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to worship," the Lord taught her the contrary opinions, and taught the uncircumscribed nature of the divine; for He said to her: "Truly I say to you, woman, that the hour is coming, and now is, when neither in Jerusalem, nor in this place will they worship the Father." Thus having taught that the divine worship is not circumscribed by certain places, He added: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." In the same way He also showed the incorporeal 83.448 and unlimited nature of the divine. And that the God of all is also eternal, the blessed David teaches, now saying: "From everlasting and to everlasting, you are;" and now: "God will hear, and He who exists before the ages will humble them." The prophet Isaiah also teaches, crying out: "The eternal God, who made the ends of the earth; He will not hunger, nor will He tire, nor is there any searching out of His wisdom." And the divine Apostle also knows Him as the maker of the ages. And the Lord says not only that the divine nature existed before creation, but also that the kingdom was prepared for the saints before the foundation of the world. These things we have been taught from both the Old and the New Scripture concerning the principle of all things; not according to the myths of Valentinus and Basilides, of couplings and unions and projections of male and female Aeons, nor according to the different and contrary principles of Cerdon, and Marcion, and Manes, but one principle, the same both good and just, as we will later demonstrate. II. -Concerning the Son. And just as we have learned to believe in one God, so indeed also in one Son begotten before the ages. And neither according to the myths of Valentinus do we say that the Only-begotten is one, and the Word another, and Christ another, and yet again Jesus; nor according to the blasphemy of Arius and Eunomius do we call our Lord Jesus Christ a creature. For the divine Scripture says He is Only-begotten; but if He is created, He is not only-begotten; for He has creation as a sister, and all the parts of creation. But if He is only-begotten, as indeed He is, then He has no communion with created things. And that He is only-begotten, the Only-begotten Himself taught, saying: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." And after a little: "He who believes in Him is not judged; but he who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." And the Evangelist spoke thus: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory, as of the Only-begotten from the Father; full of grace and truth." For the nature of the flesh did not diminish the dignity of the Godhead; but even clothed in flesh He showed His paternal nobility. And again: "The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." And the Baptist also cries out: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who is disobedient to the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." And all the apostles also call Him the Son of God, both genuine and true. And the Father Himself, speaking twice from heaven, showed the genuineness of the begetting; for He said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And why do I mention the Baptist, 83.449 and the evangelist, and the other apostles, and the God of all? For not even the devil, the father of lies, dared to name him otherwise; but before the struggles, being in doubt, he said: "If you are the Son of God;" but after the victory, having learned who He was, he cries out without doubt: "What have we to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time."

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προσκυνεῖν," ὁ Κύριος αὐτὴν τὰς ἐναντίας ἐξεπαίδευσε δόξας, καὶ ἐδίδαξε τὸ τῆς θείας φύσεως ἀπερίγραφον· ἔφη γὰρ πρὸς αὐτήν· "Ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα, καὶ νῦν ἔστιν, ὅτε οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, οὔτε ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ προσκυνήσουσι τῷ Πατρί." Οὕτω τε διδάξας, οὐ τόποις τισὶ τὴν θείαν περιγεγραμμέ νην λατρείαν, ἐπήγαγε· "Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν." Κατὰ ταὐτὸ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀσώματον τῆς 83.448 θείας φύσεως, καὶ ἀπεριόριστον ἔδειξεν. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ αἰώνιος ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, ὁ μακάριος διδάσκει ∆αβὶδ, νῦν μὲν λέγων· "Ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος σὺ εἶ·" νῦν δέ· "Εἰσακούσεται ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ταπεινώσει αὐτοὺς ὁ ὑπάρχων πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων." ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας βοῶν· "Ὁ Θεὸς αἰώνιος, ὁ κατασκευάσας τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς· οὐ πεινάσει, οὐδὲ κοπιάσει, οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐξεύρεσις τῆς φρονήσεως αὐτοῦ." Ὁ δὲ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος καὶ ποιητὴν αὐτὸν τῶν αἰώνων ἐπίσταται. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος οὐ μόνον τὴν θείαν φύσιν πρὸ τῆς κτίσεως εἶναί φησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῖς ἁγίοις εὐτρεπί σθαι πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Ταῦτα καὶ παρὰ τῆς Παλαιᾶς, καὶ παρὰ τῆς Καινῆς Γραφῆς περὶ τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἀρχῆς ἐδιδάχθημεν· οὐ κατὰ τοὺς Βαλεντίνου καὶ Βασιλίδου μύθους, ἀῤῥένων καὶ θηλειῶν Αἰώνων συζυγίας καὶ μίξεις, καὶ προβολὰς, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰς Κέρδωνος, καὶ Μαρκίωνος, καὶ τοῦ Μά νεντος διαφόρους καὶ ἐναντίας ἀρχὰς, ἀλλὰ μίαν ἀρχὴν, τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν καὶ δικαίαν, ὡς ὕστερον ἐπιδείξομεν. Βʹ. -Περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Ὥσπερ δὲ εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν πιστεύειν μεμαθήκαμεν, οὕτω δὴ καὶ εἰς ἕνα Υἱὸν πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων γεγεννη μένον. Καὶ οὔτε κατὰ τοὺς Βαλεντίνου μύθους ἄλλον εἶναί φαμεν τὸν Μονογενῆ, καὶ ἄλλον τὸν Λόγον, καὶ ἕτερον τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ αὖ πάλιν Ἰησοῦν· οὔτε κατὰ τὴν Ἀρείου καὶ Εὐνομίου βλασφημίαν κτίσμα τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὀνομάζομεν. Μονογενῆ γὰρ εἶναί φησιν ἡ θεία Γραφή· εἰ δὲ κτιστός ἐστιν, οὐ μονογενής· ἀδελφὴν γὰρ ἔχει τὴν κτίσιν, καὶ ἅπαντα τὰ τῆς κτίσεως μόρια. Εἰ δὲ μονογενής ἐστι, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐστιν, οὐδεμίαν ἄρα ἔχει πρὸς τὰ κτιστὰ κοινωνίαν. Ὅτι δὲ μονογενής ἐστιν, αὐτὸς ὁ Μονο γενὴς ἐδίδαξεν, εἰπών· "Οὕτως ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν αὑτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδω κεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται, ἀλλ' ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον." Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· "Ὁ πι στεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι οὐ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ." Ὁ δὲ Εὐαγγελιστὴς οὕτως ἔφη· "Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκή νωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν· καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός· πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας." Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ φύσις ἐσμί κρυνε τῆς θεότητος τὴν ἀξίαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ σάρκα περικείμενος ἐδείκνυ τὴν πατρῴαν εὐγένειαν. Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο." Καὶ ὁ Βαπτιστὴς δὲ βοᾷ· "Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· ὁ δὲ ἀπειθῶν τῷ Υἱῷ, οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν." Καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι Υἱὸν αὐτὸν καὶ γνήσιον καὶ ἀληθινὸν ὀνομάζουσι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Πατὴρ δὶς οὐ ρανόθεν φθεγξάμενος, τὸ γνήσιον ἔδειξε τῆς γεννή σεως· ἔφη γάρ· "Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ ηὐδόκησα." Καὶ τί λέγω τὸν Βαπτιστὴν, 83.449 καὶ τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀποστόλους, καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος, ὁ τοῦ ψεύδους πατὴρ, ἄλλως αὐτὸν ὀνομάσαι τετόλμηκεν· ἀλλὰ πρὸ μὲν τῶν ἀγώνων ἐνδοιάζων ἔλεγεν· "Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ·" μετὰ δὲ τὴν νίκην, μαθὼν ὅστις ἦν, ἀναμφιβόλως βοᾷ· "Τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοὶ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ἦλθες πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς."