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By the grace of God all at once and together? And, if you please, let us first set up the heresies themselves in order. Do you wish for the order of impiety, or that of time? But let us see the order of time; for that of impiety is difficult to comprehend. Therefore, let Sabellius the Libyan be brought forward first. What then does he say? That the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, are bare names applied to one person. But Marcion of Pontus says, that the God who established all things is not good, nor the Father of the good Christ, but some other just one, and that the Son did not take on flesh for our sake. But Marcellus and Photinus and Sophronius say the Word is an energy, and that this energy dwelt in him who is from the seed of David, not a substance with its own hypostasis. Arius confesses a Son, but in word only; for he says he is a creature, and much less than the Father. And others say he does not have a soul. Have you seen the chariots standing ready? Observe then their fall also, how he strikes down and casts down all of them together, and with one blow and at once. How then does he cast them down? "For let this mind be in you," he says, "which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God." From this Paul of Samosata also fell, and Marcellus and Sabellius; For "being," he says, "in the form of God." If in the form, how then do you say, O abominable one, that he began from Mary, and before this did not exist? And how again, that he was an energy? For being "in the form of God," he says, "he took the form of a servant." For tell me, is the form of a servant an energy of a servant, or the nature of a servant? By all means, you will say, "The nature of a servant." Therefore the form of God is also the nature of God; so not an energy. Behold, Marcellus the Galatian and Sophronius and Photinus have fallen. 2. Behold, Sabellius also. "He did not consider it robbery," he says, "to be equal with God." But "equal" is not said of one person; for "equal" is equal to something. Do you see the hypostasis of two persons, not bare names spoken without realities? have you heard of the pre-eternal existence of the Only-Begotten? But these things are against them; what then shall we say finally to Arius, who says the Son is of a different substance? Tell me, what is, "He took the form 62.220 of a servant"? He became man, he says. Therefore also "being in the form of God," He was God; for "form" and "form" are used. If this is true, that is also. By nature man, is the form of the servant; therefore by nature God, is also the form of God. And not only this, but also "the equal" bears witness to him, just as John does, and that he is in no way less than the Father; "He did not consider it robbery," he says, "to be equal with God." But what is their clever argument? "And yet it shows the contrary," he says, "for he said that being in the form of God, he did not grasp at being equal with God; and yet if he were God, how could he have grasped at it?" And how is this not inconceivable? for who would say that such-and-such a person, being a man, did not grasp at being a man? for how could someone grasp at what he is? "No," he says, "but that being a lesser God, he did not grasp at being equal to the great and greater God." And are there a small and a great God? and do you introduce Greek things into the dogmas of the Church? For among them there is a great and small god; but whether among you also, I do not know. For in the Scriptures you will nowhere find this, but "great" everywhere, and "small" nowhere. For if he is small, how is he also God? If a man is not small and great, but one nature, and if something is not of this one nature, it is not a man, how could there be a small and great God who is not of that nature? He who is small is not God; for everywhere in Scripture he is called great; "Great is the Lord," says David, "and greatly to be praised." Behold, this is also about the Son; for everywhere he calls him Lord; and again, "You are great, and do wondrous things; you alone are God"; and again, "Great is our Lord, and great is his power, and of his greatness

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Θεοῦ χάριτι πάντα ἀθρόον καὶ ὁμοῦ; Καὶ, εἰ δοκεῖ, πρότερον στήσωμεν τὰς αἱρέσεις αὐτὰς κατὰ τάξιν. Βούλεσθε τὴν τῆς ἀσεβείας, ἢ τὴν τῶν χρόνων; Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τὴν τῶν χρόνων· τὴν γὰρ τῆς ἀσεβείας δύσκολον συνιδεῖν. Οὐκοῦν πρῶτος Σαβέλλιος ὁ Λίβυς παρήχθω. Τί οὖν οὗτός φησιν; Ὅτι τὸ Πατὴρ, καὶ Υἱὸς, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ὀνόματά ἐστι ψιλὰ καθ' ἑνὸς προσώπου κείμενα. Μαρκίων δὲ ὁ Ποντικός φησιν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ὁ πάντα συστησάμενος οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸς, οὐδὲ Πατὴρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' ἕτερός τις δίκαιος, καὶ σάρκα οὐκ ἀνέλαβεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὁ Υἱός. Μάρκελλος δὲ καὶ Φωτεινὸς καὶ Σωφρόνιος τὸν Λόγον ἐνέργειαν εἶναί φασι, τὴν δὲ ἐνέργειαν ταύτην ἐνοικῆσαι τῷ ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυῒδ, οὐκ οὐσίαν ἐνυπόστατον. Ἄρειος Υἱὸν μὲν ὁμολογεῖ, ῥήματι δὲ μόνῳ· κτίσμα γὰρ αὐτὸν εἶναί φησι, καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐλάττονα πολύ. Ἕτεροι δὲ οὔ φασιν αὐτὸν ἔχειν ψυχήν. Εἶδες τὰ ἅρματα ἑστῶτα; θεώρει τοίνυν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ πτώματα, πῶς ὁμοῦ πάντας κατακρούων βάλλει, καὶ μιᾷ πληγῇ καὶ ἀθρόον. Πῶς οὖν καταβάλλει; Τοῦτο γὰρ φρονείσθω ἐν ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς ἔπεσε καὶ Μάρκελλος καὶ Σαβέλλιος· Ἐν μορφῇ γὰρ, φησὶ, Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων. Εἰ ἐν μορφῇ, πῶς οὖν λέγεις, ὅτι ἀπὸ Μαρίας, ὦ μιαρὲ, ἤρξατο, καὶ πρὸ τούτου οὐκ ἦν; πῶς δὲ πάλιν, ὅτι ἐνέργεια ἦν; Ἐν μορφῇ γὰρ Θεοῦ, φησὶ, μορφὴν δούλου ἔλαβεν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, ἡ μορφὴ τοῦ δούλου ἐνέργεια δούλου ἐστὶν, ἢ φύσις δούλου; Πάντως δήπου, Φύσις, ἐρεῖς, δούλου. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ μορφὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, Θεοῦ φύσις· οὐκ ἄρα ἐνέργεια. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ὁ Μάρκελλος ὁ Γαλάτης καὶ Σωφρόνιος καὶ Φωτεινὸς κατέπεσον. βʹ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ Σαβέλλιος. Οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο, φησὶ, τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ. Ἴσον δὲ ἐπὶ ἑνὸς οὐ λέγεται προσώπου· τὸ γὰρ ἴσον, τινί ἐστιν ἴσον. Ὁρᾷς δύο προσώπων ὑπόστασιν, οὐχὶ ὀνόματα ψιλὰ χωρὶς πραγμάτων λεγόμενα; ἤκουσας τὴν προαιώνιον ὕπαρξιν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς ἐκείνους· τί οὖν πρὸς Ἄρειον εἴποιμεν λοιπὸν, τὸν λέγοντα ἑτέρας εἶναι οὐσίας τὸν Υἱόν; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, τὸ, Μορφὴν 62.220 δούλου ἔλαβε, τί ἐστιν; Ἄνθρωπος ἐγένετο, φησίν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, Θεὸς ἦν· μορφὴ γὰρ, καὶ μορφὴ κεῖται. Εἰ τοῦτο ἀληθὲς, κἀκεῖνο. Φύσει ἄνθρωπος, ἡ μορφὴ τοῦ δούλου· οὐκοῦν φύσει Θεὸς, καὶ ἡ μορφὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἴσον αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ Ἰωάννης, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐλάττων ἐστὶ τοῦ Πατρός· Οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο, φησὶ, τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ. Ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ σοφὸς αὐτῶν λόγος; Καὶ μὴν τοὐναντίον δείκνυσι, φησίν· εἶπε γὰρ, ὅτι ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἥρπασε τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ· καὶ μὴν εἰ ἦν Θεὸς, πῶς εἶχεν ἁρπάσαι; Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἀπερινόητον τοῦτο; τίς γὰρ ἂν εἴποι, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα ἄνθρωπος ὢν, οὐχ ἥρπασε τὸ εἶναι ἄνθρωπος; πῶς γὰρ ἄν τις ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἁρπάσειεν; Οὒ, φησίν· ἀλλ' ὅτι Θεὸς ὢν ἐλάττων, οὐχ ἥρπασε τὸ εἶναι ἴσα τῷ Θεῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ καὶ μείζονι. Καὶ μικρὸς καὶ μέγας Θεὸς ἔνι; καὶ τὰ Ἑλληνικὰ τοῖς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δόγμασιν ἐπεισάγετε; Μέγας μὲν γὰρ καὶ μικρὸς παρ' αὐτοῖς θεός· εἰ δὲ καὶ παρ' ὑμῖν, οὐκ οἶδα. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ ταῖς Γραφαῖς οὐδαμοῦ εὑρήσεις, ἀλλὰ μέγαν μὲν πανταχοῦ, μικρὸν δὲ οὐδαμοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ μικρὸς, πῶς καὶ Θεός; Εἰ μικρὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος καὶ μέγας, ἀλλὰ μία φύσις, καὶ εἴ τι οὐκ ἔστι τῆς φύσεως ταύτης μιᾶς, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, πῶς ἂν εἴη μικρὸς Θεὸς καὶ μέγας ὁ μὴ ὢν ἐκείνης τῆς φύσεως; Ὁ μικρὸς ὢν, οὐ Θεός· πανταχοῦ γὰρ μέγας λέγεται παρὰ τῇ Γραφῇ· Μέγας Κύριος, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα. Ἰδοὺ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ· πανταχοῦ γὰρ Κύριον αὐτὸν καλεῖ· καὶ πάλιν, Μέγας εἶ σὺ, καὶ ποιῶν θαυμάσια· σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς μόνος· καὶ πάλιν, Μέγας ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης