Gen. xlii. 15.;’ but his brethren had really lied to him, in their envy plotting his death and then his enslavement. There are many such cases: Sarah lied, because she was ashamed of laughing: the serpent lied, tempting man to disobey and change to a divine existence. Falsehoods differ widely according to their motives. Accordingly we accept that general statement about man which the Holy Spirit uttered by the Prophet40    Psalm cxv. 11., ‘Every man is a liar;’ and this man of God, too, has not kept clear of falsehood, having chanced to give a place the name of a neighbouring district, through oversight or ignorance of its real name. But Eunomius also has told a falsehood, and what is it? Nothing less than a misstatement of Truth itself. He asserts that One who always is once was not; he demonstrates that One who is truly a Son is falsely so called; he defines the Creator to be a creature and a work; the Lord of the world he calls a servant, and ranges the Being who essentially rules with subject beings. Is the difference between falsehoods so very trifling, that one can think it matters nothing whether the falsehood is palpable41    ἐψεῦσθαι δοκεῖν. in this way or in that?

Διὰ τοῦτο πάντα τὸν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ λόγον καταλιπών, ὕβριν ὄντα καὶ χλευασμὸν καὶ λοιδορίαν καὶ σκώμματα, πρὸς τὴν τοῦ δόγματος ἐξέτασιν κατεπείξω τὸν λόγον. εἰ δέ τις παραιτεῖσθαί με τὸ λοιδορεῖν δι' ἀπειρίαν τῆς τῶν ὁμοίων ἀντιδόσεως λέγοι, σκεψάσθω ἑαυτόν, ὅση πρὸς τὸ χεῖρόν ἐστιν ἡ εὐκολία δίχα τινὸς πραγματείας αὐτομάτως πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατολισθαίνουσα. τὸ γὰρ γίνεσθαι κακὸν ἐν τῷ προελέσθαι μόνον ἀπόκειται καὶ ἤρκεσε πολλάκις πρὸς τελείωσιν κακίας ἡ βούλησις. πολὺ δὲ πλέον τὸ εὔκολον ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν γλῶσσάν ἐστι πλημμελήμασι. τὰ μὲν γὰρ λοιπὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ χρόνου καὶ πραγμάτων καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν συνεργίας εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι προσδέεται, ἡ δὲ τοῦ λόγου πρόσφυσις κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἔχει τὸ πλημμελεῖν. ἀπόδειξις δὲ τῶν λεγομένων αὐτὸς ὁ ἐν χερσὶν ἡμῶν τοῦ Εὐνομίου λόγος, ὃν ὁ μὴ παρέργως κατανοήσας εὑρήσει τὸ κάταντες τῆς ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασιν ἁμαρτίας, ἣν μιμεῖσθαι πάντως τῶν εὐπορωτάτων ἐστί, κἂν παντελῶς τις ἀμελετήτως ἔχῃ τῆς τοῦ βλασφημεῖν ἐμπειρίας. τί γὰρ δεῖ κάμνειν ὀνοματοποιοῦντα τὰς ὕβρεις, ἐξὸν τοῖς ῥηθεῖσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὸν ὑβρίσαντα χρήσασθαι; πάντα γὰρ ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ τοῦ λόγου ψευδῆ καὶ βλάσφημα πρὸς τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ παραδείγματα συμπεπλασμένα διερραψῴδησε, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅ τι οὐκ ἐγγέγραπται τῶν ἀτόπων. « δεινός », φησίν, « ἐριστικός, ἀληθείας ἐχθρός, σοφιστής, ἀπατεών, ταῖς τῶν πολλῶν δόξαις καὶ μνήμαις ἀντιταττόμενος, τὸν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων οὐκ αἰσχυνόμενος ἔλεγχον, οὐ φόβον ἐκ τῶν νόμων, οὐ ψόγον ἐξ ἀνθρώπων διευλαβούμενος, ἀλήθειαν δεινότητος διακρίνειν οὐκ ἐπιστάμενος »: προστίθησι τούτοις καὶ « ἀναίδειαν καὶ πρὸς τὸ λοιδορεῖν ἑτοιμότητα »: εἶτα « ἐκμελῆ » φησι « καὶ μαχομένων ὑπονοιῶν πλήρη καὶ ἐξ ἀναρμόστων τὸν λόγον ἁρμόζοντα καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις φωναῖς μαχόμενον καὶ τὰ ἐναντία φθεγγόμενον ». καὶ πολλὰ εἰπεῖν περὶ αὐτοῦ κακὰ θέλων, εἶτα τὴν πικρίαν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐμπλῆσαι ἐν τῇ καινότητι τῶν ὕβρεων οὐ δυνάμενος, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔχει ὅ τι καὶ εἴπῃ, πολλάκις ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπανέρχεται καὶ ἅπαξ εἰπὼν ἐπανακυκλοῖ πάλιν καὶ ἐκ τρίτου τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ἐκ τετάρτου καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦτο, ὥσπερ τινὰ δίαυλον ἀνακάμπτων τῷ λόγῳ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ὕβρεων καὶ τῆς λοιδορίας ληρημάτων, ἄνω καὶ κάτω διὰ τῶν ὁμοίων περιχωρῶν: ὥστε μηκέτι χαλεπαίνειν αὐτοῦ τῇ ἀναισχυντίᾳ τῶν ὕβρεων, ἐν τῷ προσκορεῖ τῶν λεγομένων τὸν θυμὸν ὑπεκλύοντα. βδελύξαιτο γὰρ ἄν τις μᾶλλον ἢ εἰς ὀργὴν ἔλθοι: οὕτως ἀνδραποδώδη καὶ χαρίτων ἄμοιρα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τριόδου τὰ σκώμματα, γραός τινος διακωθωνιζομένης καὶ ὑπ' ὀδόντα γρυζούσης οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν διαφέροντα.
