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But when his image is displayed throughout the world, no one in his right mind would say there are two rulers, but one, who is also honored through the image. In the same way, as has often been said by us, the church of God, having received one God to worship, continues to worship the same one also through 2.23.4 the Son, as through an image. Not understanding these things, Marcellus declared the flesh of the savior to be the image "of the invisible God," which the apostle called the "form of a servant"; not considering that all men also happen to be formed according to the flesh of the savior. And he insists that the body which the savior assumed is the image of the unbegotten and ineffable and paternal deity, but he denies that the only-begotten Son of God, through whom all things were created—for "all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made"—is the image of God, saying in these very syllables: 'Therefore it is clear that before the assumption of our body, the Word in himself was not the image of the invisible God.' 2.23.5 You see with how much distortion he has used the apostolic interpretation. And so, while the evangelist John preaches the gospel of the mystery known hiddenly by Moses and the other prophets, and reveals it, and proclaims with a great voice, "In the beginning was the Word, and 2.23.6 the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him" and testifies that "He was the light that enlightens every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him," and clearly presents the sonship by saying concerning the Father, "No one has ever seen God," but concerning the Son, "the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known," 2.24.1 this wonderful teacher of the words of Christ, having gathered the commandments of God and the words prescribing actions from the divine scripture, defines the Word "in the beginning" as something of this sort. But listen to how he tries to establish these things, writing in this way * * * * * of those teaching them, as if they were ashamed to make mention of the Word, whom all the divine scriptures thus proclaim. For David says concerning him, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established," and again the same one, "He sent forth his word and healed them." And Solomon, "The wicked will seek me, and will not find me. For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord." And Isaiah, "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." And again Jeremiah says, "The wise have been put to shame, they are dismayed and taken, because they have rejected the word of the Lord." 2.24.2 And Hosea the prophet said, "They hated him who reproves in the gates, and they abhorred a holy word." And Micah likewise, also making mention of the Word, said, "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Having collected these and similar passages, he thinks to strengthen his own opinion through them. 2.24.3 But see how, having mixed up the testimonies from the divine scripture, he has brought together both the Word of God who is sent, the saving and healing one, and the one that prescribes actions. For "they hated him who reproves in the gates, and they abhorred a holy word"—what kind of word does he suppose this to be, if not surely the one that prescribes holy and just deeds? And he wishes to confess anything rather than the Son of God, as if ashamed to make mention of the Son. For we know the Son of God to be Son in the truest sense and truly the only-begotten of God, and we know him precisely as Word, not like that among men, but such as is fitting to conceive of as God's Word, living and subsistent and Son. But he, introducing a word that is declarative and prescriptive of actions, naturally hesitated to confess the Son, whom he in fact denied. 2.25.1 Then, he also does not perceive that he writes things contrary to himself. For in other places he insists that none of the former people knew the things concerning the Word, for it was a hidden mystery. And he writes thus in these very words: 'For what other hidden mystery was there than the'

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εἰκόνος δὲ αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ γῆς προφερομένης οὐκ ἄν τις σωφρονῶν δύο εἴποι τοὺς κρατοῦντας, ἀλλ' ἕνα τὸν καὶ διὰ τῆς εἰκόνος τιμώμενον, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὡς καὶ πολλάκις ἡμῖν εἴρηται καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ ἕνα παραλαβοῦσα θεὸν σέβειν τὸν αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ 2.23.4 τοῦ υἱοῦ, ὡς διὰ εἰκόνος, μένει προσκυνοῦσα. ἃ δὴ μὴ συνεὶς Μάρκελλος τὴν εἰκόνα «τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου» τὴν σάρκα εἶναι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀπεφήνατο, ἣν ὁ ἀπόστολος «μορφὴν δούλου» κέκληκεν· οὐ λογισάμενος ὅτι καὶ πάντες ἄνθρωποι κατὰ τὴν σάρκα τοῦ σωτῆρος τυγχάνουσιν μεμορφωμένοι. καὶ τὸ μὲν σῶμα ὃ ἀνείληφεν ὁ σωτὴρ τῆς ἀγενήτου καὶ ἀρρήτου καὶ πατρικῆς θεότητος εἰκόνα εἶναι διισχυρίζεται, τὸν δὲ υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα συνέστη «πάντα» γὰρ «δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν» ἀρνεῖται εἶναι εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ αὐταῖς συλλαβαῖς λέγων οὐκοῦν πρόδηλον, ὅτι πρὸ τῆς τοῦ ἡμετέρου σώματος ἀναλήψεως ὁ λόγος καθ' ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἦν εἰκὼν τοῦ ἀοράτου θεοῦ. 2.23.5 ὁρᾷς ὅσῃ διαστροφῇ κέχρηται τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ἑρμηνείας. οὕτω δὲ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Ἰωάννου τὸ παρὰ Μωσεῖ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς προφήταις κεκρυμμένως ἐγνωσμένον μυστήριον εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀνακαλύπτοντος μεγάλῃ τε κηρύττοντος βοῇ τὸ «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ 2.23.6 ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο» καὶ μαρτυρομένου ὅτι «ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ φωτίζον πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω», τήν τε υἱότητα σαφῶς παριστῶντος ἐν τῷ περὶ μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς λέγειν «θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε», περὶ δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ «ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο», 2.24.1 ὁ θαυμαστὸς οὗτος τῶν Χριστοῦ λόγων διδάσκαλος τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς παραγγελτικοὺς τῶν πρακτέων λόγους ἀπὸ τῆς θείας συναγαγὼν γραφῆς τοιοῦτόν τινα ὁρίζεται τὸν «ἐν ἀρχῇ» λόγον. ἐπάκουσον δὲ ὅπως ταῦτα συνιστᾶν πειρᾶται, τοῦτον γράφων τὸν τρόπον * * * * * τῶν δὲ διδασκόντων αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ αἰδουμένων μεμνῆσθαι τοῦ λόγου, ὃν οὕτω πᾶσαι αἱ θεῖαι κηρύττουσιν γραφαί. ∆αυὶδ μὲν γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγει «τῷ λόγῳ κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν», αὖθίς τε ὁ αὐτὸς «ἐξαπέστειλεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτούς». Σολομὼν δὲ «ζητήσουσίν με κακοί, καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν. ἐμίσησαν γὰρ σοφίαν, τὸν δὲ λόγον κυρίου οὐ προ είλοντο». Ἡσαΐας τε «ἐκ Σιὼν ἐξελεύσεται νόμος, καὶ λόγος κυρίου ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ». καὶ αὖθις Ἱερεμίας «ᾐσχύνθησαν σοφοὶ» φησὶν «καὶ ἐπτοήθησαν καὶ ἑάλωσαν, ὅτι τὸν λόγον κυρίου ἀπεδοκί2.24.2 μασαν». καὶ Ὡσηὲ δὲ ὁ προφήτης «ἐμίσησαν» ἔφη «ἐν πύλαις ἐλέγ χοντα, καὶ λόγον ὅσιον ἐβδελύξαντο». Μιχαίας τε ὁμοίως καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τοῦ λόγου μνημονεύων «ἐκ Σιὼν» ἔφη «ἐξελεύσεται νόμος, καὶ λόγος κυρίου ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ». ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀδελφὰ συναγαγὼν κρατύνειν διὰ τούτων τὴν 2.24.3 ἑαυτοῦ δόξαν ἡγεῖται. ὅρα δὲ πῶς φύρας τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς θείας γραφῆς μαρτυρίας ὁμοῦ συνήγαγεν καὶ τὸν ἀποστελλόμενον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον, τὸν σωτήριον καὶ ἰατικόν, καὶ τὸν τῶν πρακτέων παραγγελτικόν. τὸ γὰρ «ἐμίσησαν ἐν πύλαις ἐλέγχοντα, καὶ λόγον ὅσιον ἐβδελύξαντο» ποῖον ὑποτίθεται λόγον ἢ πάντως που τὸν περὶ τῶν ὁσίων καὶ δικαίων πράξεων παραγγελτικόν, πάντα τε μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ὁμολογεῖν βούλεται, ὥσπερ αἰδούμενος μνημονεῦσαι τοῦ υἱοῦ. ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ οἴδαμεν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ κυριώτατον ὄντα υἱὸν καὶ ἀληθῶς μονογενῆ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ λόγον δὲ αὐτὸν ἀκριβῶς ἴσμεν οὐχ ὅμοιον τῷ ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλ' οἷον προσήκει νοεῖν θεοῦ λόγον, ζῶντα καὶ ὑφεστῶτα καὶ υἱόν. ὁ δὲ λόγον σημαντικὸν καὶ τῶν πρακτέων παραγγελτικὸν εἰσάγων, εἰκότως ὤκνει τὸν υἱὸν ὁμολογεῖν, ὃν αὐτῷ ἔργῳ ἠρνεῖτο. 2.25.1 εἶτα καὶ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ τἀναντία γράφων οὐκ αἴσθεται. ἐν ἑτέροις μὲν γὰρ διισχυρίζεται μηδένα τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ τὰ κατὰ τὸν λόγον ἐγνωκέναι, μυστήριον γὰρ εἶναι ἀποκεκρυμμένον. γράφει δὲ ὧδε αὐταῖς λέξεσιν τί γὰρ ἕτερον ἦν ἀποκεκρυμμένον μυστήριον ἢ τὸ