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the Word, having united His own to this, not only made the man created in himself «the firstborn of all creation,» but also wills him to be the beginning of all things, not only of those on earth, but also of those in the heavens. 2.3.4 After saying these things and others, the apostolic words, through which he theologizes about the Son of God, saying «who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because in him were created all things in the heavens and on the earth, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him; and he is before all things and in him all things hold together,» he refers to the flesh, not blushing to take such words of the apostle as referring to the flesh. Concerning which, proceeding, Marcellus himself writes these things: If, therefore, the Savior confesses that the flesh profits nothing, how is it possible for that which is from the earth and profits nothing to be with the Word in the ages to come, as being profitable to him? 2.3.5 And again, concerning the same flesh, he adds: 2.3.5 how could the form of a servant, which the Word assumed, being the form of a servant, still possibly be with the Word? But he who said such things about the flesh now says it is the «image of God,» and «firstborn of all creation,» and that it is before all things «and that all things in the heavens and on the earth, thrones, domin2.3.6ions, principalities, authorities, were created in it.» And he writes thus: Therefore if he is the «firstborn of all creation,» and «in him all things were created,» it is fitting for us to know that the apostle is now making mention of his economy according to the flesh. And he confirms the argument, adding next: Therefore, he was named «firstborn of all creation» on account of his birth according to the flesh, not 20on account of the first20, as they think, 20creation20. 2.3.7 And he adds: Therefore, this most holy Word was not named «firstborn of all creation» before the incarnation—for how is it possible for the one who always is to be the firstborn of something?—, but the first «new man,» in whom God willed «to sum up all things,» this one the divine scriptures name «firstborn of all» «creation.» And again he adds: Do you hear how not only these things, but also the pre-existing things «both in the heavens and on the earth in him» happen to be «created» according to the new creation. 2.3.8 These are the things, therefore, by which he has said that he was named firstborn of all creation on account of the flesh; but see how he again refers the verse «the Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works» to the flesh, not paying attention to the divine scripture speaking in this way from the person of Wisdom in Proverbs: «I, wisdom, made counsel my dwelling, and I called upon knowledge and thought; through me kings reign, and rulers 2.3.9 decree justice.» To which the same wisdom adds next: «I walk in the ways of righteousness, and I move in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may divide substance to those who love me, and fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that happen daily, 2.3.10 I will remember to recount the things from of old. The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works, before the age he founded me; in the beginning, before he made the earth» and the things that follow these. Marcellus, not wishing to apply his mind to these things, but having only one purpose, that of not confessing the Son of God, refers the aforesaid theology to the flesh, and having turned aside from the straight path, he devised for himself a pathless way, writing verbatim thus: 2.3.11 Therefore this main point of Proverbs, not wishing to establish 20the beginning of the divinity20 of our Savior, as they suppose, said, «the Lord created me,» but the second economy according to the flesh; for this reason it also makes mention of creation, appropriately for the human flesh. 2.3.12 And next he adds: Therefore the creation concerns his dispensation according to man. Therefore it says, «The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works» for

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λόγος, ταύτῃ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἑνώσας, οὐ μόνον «πρωτό τοκον πάσης κτίσεως» τὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἄνθρωπον κτισθέντα ἀπειρ γάσατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρχὴν ἁπάντων αὐτὸν εἶναι βούλεται, οὐ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς. 2.3.4 τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν μεθ' ἕτερα τὰς ἀποστολικὰς φωνάς, δι' ὧν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ θεολογεῖ φάσκων «ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως· ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι, τὰ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτὸν συνέστηκεν», ἐπὶ τὴν σάρκα ἀναφέρει, οὐκ ἐρυθριῶν τὰς τοιαύτας τοῦ ἀποστόλου φωνὰς ἐκλαμβάνειν ἐπὶ τὴν σάρκα. περὶ ἧς προϊὼν αὐτὸς Μάρκελλος ταῦτα γράφει εἰ οὖν ὁ σωτὴρ ὁμολογεῖ τὴν σάρκα μηδὲν ὠφελεῖν, πῶς ἐγχωρεῖ τὴν ἐκ γῆς τε οὖσαν καὶ μηδὲν ὠφελοῦσαν ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσιν αἰῶσιν ὡς αὐτῷ λυσιτελοῦσαν συνεῖναι τῷ λόγω; 2.3.5 καὶ αὖθις περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιλέγει 2.3.5 πῶς ἔτι τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν, ἣν ἀνείληφεν ὁ λόγος, μορφὴν οὖσαν δούλου, συνεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ διὸ δυνατὸν γένοιτ' ἄν; ἀλλ' ὁ τοιαῦτα περὶ τῆς σαρκὸς εἰπὼν νῦν «εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ» αὐτὴν λέγει, καὶ «πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως», αὐτήν τε οὖσαν πρὸ πάντων «καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, θρόνους, κυριό2.3.6 τητας, ἀρχάς, ἐξουσίας, ἐν αὐτῇ ἐκτίσθαι». γράφει δὲ οὕτως οὐκοῦν εἰ «πρωτότοκος» μέν ἐστιν «ἁπάσης κτίσεως» αὐτός, «ἐν αὐτῷ» δὲ «ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα», προσήκει εἰδέναι ἡμᾶς, ὅτι περὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίας αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀπόστολος νυνὶ μέμνηται. καὶ ἐπιβεβαιοῖ τὸν λόγον ἐπιφέρων ἑξῆς «πρωτότοκος» οὖν «ἁπάσης κτίσεως» διὰ τὴν κατὰ σάρκα γένεσιν ὠνομάσθη, οὐ 20διὰ τὴν πρώτην20, ὡς αὐτοὶ οἴονται, 20κτίσιν20. 2.3.7 καὶ ἐπιλέγει οὐ τοίνυν οὗτος ὁ ἁγιώτατος λόγος πρὸ τῆς ἐνανθρω πήσεως «πρωτότοκος ἁπάσης κτίσεως» ὠνόμαστο πῶς γὰρ δυνα τὸν τὸν ἀεὶ ὄντα πρωτότοκον εἶναί τινος;, ἀλλὰ τὸν πρῶτον «καινὸν ἄνθρωπον», εἰς ὃν «τὰ πάντα ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι» ἐβου λήθη ὁ θεός, τοῦτον αἱ θεῖαι γραφαὶ «πρωτότοκον πάσης» ὀνομά ζουσιν «κτίσεως». καὶ αὖθις ἐπιφέρει ἀκούεις ὅπως οὐ μόνον ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ προϋπάρχοντα «ἔν τε οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ» κατὰ τὴν καινὴν κτίσιν «ἐκτίσθαι» συμβαίνει. 2.3.8 ταῦτα μὲν οὖν δι' ὧν πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως διὰ τὴν σάρκα αὐτὸν ὠνομάσθαι εἴρηκεν· θέα δὲ ὅπως καὶ τὸ «κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ» πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν σάρκα ἀναφέρει, μὴ προσέχων τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ ἐκ προσώπου τῆς σοφίας ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις τοῦτον λεγούσῃ τὸν τρόπον «ἐγὼ ἡ σοφία κατεσκήνωσα βουλήν, καὶ γνῶσιν καὶ ἔννοιαν ἐγὼ ἐπεκαλεσάμην· δι' ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσιν, καὶ οἱ δυνάσται 2.3.9 γράφουσιν δικαιοσύνην». οἷς ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει ἡ αὐτὴ σοφία «ἐν ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης περιπατῶ, καὶ ἀναμέσον τρίβων δικαιώματος ἀναστρέφομαι, ἵνα μερίσω τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀγαπῶσιν ὕπαρξιν, καὶ τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν ἐμπλήσω ἀγαθῶν. ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν γιγνόμενα, 2.3.10 μνημονεύσω τὰ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀριθμῆσαι. κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέν με· ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι» καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑξῆς. οἷς μὴ βουληθεὶς τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπιστῆσαι Μάρκελλος, ἑνὸς δὲ μόνου γενόμενος σκοποῦ, τοῦ μὴ ὁμολογῆσαι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, τὴν προκειμένην θεολογίαν ἐπὶ τὴν σάρκα ἀναφέρει, καὶ τὴν εὐθεῖαν παρεκτραπεὶς ὁδὸν ἀνοδίαν ἑαυτῷ ἐπενόησεν, γράφων κατὰ λέξιν οὕτως 2.3.11 τὸ τοίνυν κεφάλαιον τουτὶ τῆς Παροιμίας οὐ 20τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς θεότητος20, ὥσπερ αὐτοὶ νομίζουσιν, τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παρα στῆσαι βουλόμενον «κύριος ἔκτισέν με» ἔφη, ἀλλὰ τὴν δευτέραν κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίαν· διὸ καὶ κτίσεως μέμνηται προσφόρως τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης σαρκός. 2.3.12 καὶ ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει οὐκοῦν ἡ κτίσις τῇ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον αὐτοῦ διαφέρει πρα γματείᾳ. διό φησιν «κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς