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saying that he will be united with God and will be just as he was also before? For if he will be then just as he was also before, neither will the Word who came forth from God exist as he was before, but also God himself will be unlike himself, formerly having the Word in himself and at the consummation of all things taking him back and becoming then just as he was also before, but in the time in between being in an unlike state. And likewise the Word, having come to be outside of God, will not be before the consummation of all things as 2.9.3 he was before. And what argument could be more impious than these? For in general the "was" and the "will be" and the "once having been" and the "again about to be," being indicative of change in time, would be alien to the timeless and unoriginate and unbegotten and unchangeable substance, of which it is fitting to conceive only "to be" and to be always unalterably in the same state and in the same way, not diminishing, not contracting, not extending, not unfolding, nor having anything outside or inside itself, nor becoming different at different times, nor being one thing before then becoming something else and again being restored to its 2.9.4 original state. Which things Marcellus dared to suppose, saying that God existed long ago and a certain quietness along with God, outlining for himself according to that very leader of the atheist heretics who, teaching godless doctrines, declared, saying: "There was God and silence," and after the silence and the quietness the Word of God came forth at the beginning of the world-making with effective energy; so that he was no longer as he was, formerly at rest in the silent God, but to be active, 2.9.5 coming forth from God. And how, then, did he come forth? Surely somehow by the utterance of an articulate voice, that is, of God speaking and talking in the same way as men. This, at least, seemed so to him when he wrote in this way: "For just as all the things that have been made by the Father have been made through the Word, so also the things that are spoken by the Father are signified through the Word." 2.9.6 And again: "For all things whatsoever the Father says, these things everywhere he is seen to say through the Word." And this is clear also from our own case, in so far as small things can be compared to great and divine things; for we too, all things that we wish both to say and to do as far as possible, we do by our word. 2.9.7 If, then, in this way the Word came forth from the Father with effective energy, whence did it occur to Marcellus to set a time limit for the energy of the Word, that of the consummation, at which he asserts the Word will be in God just as he was also before—but before he granted that he was at rest in the silent God? Therefore also after the consummation there will be a certain quietness, since the Word will be about to do nothing. But before the constitution of created things there was nothing, he says, except God, and since there was nothing, 2.9.8 he reasonably fashioned for himself the quietness; but at the time of the consummation Daniel the prophet prophesies that there will be myriads before the throne of God, saying, "A thousand thousands ministered to him, and 2.9.9 ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him," and surely all also the sons of the age to come will be there then, both the blessed souls of patriarchs and prophets and apostles and the holy spirits of martyrs and all the sheep of our savior that will stand at his right hand and will hear, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the 2.9.10 world." Since, therefore, so many will exist and will live an immortal life after the time of judgment, why will the Word of God not be active then also? But whence did it occur to Marcellus to declare that God will no longer speak to the saints then, nor will he use his active Word, but he will be, as he also was before, in himself, that is, silent and at rest? For he suggested this by saying many times that he will be then as he also was before; and he was before, as he himself said, in quietness. 2.9.11 Therefore God will then fall silent, though before this he was speaking and using his active Word, but then, in the very promised kingdom of heaven, depriving the... of his own Word and the wisdom in him.

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λέγων αὐτὸν ἑνωθήσεσθαι τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἔσεσθαι ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἦν; εἰ γὰρ τότε ἔσται ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἦν, οὔτε ὁ λόγος ὁ προελθὼν τοῦ θεοῦ ὁποῖος ἦν πρότερον ὑπάρξει, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ἔσται ἑαυτῷ ἀνόμοιος, πάλαι μὲν ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν λόγον καὶ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ παντὸς ἀποληψόμενος αὐτὸν καὶ γιγνόμενος τότε ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἦν, ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ ἀνομοίως κείμενος. καὶ ὁ λόγος δὲ ὡσαύτως ἐκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ γενόμενος οὐκ ἔσται πρὸ τῆς συντελείας τοῦ παντὸς οἷος 2.9.3 ἦν πρότερον. καὶ τίς ἂν τούτων δυσσεβέστερος γένοιτ' ἂν λόγος; ὅλως γὰρ τὸ ἦν καὶ τὸ ἔσται καὶ τὸ γεγονέναι ποτὲ καὶ πάλιν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι, τῆς ἐν χρόνῳ μεταβολῆς ὄντα δηλωτικά, ἀλλότρια ἂν εἴη τῆς ἀχρόνου καὶ ἀνάρχου καὶ ἀγενήτου καὶ ἀναλλοιώτου οὐσίας, ἐφ' ἧς τὸ εἶναι μόνον ἐπιπρέπει νοεῖν καὶ εἶναι ἀπαραλλάκτως ἀεὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχουσαν, μὴ μειουμένην, μὴ συστελλομένην, μὴ ἐκτεινομένην, μὴ ἐξαπλουμένην, μηδ' ἐκτός τι καὶ ἐντὸς ἑαυτῆς ἔχουσαν, μηδ' ἄλλοτε ἄλλην γιγνομένην, μηδ' ἕτερον μὲν οὖσαν πρότερον εἶτα ἄλλο τι γιγνομένην καὶ πάλιν εἰς τὸ 2.9.4 ἀρχαῖον ἀποκαθισταμένην. ἃ δὴ Μάρκελλος ἐτόλμα ὑποτίθεσθαι, πάλαι μὲν λέγων εἶναι τὸν θεὸν καί τινα ἡσυχίαν ἅμα τῷ θεῷ ὑπογράφων ἑαυτῷ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν τῶν ἀθέων αἱρεσιωτῶν ἀρχηγὸν ὃς τὰ ἄθεα δογματίζων ἀπεφαίνετο λέγων· ἦν θεὸς καὶ σιγή, μετὰ δὲ τὴν σιγὴν καὶ τὴν ἡσυχίαν προελθεῖν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς κοσμοποιίας δραστικῇ ἐνεργείᾳ· ὡς μηκέτ' εἶναι αὐτόν, οἷος ἦν ἐν σιωπῶντι τῷ θεῷ πρότερον ἡσυχάζων, ἀλλ' ἐνερ2.9.5 γεῖν προερχόμενον τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ πῶς ἄρα προῄει; πάντως που κατὰ προφορὰν φωνῆς ἐνάρθρου, φθεγγομένου δηλαδὴ καὶ λαλοῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ ὁμοίως ἀνθρώποις. τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτῷ ἐδόκει γράφοντι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ γεγονότα πάντα ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ λόγου γέγονεν, οὕτω καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ λόγου σημαίνεται. 2.9.6 καὶ αὖθις πάντα γὰρ ὅσα ἂν ὁ πατὴρ λέγῃ, ταῦτα πανταχοῦ διὰ τοῦ λόγου λέγων φαίνεται. τοῦτο δὲ δῆλόν ἐστιν καὶ ἀφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, ὅσα μικρὰ τοῖς μεγάλοις καὶ θείοις ἀπεικάσαι· καὶ ἡμεῖς γὰρ πάντα ὅσα ἂν θέλωμεν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν λέγειν τε καὶ ποιεῖν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ποιοῦμεν λόγῳ. 2.9.7 εἰ δὴ οὖν οὕτως ὁ λόγος προῆλθεν τοῦ πατρὸς δραστικῇ ἐνεργείᾳ, πόθεν Μαρκέλλῳ ἐπῆλθεν περιορίσαι χρόνον τῇ τοῦ λόγου ἐνεργείᾳ τὸν τῆς συντελείας, καθ' ὃν ἔσεσθαι φάσκει τὸν λόγον ἐν τῷ θεῷ, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἦν πρότερον δὲ ἡσυχάζοντα αὐτὸν ἐδίδου ἐν σιωπῶντι τῷ θεῷ; οὐκοῦν καὶ μετὰ τὴν συντέλειαν ἡσυχία τις ἔσται, μηδὲν μέλλοντος ἐνεργεῖν τοῦ λόγου. ἀλλὰ πρὸ μὲν τῆς τῶν γενητῶν συστάσεως οὐδὲν ἦν, φησίν, πλὴν θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπεὶ μηδὲν 2.9.8 ἦν, εἰκότως ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἐτυποῦτο· κατὰ δὲ τὸν τῆς συντελείας καιρὸν ∆ανιὴλ ὁ προφήτης πρὸ τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ θεοῦ μυριάδας ἔσεσθαι θεσπίζει λέγων «χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ, καὶ 2.9.9 μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ», πάντες δέ που καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος τότε ἔσονται αἵ τε μακάριαι ψυχαὶ πατριαρχῶν καὶ προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων ἅγιά τε πνεύματα μαρτύρων πάντα τε πρόβατα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὰ ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ στησόμενά τε καὶ ἀκουσόμενα «δεῦτε οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς 2.9.10 κόσμου». τοσούτων τοίνυν ἐσομένων καὶ ἀθάνατον ζωὴν ζησομένων μετὰ τὸν τῆς κρίσεως καιρόν, διὰ τί μὴ ἐνεργήσει ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος καὶ τότε; πόθεν δὲ Μαρκέλλῳ παρέστη ἀποφήνασθαι, ὅτι οὐκέτι λαλήσει τοῖς ἁγίοις ὁ θεὸς τότε οὐδὲ χρήσεται ἐνεργῷ τῷ αὐτοῦ λόγῳ, ἀλλ' ἔσται, ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἦν, ἐν αὐτῷ σιωπῶν δηλαδὴ καὶ ἡσυχάζων; τοῦτο γὰρ παρίστη πολλάκις εἰπὼν τότε ἔσεσθαι αὐτὸν ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἦν· ἦν δὲ πρότερον, ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφη, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ. 2.9.11 οὐκοῦν ἀποσιωπήσει τότε ὁ θεός, πρὸ τούτου μὲν λαλῶν καὶ τῷ λόγῳ χρώμενος ἐνεργῷ, τότε δὲ κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν τοῦ οἰκείου λόγου καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ σοφίας ἀποστερῶν τοὺς