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an energy that does not produce a second substance, mediating somehow through itself between both and neither coinciding with the first according to nature nor being joined to the second? For it is separated from the one by not being a nature, but a movement of nature, and it does not coincide with the one after itself because it did not produce through itself a mere energy, but an active substance. 1.1.212 Then let us examine that point in addition to these. 20work20 he names the substance of the substance, the second of the first, and again the third of the second, having first demonstrated the argument in what way? having used what constructions for this? by what method having compelled us to believe that the 1.1.213 subsequent must be by the energy of the preceding? For if it were necessary to reason by analogy about these things from the other things observed in creation, it would not even so be right to speculate about the things which are above from those which are below, yet nevertheless the argument would perhaps have something pardonable, wandering among the incomprehensible things by means of phenomena. But now who will attempt to say this, that heaven is the work of God, but the sun is the work of heaven, and the moon of the sun, and the stars of it, and of them something else among the things in creation? For all things are the works of one, since there is One 1.1.214 God and Father of all, from whom are all things. But if something also comes to be through others, as is the generation of animals, not even this becomes one thing from another, the nature remaining in those that come after. How then, being able to say such a thing about none of the things observed in creation, does he construct this argument about the transcendent substance, that the second is a 20work20 1.1.215 of the first, and the subsequent one of it? But if, having considered animal generation, he imagined from this to think something in a similar manner also about the incorruptible nature, so that the subsequent is conceived as the work of the preceding, not even in this does he preserve the coherence of the argument. For things that come from others are in every way of the same kind as those from which they come; but he attests to what is foreign and of another kind for things generated through one another, in order to show the abundance of his falsehood, like some ambidextrous combatant attempting to strike 1.1.216 the truth with a double hand. For in order to demonstrate the inferiority and the diminished state according to natural dignity of the Son and of the Spirit, he says one was generated from another; but lest those who have learned of generation from one another should ever arrive at a concept of kinship from such a mode of existence, he also fights against the very principle of nature, both saying that one is generated from another and declaring the one begotten to be illegitimate with respect to the nature of the begetter. 1.1.217 But what seems to me that one might reasonably criticize before these things is this. If he were one of the many, inexperienced in speaking, unpracticed and untrained in such constructions, and then declared what occurred to him by chance, he would perhaps have been pardonable for not employing the customary approaches to the construction of doctrines concerning these matters. 1.1.218 But since he possesses so much ability in this, that he even extends himself to things beyond our nature through his apprehensive approach, how did he not know the principle, by which the comprehension of every hidden matter comes about in these logical 1.1.219 attempts? For who does not know that every argument, taking its first principles from things that are manifest and known to all, through itself brings conviction to disputed points, and that none of the hidden things could be comprehended otherwise, unless the agreed-upon things guide us to the understanding of the unknown? But if the premises of arguments taken for the manifestation of the unknown were to conflict with the assumptions of the many, scarcely would the unknown be made manifest through them. 1.1.220 Therefore, the entire battle and doubt of the dogma for the ecclesiastics against the Anomoeans is about whether it is necessary to consider the Son and the Spirit as created, according to the argument of the opponents, or of the uncreated nature, as the church has believed. This man, therefore, declares the very thing contradicted by all as if it were agreed upon, and having found no proof that it is a 20work20 of the preceding
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δευτέραν οὐ σίαν ἀπεργαζομένη ἐνέργεια, μεσιτεύουσά πως δι' ἑαυτῆς ἀμφοτέραις καὶ οὔτε τῇ πρώτῃ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν συμβαίνουσα οὔτε πρὸς τὴν δευτέραν συναπτομένη; τῆς μὲν γὰρ κεχώ ρισται τῷ μὴ φύσις εἶναι, ἀλλὰ φύσεως κίνησις, τῇ δὲ μεθ' ἑαυτὴν οὐ συμβαίνει, ὅτι οὐ ψιλὴν ἐνέργειαν, ἀλλ' ἐν εργὸν οὐσίαν δι' ἑαυτῆς ὑπεστήσατο. 1.1.212 Εἶτα κἀκεῖνο τούτοις προσεξετάσωμεν. 20ἔργον20 ὀνο μάζει τῆς οὐσίας τὴν οὐσίαν, τὴν μὲν δευτέραν τῆς πρώτης, τῆς δὲ δευτέρας πάλιν τὴν τρίτην, τίνι τρόπῳ προαπο δείξας τὸν λόγον; τίσι κατασκευαῖς εἰς τοῦτο χρησάμενος; ἐκ ποίας μεθόδου τὸ δεῖν ἐνεργείᾳ τῆς προαγούσης τὴν 1.1.213 ἐφεξῆς εἶναι πιστεύειν συναναγκάσας; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει θεωρουμένων ἔδει καὶ περὶ τούτων ἀναλογίσασθαι, εἶχε μὲν οὐδ' οὕτω καλῶς ἐκ τῶν κατω τέρων καὶ περὶ τῶν ὑπερκειμένων στοχάσασθαι, πλὴν ἀλλ' εἶχέ τι συγγνωστὸν ἴσως ὁ λόγος, διὰ τῶν φαινομένων ἐν τοῖς ἀκαταλήπτοις πλανώμενος. νυνὶ δὲ τίς τοῦτο λέγειν ἐπιχειρήσει, ὅτι οὐρανὸς μὲν ἔργον θεοῦ οὐρανοῦ δὲ ἥλιος καὶ ἡλίου σελήνη καὶ ταύτης ἀστέρες κἀκείνων ἄλλο τι τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει; ἑνὸς γὰρ ἔργα τὰ πάντα, ἐπειδὴ Εἷς 1.1.214 θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ πάντων, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα. εἰ δέ τι καὶ δι' ἀλλήλων γίνεται ὥσπερ ἡ τῶν ζῴων γένεσις, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἕτερον ἐξ ἑτέρου γίνεται, διαμενούσης ἐν τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις τῆς φύσεως. πῶς οὖν ἐπ' οὐδενὸς τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει θεω ρουμένων ἔχων τὸ τοιοῦτον εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπερκειμένης οὐσίας τοῦτο κατασκευάζει, τὸ 20ἔργον20 εἶναι τὴν δευτέραν 1.1.215 τῆς πρώτης καὶ ταύτης τὴν ἐφεξῆς; εἰ δὲ τὴν ζῳώδη γένεσιν ἐννοήσας ἐντεῦθεν ἐφαντάσθη καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀκη ράτου φύσεως ὁμοιότροπόν τι λογίσασθαι, ὥστε ἔργον νοη θῆναι τὸ ἐφεξῆς τοῦ προάγοντος, οὐδ' ἐν τούτῳ τὸ ἀκό λουθον διασῴζει τοῦ λόγου. τὰ γὰρ ἐξ ἑτέρων γινόμενα ὁμοιογενῆ πάντως ἐστὶ τοῖς ἐξ ὧν γίνεται· ὁ δὲ τὸ ξένον τε καὶ ἀλλόφυλον τοῖς δι' ἀλλήλων γεγενημένοις προσμαρ τυρεῖ, ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν περιουσίαν τοῦ ψεύδους, ὥς τις περι δέξιος ἀγωνιστὴς διπλῇ τῇ χειρὶ βάλλειν ἐπιχειρῶν τὴν 1.1.216 ἀλήθειαν. ἵνα γὰρ τὸ ὑφειμένον καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν φυσικὴν ἀξίαν ἠλαττωμένον τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιδείξῃ, ἕτερον ἐξ ἑτέρου γενόμενον λέγει· ὡς δὲ μήποτε εἰς οἰκειό τητος ἔννοιαν ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου τρόπου τῆς ὑπάρξεως ἔλ θοιεν οἱ τὴν ἐξ ἀλλήλων γένεσιν μεμαθηκότες, καὶ αὐτῷ μάχεται τῷ τῆς φύσεως λόγῳ, καὶ ἕτερον ἐξ ἑτέρου γε νέσθαι λέγων καὶ νόθον τὸν γεγεννημένον ὡς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ γεγεννηκότος φύσιν ἀποφαινόμενος. 1.1.217 Ὃ δέ μοι δοκεῖ πρὸ τούτων ἄν τις εἰκότως μέμψασθαι, τοῦτό ἐστιν. εἰ μὲν τῶν πολλῶν τις ἦν ἐν ἀπειρίᾳ τοῦ λέγειν ἀτριβὴς τῶν τοιούτων κατασκευῶν καὶ ἀγύμναστος, ἔπειτα τὸ παραστὰν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸ συμβὰν ἀπεφαίνετο, συγγνωστὸς ἂν ἦν ἴσως ταῖς νενομισμέναις περὶ τούτων ἐφόδοις εἰς τὴν τῶν δογμάτων κατασκευὴν μὴ συγχρώμενος. 1.1.218 ἐπεὶ δὲ τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ περίεστι τῆς ἐν τούτῳ δυνάμεως, ὥστε καὶ εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς καταληπτικῆς ἐφόδου ὑπερεκτείνεσθαι, πῶς ἠγνόησε τὴν ἀρχήν, δι' ἧς παντὸς κεκρυμμένου πράγματος ἐν ταῖς λογι 1.1.219 καῖς ταύταις ἐπιχειρήσεσιν ἡ κατάληψις γίνεται; τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι πᾶς λόγος ἐκ τῶν φανερῶν τε καὶ πᾶσιν ἐγνωσμένων τὰς ἀρχὰς λαμβάνων τοῖς ἀμφισβητουμένοις δι' αὐτοῦ ἐπάγει τὴν πίστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἑτέρως τι καταληφθείη τῶν κεκρυμμένων, μὴ τῶν ὁμολογουμένων ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀδήλων σύνεσιν χειραγωγούντων; εἰ δὲ τὰ ἐν ἀρχαῖς λόγων πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγνοουμένων φανέρωσιν λαμβανόμενα ταῖς τῶν πολλῶν ὑπολήψεσι μάχοιτο, σχολῇ γ' ἂν διὰ τούτων φανερωθείη τὸ ἀγνοούμενον. 1.1.220 Οὐκοῦν ἡ πᾶσα μάχη καὶ ἀμφιβολία τοῦ δόγματος τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς πρὸς τοὺς Ἀνομοίους ἐστὶ περί [τε] τοῦ δεῖν ἢ κτιστὸν νοεῖν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῶν ἐναντίων ἢ τῆς ἀκτίστου φύσεως, καθὼς ἡ ἐκκλησία πεπίστευκεν. οὗτος τοίνυν αὐτὸ τὸ παρὰ πάντων ἀντιλεγό μενον ὡς ὁμολογούμενον ἀποφαίνεται, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἀπό δειξιν ἐξευρὼν τοῦ 20ἔργον20 εἶναι τῆς προαγούσης