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Do other things that are spoken of reveal only the relation to what they are spoken of? For example, man, and horse, and ox, each presents the very thing named; but son, or slave, or friend, are indicative only of the connection to the conjoined name. Therefore, one who hears "offspring" is not brought in his mind to some essence, but understands that it is connected to another. For "offspring" is said to be the offspring of something. How is it not of the utmost madness to legislate that this, which does not produce the thought of any hypostasis, 29.589 but only signifies the relation to another, is an essence? And yet a little earlier it was shown by us that even the absolute names, even if they seem most of all to indicate some subject, do not present the essence itself, but define certain properties about it. But this wisest one, who has dedicated his whole life to vain arts, does not blush to say that "offspring" signifies the very essence of the Only-begotten. But consider how great an absurdity this has. For if essence is offspring, and conversely, if something is an offspring, this is essence; all offspring will be of the same essence with one another. From this, then, what will happen according to his argument? The Creator of all things will be shown to have the same essence as all those who have partaken of generation. For he will not say that "offspring" signifies essence in the case of the Son, but in the case of the rest who partake of coming-into-being it no longer preserves the same meaning. Since let him state some clear and irrefutable reason why the same appellation does not have the same force equally in all cases. But he would not have one. For whatever definition of offspring he might devise, this will apply equally to all begotten things. And the greatest proof of the truth of this argument is the mind of each of the hearers itself. For let each one ask himself, when he hears, "So-and-so is the offspring of so-and-so," what thought is imprinted. Is it that the one begotten is the essence of the begetter? Or is this indeed ridiculous, but that is true, that he was brought into being from him by generation. Therefore, this will fittingly be said equally both in the case of the Only-begotten and of anyone whatsoever of those who have been begotten. And let no one (since the relation is common) think this is a diminution of the dignity of the Only-begotten. For the difference for the Son with respect to other things is not in being in a certain relation, but the superiority of God over mortals is made manifest in the particularity of the essence. Consider, however, to what point of absurdity their argument leads. If "offspring" is said to be the offspring of another, as both common usage confirms, and no one will deny, and this same thing in the case of the Son also signifies essence according to their argument; he will be the essence of that one of whom he is also called the offspring. Therefore, from this sequence, the appellation of "offspring" will no longer signify the essence of the Only-begotten, which is what they force, but that of the God of all. For if it is not possible to understand the essence as one thing, and the offspring as another thing beside 29.592 it, and it has equal force to say both "essence" and "offspring"; and the Son is the offspring of God, he will be the essence of God, if indeed "offspring" indicates the essence. And thus the offspring will be shown to be the essence of the unbegotten according to his argument. But if the conclusion is ridiculous, let the one who laid down the premises inherit the shame. For it seems somehow that argument, once it has been diverted from the truth, is carried into many and dangerous absurdities by the consistency of its error. These things, then, are like certain preliminaries and preparations for the blasphemy; but the chief point of the evil he introduces in what follows, saying: {EUN.} That the essence of the Son was begotten, not existing before its own constitution, but being begotten before all things by the will of the Father. {BAS.} He still holds to the same contrivances. He discourses to us about the essence of the Son, as if saying the Son is something other than it, and in this manner he tames the ear to the blasphemy; not saying openly that the Son was begotten from non-existing things, but that his essence was begotten, not existing. Not existing before what? Tell me. Consider his

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ἕτε ρα λεγόμενα τὴν σχέσιν μόνην ἐμφαίνει τὴν πρὸς ἃ λέγεται; Οἷον, ἄνθρωπος μὲν, καὶ ἵππος, καὶ βοῦς, αὐτὸ ἕκαστον τῶν ὀνομαζομένων παρίστη σιν· υἱὸς δὲ, ἢ δοῦλος, ἢ φίλος, μόνης τῆς πρὸς τὸ συνεζευγμένον ὄνομα συναφείας ἐστὶ δηλωτικά. Ὁ τοίνυν ἀκούσας γεννήματος οὐκ ἐπί τινα οὐσίαν τῇ διανοίᾳ φέρεται, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἑτέρῳ ἐστὶ συναπτόμενον ἐννοεῖ. Τὸ γὰρ γέννημά τινος λέγεται γέννημα. Ὃ μέντοι οὐχ ὑποστάσεώς τινος ἔννοιαν ἐμποιεῖ, 29.589 ἀλλὰ μόνην τὴν πρὸς ἕτερον σχέσιν ἀποσημαίνει, τοῦτο οὐσίαν εἶναι νομοθετεῖν πῶς οὐ τῆς ἀνωτάτω παραπληξίας ἐστί; Καίτοιγε μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἐδείκνυτο παρ' ἡμῶν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἀπολελυμένα τῶν ὀνομάτων, κἂν τὰ μάλιστα δοκῇ ὑποκείμενόν τι δη λοῦν, οὐκ αὐτὴν παρίστησι τὴν οὐσίαν, ἰδιώματα δέ τινα περὶ αὐτὴν ἀφορίζει. Ἀλλ' ὁ σοφώτατος, καὶ ταῖς ματαιοτεχνίαις ἅπαντα τὸν βίον ἐσχολακὼς, οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷ αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς σημαίνειν λέγων τὸ γέννημα. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅσην τὴν ἀτοπίαν ἔχει, σκοπεῖτε. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ οὐσία γέννημα, καὶ ἀνάπαλιν, εἴ τι γέννημα, τοῦτο οὐσία· ὁμοούσια τὰ γεννήματα πάντα ἀλλήλοις ἔσται. Ἐκ δὴ τούτου τί συμβήσεται κατὰ τὸν τούτου λόγον; Ὁ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων πᾶσι τοῖς γεννήσεως μετειληφόσι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχων οὐσίαν ἀνα φανήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὐσίαν φήσει σημαίνειν τὸ γέννημα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν μετ εχόντων γενέσεως οὐκέτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔννοιαν ἀποσώ ζειν. Ἐπεὶ λεγέτω τινὰ αἰτίαν σαφῆ καὶ ἀναν τίῤῥητον τοῦ τὴν αὐτὴν προσηγορίαν μὴ ἐπὶ πάντων ὁμοίως τὸ ἴσον δύνασθαι. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι. Ὃν γὰρ ἂν ἐπινοήσῃ γεννήματος λόγον, οὗτος πᾶσιν ὁμοίως τοῖς γεννητοῖς ἐφαρμόσει. Μέγιστον δὲ τε κμήριον τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ λόγου ἡ αὐτοῦ ἑκάστου τῶν ἀκουόντων διάνοια. Ἐρωτάτω γὰρ ἕκαστος ἑαυ τὸν, ἐπειδὰν ἀκούσῃ, Ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ δεῖνος γέννη μα, τίνα ἔννοιαν ἐντυποῦται. Ἆρα ὅτι ὁ γεννηθεὶς οὐσία τοῦ γεγεννηκότος ἐστίν; Ἢ τοῦτο μὲν κατα γέλαστον, ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀληθὲς, ὅτι παρ' αὐτοῦ γεννητῶς εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήχθη. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ὁμοίως ἐπί τε τοῦ Μονογενοῦς καὶ ἐφ' οὑτινοσοῦν τῶν γεννη θέντων ἁρμόσει λέγεσθαι. Καὶ μηδεὶς (ἐπειδὴ κοινὸν τὸ τῆς σχέσεως) καθαίρεσιν εἶναι τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ Μο νογενοῦς νομιζέτω. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πρός τί πως ἔχειν ἡ διαφορὰ τῷ Υἱῷ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ἰδιότητι τῆς οὐσίας ἡ ὑπεροχὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὰ θνητὰ δια φαίνεται. Σκοπεῖτε μέντοι ποῦ τῆς ἀτοπίας ὁ τούτων λόγος ἐκφέρει. Εἰ τὸ γέννημα ἑτέρου λέγεται γέννη μα, ὡς ἥ τε κοινὴ συνήθεια βεβαιοῖ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντ ερεῖ, ταυτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὐσίαν ση μαίνει κατὰ τὸν τούτων λόγον· ἐκείνου ἔσται οὐσία, οὗ καὶ γέννημα λέγεται. Ἔσται τοίνυν ἐκ τῆς ἀκο λουθίας ταύτης οὐκέτι τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὴν οὐσίαν ἡ τοῦ γεννήματος προσηγορία σημαίνουσα, ὅπερ οὗτοι βιάζονται, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων. Εἰ γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἕτερον μέν τι τὴν οὐσίαν νοεῖν, ἕτερον δέ τι παρ' 29.592 αὐτὴν τὸ γέννημα, καὶ ἴσον δύναται, οὐσίαν τε εἰπεῖν καὶ γέννημα· τοῦ Θεοῦ δέ ἐστι γέννημα ὁ Υἱὸς, τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔσται οὐσία, εἴπερ τὸ γέννημα τὴν οὐσίαν δηλοῖ. Καὶ οὕτω τὸ γέννημα οὐσία τοῦ ἀγεννήτου κατὰ τὸν τούτου λόγον ἀναφανήσεται. Εἰ δὲ γελοῖον τὸ συναγόμενον, ὁ θεὶς τὰ λήμματα τῆς αἰσχύνης κληρονομείτω. Ἔοικε γάρ πως ὁ λόγος, ἐπειδὰν ἅπαξ τῆς ἀληθείας παρενεχθῇ, εἰς πολλὰς καὶ ἐπι κινδύνους ἀτοπίας ὑπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πλάνην ἀκολου θίας ἐκφέρεσθαι. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὥσπερ προαγῶνές τινες καὶ κατασκευαὶ τῆς βλασφημίας εἰσί· τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τοῦ κακοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει λέγων· {ΕΥΝ.} Τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι μὲν οὐκ οὖσαν πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας συστάσεως, εἶναι δὲ γεννηθεῖσαν πρὸ πάντων γνώμῃ τοῦ Πατρός. {ΒΑΣ.} Ἔτι τῶν αὐτῶν ἔχεται τεχνασμάτων. Περὶ τῆς οὐσίας ἡμῖν τοῦ Υἱοῦ διαλέγεται, ὡς δή τι ἕτε ρον λέγων παρ' αὐτὴν τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ προημεροῖ τῇ βλασφημίᾳ τὴν ἀκοήν· οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς λέγων ἐκ μὴ ὄντων γεγεννῆσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι οὐκ οὖσαν. Πρὸ τίνος οὐκ οὖσαν; εἰπέ. Θεωρεῖτε αὐτοῦ τὸ