Τί οὖν; ἆρα ἐπεξελθεῖν δεῖ τοῖς καθ' ἕκαστον καὶ περὶ πάντων τῶν ἐφ' ὕβρει ῥηθέντων φιλοπόνως ἀπολογήσασθαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν τοιοῦτος καθ' οὗ ταῦτα συμπέπλασται; ἀλλ' οὕτω γ' ἂν καὶ ἡμεῖς συγκαθυβρίζειν δοκοίημεν τὸν ἀντὶ φωστῆρος τῇ γενεᾷ διαλάμψαντα, ἀγαπητῶς τὸ μὴ κακοῦργον καὶ κατεγνωσμένον εἶναι διὰ τῶν λόγων ἀποδεικνύοντες. ἀλλὰ μέμνημαι τῆς θείας ἐκείνης φωνῆς, ὡς προφητικῶς περὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐκ τῆς προφητείας ἐφθέγξατο, ὅπου ταῖς ἀναισχύντοις αὐτὸν τῶν γυναικῶν παρεικάζει, αἳ τὰ ἴδια ὀνείδη ταῖς σωφρονούσαις προφέρουσι. τίνα γὰρ ἐχθρὸν τῆς ἀληθείας οἱ λόγοι κηρύσσουσι; τίνα ταῖς τῶν πολλῶν δόξαις ἀντιτασσόμενον; τίς αἰτεῖται παρὰ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων αὐτοῦ τῷ συγγράμματι μὴ πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαρτυρούντων ὁρᾶν μηδὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαιότητα βλέπειν μηδὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀξιόπιστον τῶν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ὑπειλημμένων ῥέπειν ταῖς γνώμαις; ἆρα τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐστι καὶ ταῦτα γράφειν καὶ ἐκεῖνα προφέρειν, καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἑαυτοῦ καινοτομίαις ζητεῖν τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἕπεσθαι, φαυλίζειν δὲ πάλιν ἑτέρους ὡς ταῖς κοιναῖς ὑπολήψεσιν ἀντιβαίνοντας; τὸ δὲ « μὴ αἰσχύνεσθαι τὸν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔλεγχον » καὶ « τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ψόγον » καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα κατὰ ταὐτὸ διεξέρχεται, ταῖς τῶν ἀκουόντων γνώμαις καταλείπω σκοπεῖν ἐπὶ τίνος ἀληθές ἐστι λέγειν, ἆρα τοῦ σωφροσύνην καὶ κοσμιότητα καὶ πᾶσαν καθαρότητα ψυχῆς τε καὶ σώματος διὰ τῆς ἀκριβεστάτης ἐγκρατείας νομοθετοῦντος ὁμοίως ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς πλησιάζουσιν, ἢ τοῦ κελεύοντος μὴ παρέχειν πράγματα τῇ φύσει πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν διὰ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὀρέξεων προϊούσῃ μηδὲ ἀντιβαίνειν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς μηδὲ ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι περὶ τὴν τοιαύτην τοῦ βίου σπουδήν; οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶναί τινα βλάβην ψυχῆς διὰ τῶν τοιούτων συνισταμένην, ἀλλὰ μόνην ἀρκεῖν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν αἱρετικὴν πίστιν πρὸς τελειότητα. εἰ δὲ ἀρνεῖται τὸ μὴ οὕτως ἔχειν αὐτοῖς τὰ διδάγματα, εὐξαίμην ἂν ἔγωγε καὶ τῶν εὖ φρονούντων ἕκαστος ἀληθεύειν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀρνούμενον: ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐάσουσιν αὐτῷ προχωρῆσαι τὴν ἄρνησιν οἱ γνήσιοι μαθηταί, ἢ τὸ μέγιστον αὐτοῦ θεώρημα πεσεῖται καὶ καταλυθήσεται ἡ συσκευὴ τῶν διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα προσεδρευόντων τῷ δόγματι. « ἀναιδὴς » δὲ τίς καὶ « τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ψόγον οὐκ εὐλαβούμενος », ἐκ τῶν ἐν νεότητι βεβιωμένων ἢ ἐκ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα βούλει σκοπήσωμεν; ἀλλὰ δι' ἀμφοτέρων ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἂν εὕροις ἐπανιοῦσαν τῆς ἀναιδείας τὴν μέμψιν. οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ γὰρ ἑκατέροις οὔτε ἡ νεότης οὔτε ὁ μετὰ ταῦτα μαρτυρεῖ βίος. ὑπομνησάτω ἑαυτὸν ὁ λογογράφος τῶν τε ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος κατὰ τὸν τῆς νεότητος καιρὸν καὶ τῶν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει βεβιωμένων αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀκουσάτω παρὰ τῶν εἰδότων οἷα τῷ συκοφαντουμένῳ συνίσασιν. εἰ δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἐφεξῆς ἐπιτηδευμάτων τις ἐθέλοι σκοπεῖν, αὐτὸς εἰπάτω, τίς ἄξιος τοιούτου ὀνόματος, ὁ τὴν πατρῴαν οὐσίαν καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀφειδῶς ἀναλώσας τοῖς πένησι καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῷ τῆς σιτοδείας καιρῷ, καθ' ὃν ἐπεστάτει τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἔτι ἐν τῷ κλήρῳ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἱερατεύων, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μηδὲ τῶν ὑπολειφθέντων φεισάμενος, ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου καυχήσαιτο ὅτι Δωρεὰν ἄρτον οὐκ ἔφαγον, ἢ ὁ προσόδων ἀφορμὴν τὴν τοῦ δόγματος προστασίαν πεποιημένος, ὁ εἰσδύνων εἰς τὰς οἰκίας αὐτόκλητος οὐδὲ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πάθους ἀηδίαν τῇ καθ' ἑαυτὸν διαγωγῇ περιστέλλων οὐδὲ τὴν φυσικὴν τῶν ὑγιαινόντων πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ἀποστροφὴν λογιζόμενος, ὁ κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον διὰ τὴν ἁφὴν τῆς σημασίας ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς τῶν οἰκούντων ἀφοριζόμενος.
« Προπετὴς » δὲ πάλιν καὶ « ὑβριστὴς » καὶ « καθ' ἑκάτερον ψεύστης » ὀνομάζεται παρὰ τοῦ « μακροθύμως ἐν πραΰτητι τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους παιδεύοντος ». οὕτω γὰρ ἐν τῷ συγγράμματι τοῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγοις ἐνδιαθρύπτεται ὁ μηδεμίαν πικρίας ὑπερβολὴν ἀφιεὶς ἐν οἷς ἄν τι προενεγκεῖν ἐξισχύσῃ. πόθεν τοίνυν καὶ ἐκ ποίων πραγμάτων τὴν ὕβριν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ προπετὲς διελέγχει; « ὅτι », φησί, « καὶ Καππαδόκην ὄντα με Γαλάτην ὠνόμασεν ». εἶτα τὸν ἐν τῷ μεθορίῳ τῶν πατρίδων τὴν οἴκησιν ἔχοντα ἐν ἀνωνύμῳ τινὶ τῆς Κορνιασπινῆς ἐσχατιᾷ εἰ ἀντὶ τοῦ Ὀλτισηρέως Γαλάτην ὠνόμασεν (εἴπερ δὴ ὅλως καὶ τοῦτο προσειπὼν ἐπιδείκνυται: οὐ γὰρ εὗρον ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις βιβλίοις τοῦτο προσκείμενον, δεδόσθω δὲ ὅμως εἰρῆσθαι) ὑπὲρ τούτων « προπετὴς » καὶ « ὑβριστὴς » καὶ « ψεύστης » καὶ πάντα ὀνομάζεται τὰ δεινότατα; καὶ οὐ συνίησιν ὁ σοφός, ὅτι ἡ ἐπὶ μικροῖς παρὰ τοῦ συκοφάντου κατηγορία μεγάλην συνηγορίαν τῆς δεξιότητος τοῦ κατηγορουμένου παρίστησιν; οὐ γὰρ ἂν πρὸς κατηγορίαν κεκινημένος τῶν μειζόνων φειδόμενος ἐν τοῖς μικροτέροις ἀπησχόλει τὴν πονηρίαν: ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ πολύς ἐστιν ἐπαίρων καὶ δεινῶν τὸ ἀδίκημα καὶ σεμνῶς περὶ τοῦ ψεύδους φιλοσοφῶν, ἴσον εἰς ἀτοπίαν κρίνων, ἐάν τε περὶ μειζόνων ἐάν τε περὶ μικροτέρων ὁ λόγος. οἶδε γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ τῆς αἱρέσεως, τοὺς γραμματεῖς λέγω καὶ Φαρισαίους, ἀκριβῶς μὲν διϋλίζειν τὸν κώνωπα, ἀφειδῶς δὲ καταπίνειν τὴν σκολιὰν κάμηλον τὴν τῷ βάρει τῆς πονηρίας πεφορτισμένην. πρὸς ὃν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἦν ἴσως εἰπεῖν ὅτι φείδου τῆς τοιαύτης νομοθεσίας ἐν τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς πολιτείᾳ, τὸ παρ' οὐδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι κελεύειν βραχύτητι πραγμάτων καὶ μεγέθει διακρίνειν τὴν πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος διαβολήν. οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἁμαρτάνει Παῦλος ψευδόμενος καὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ἁγνιζόμενος ἐπὶ καιροῦ τῶν χρησίμως ἀπατωμένων, καὶ Ἰούδας ἐν τῷ τῆς προδοσίας καιρῷ φίλον καὶ προσήγορον σχῆμα ὑποδυόμενος. ἐψεύσατο καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διαπαίζων, καὶ ταῦτα τὴν ὑγείαν τοῦ Φαραὼ ἐπομνύμενος: ἀλλ' ἐψεύσαντο καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ κατ' αὐτοῦ πρότερον μὲν θάνατον, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ δουλείαν διὰ τὸν φθόνον βουλεύσαντες, καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἔστιν εἰπεῖν: ψεύδεται Σάρρα ἐπερυθριῶσα τῷ γέλωτι: ψεύδεται καὶ ὁ ὄφις εἰς θείαν μεταβαίνειν φύσιν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ τῆς παρακοῆς εἰσηγούμενος. πολλὴ « μὲν οὖν » τοῦ ψεύδους ἡ πρὸς τὰς ὑποθέσεις διαφορά, καὶ οὐδὲ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅση, εἴτε ἐκ τῶν ἀρχαίων διηγημάτων εἴτε ἐκ τοῦ νῦν βίου δοκιμάζοις τὸν λόγον. οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς δεξώμεθα, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν περὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπόφασιν, ἣν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀπεφήνατο ὅτι Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης, καὶ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος συνηνέχθη τῷ ψεύδει, τὴν ὅμορόν τινι χώραν ἀγνοίᾳ ἢ ὑπεροψίᾳ τῆς τοῦ τόπου προσηγορίας κατὰ τὸ συμβὰν ἐπιφημίσας. ἀλλ' ἐψεύσατο καὶ Εὐνόμιος, καὶ τί τὸ ψεῦδος; αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας παραγραφή. τὸν ἀεὶ ὄντα ποτὲ μὴ εἶναι λέγει, τὸν ἀληθῶς υἱὸν ψευδώνυμον ἔχειν τὴν προσηγορίαν κατασκευάζει, τὸν κτίστην πάντων αὐτὸν κτίσμα εἶναι καὶ ποίημα διορίζεται, τὸν κυριεύοντα τῶν ὅλων δοῦλον προσαγορεύει, τὸν ἐκ φύσεως τὸ ἄρχειν ἔχοντα τῇ δουλευούσῃ φύσει συγκατατάσσει. ἆρα μικρὰ τοῦ ψεύδους ἡ διαφορὰ καὶ τοσαύτη, ὡς ἀντ' οὐδενὸς οἴεσθαί τινα τὸ οὕτως ἢ ἑτέρως ἐψεῦσθαι δοκεῖν;