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to will. Therefore the Son will also command the Father concerning what He wills, if indeed He is also commanded. But if He is only commanded, He serves under compulsion and not by His own will. But if it is neither by energy nor by will, it remains according to them that they are one in essence, that is, the Father and the Son are consubstantial. That "unbegotten" is an indication of a certain mode of existence, and not of essence. If "unbegotten" is essence, and "begotten" is essence, and for this reason the Father and the Son are not consubstantial, every offspring is necessarily of one essence; therefore 29.681 the offspring are consubstantial with the Son of God. And how is this not blasphemous? if "unbegotten" as distinguished from the begotten Son is essence, then "uncreated" as distinguished from creation is also essence. Therefore there will be an unbegotten essence, and an uncreated essence. Therefore God is two, and not one essence. And further, all of creation will be one essence. But this is false; for creation is one, but the essences are different. And so also His immutability, and His being without beginning, and many other things will be essences. If someone, by calling the Father unbegotten and the Son begotten, has declared their essences, how could someone wishing to speak of their mode of existence say it otherwise than this? Therefore "unbegotten" is a mode of existence, and not a name of essence. If things that have a different existence of being also have a different essence, then not even humans are consubstantial. For Adam's existence, being formed from the earth, is one thing, and Eve's, being made from a rib, is another, and Abel's is another, for he was from union; and another is He who is from Mary, from a virgin alone. And likewise also in the case of birds and four-footed animals. If the Father is unbegotten because He was not begotten, and the Son is begotten because He was begotten, then the unbegotten is after the one who was begotten. For He had no one in relation to whom He would be called unbegotten. For distinctions are of things that exist, not of things that do not exist. If there was a time when He was God but not Father, upon becoming Father He acquired the title, "father." So that God is unbegotten, but the Father is begotten; therefore the same one, being simple, is both begotten and unbegotten. If the impossible is contrary to the possible, and the unwise to the wise, and all things that are distinguished are contrary to one another, then the unbegotten is also contrary to the begotten. Therefore the Father is contrary to the Son in essence, if indeed "unbegotten" is not a mode of existence, but essence. If the Son is a creature and not an offspring, and all existing things are creatures, the Father is called unbegotten in vain, there being no offspring at all in relation to which He is called unbegotten. Therefore He would more rightly be called uncreated than unbegotten. If "unbegotten" is a name, it is not essence. For names are significant of essences, they are not themselves essence. But if "unbegotten" is essence-itself, let them state its name. For we know things not from their essences, but from their names and their energies, and especially 29.684 incorporeal things. If "unbegotten" is the name of God's essence, then either God, knowing His own essence, was ignorant of the name of the essence, or knowing the name, He deceived His hearers. For the Lord says: Almighty is my name. And being asked by Moses what His name is, He says: I am who I am; and again: The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; this is my eternal name; and David: The Lord is your name. But neither He Himself, nor any of the saints, has said His name is Unbegotten. But if He neither deceived, nor was ignorant (for it is impious to say either of these things), "unbegotten" is not His name. "Unbegotten" is either essence or an accident (for it could be nothing besides these); but it is not essence, for neither is that which is distinguished from it; for the Son is begotten not insofar as He is essence, but insofar as He was begotten; but if it is an accident, it is either connatural, or it is possible for it to exist and not to exist. But if it is connatural, it is necessary for God to be both essence and accident. For such things necessarily belong to those to whom they are accidental. But if it is contingent, He will be at one time unbegotten and at another begotten. If they say God is unbegotten because He was not begotten, they are not saying what His essence is, but what it is not. But no essence is known from what it is not, but from what it is. For also "immortal," and "incorruptible," and "immutable," do not signify His essence, but that He does not die,

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βούλεσθαι. Ἐπιτάξει οὖν καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ Πατρὶ περὶ ὧν βούλεται, εἴ γε καὶ ἐπιτάτ τεται. Εἰ δὲ ἐπιτάττεται μόνον, ἀναγκαζόμενος καὶ οὐχὶ βουλόμενος ὑπηρετεῖ. Εἰ δὲ οὔτε ἐνεργείᾳ οὔτε βουλήσει, λείπεται κατ' αὐτοὺς ἓν κατ' οὐσίαν εἶναι, τουτέστιν ὁμοούσιον Πατέρα καὶ Υἱόν. Ὅτι τὸ ἀγέννητος ὑπάρξεώς τινος δήλωσις, καὶ οὐκ οὐσίας. Εἰ τὸ ἀγέννητος οὐσία ἐστὶ, καὶ τὸ γεννητὸς οὐσία, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ὁμοούσιοι Πατὴρ καὶ Υἱὸς, πᾶν ἐξ ἀνάγκης γέννημα μιᾶς οὐσίας· ὁμοούσια οὖν 29.681 τὰ γεννήματα τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ πῶς οὐ βλάσ φημον; εἰ ὁ ἀγέννητος πρὸς τὸν γεννητὸν Υἱὸν ἀν τιδιαστελλόμενος οὐσία ἐστὶ, καὶ ὁ ἄκτιστος πρὸς τὴν κτίσιν ἀντιδιαστελλόμενος οὐσία ἐστίν. Ἔσται οὖν καὶ ἀγέννητος οὐσία, καὶ ἄκτιστος οὐσία. ∆ύο οὖν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐ μία οὐσία. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις ἔσται οὐσία μία. Ψευδὲς δὲ τοῦτο· μία μὲν γὰρ κτίσις, διάφοροι δὲ οὐσίαι. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἄναρχον, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα οὐσίαι ἔσονται. Εἰ ἀγέννητον τὸν Πατέρα καὶ γεννητὸν τὸν Υἱὸν εἰπών τις, τὰς οὐσίας ἐδήλωσε, τὸν τρόπον τῆς ὑπάρξεως αὐτῶν εἰπεῖν τις θελήσας, πῶς ἂν ἑτέρως εἰπεῖν δυνήσεται ἢ οὕτως; Ὑπάρξεως οὖν τρόπος τὸ ἀγέννητος, καὶ οὐκ οὐσίας ὄνομα. Εἰ τὰ διάφορον τὴν ὕπαρξιν τοῦ εἶναι ἔχοντα διάφο ρον ἔχει καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὁμοούσιοι. Ἄλλη γὰρ ὕπαρξις Ἀδὰμ ἐκ γῆς πλασθέντος, ἄλλη δὲ Εὔας ἐκ πλευρᾶς γενομένης, ἄλλη δὲ Ἄβελ, ἐκ συνδυασμοῦ γάρ· ἄλλη δὲ τοῦ ἐκ Μαρίας, ἐκ παρθένου μόνης. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πτηνῶν καὶ τετρα πόδων. Εἰ ἀγέννητος ὁ Πατὴρ, ὅτι μὴ ἐγεννήθη, ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς γεννητὸς, διὰ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι, μετὰ τὸν γεννη θέντα ὁ ἀγέννητος. Οὐ γὰρ εἶχε πρὸς ὃν ἀγέννητος κληθήσεται. Τῶν γὰρ ὄντων αἱ ἀντιδιαστολαὶ, οὐ τῶν μὴ ὄντων. Εἰ Θεὸς ἦν ποτε, Πατὴρ δὲ οὐκ ἦν, γενό μενος Πατὴρ προσείληφε τὸ, πατήρ. Ὥστε Θεὸς μὲν ἀγέννητος, γεννητὸς δὲ Πατήρ· γεννητὸς ἄρα καὶ ἀγέννητος ὁ αὐτὸς ἁπλοῦς ὤν. Εἰ τὸ ἀδύνατον ἐναντίον τῷ δυνατῷ, καὶ τὸ ἄσοφον τῷ σοφῷ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀντιδιαστελλόμενα ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις, ἐναντίον καὶ τὸ ἀγέννητον τῷ γεν νητῷ. Ἐναντίος οὖν ὁ Πατὴρ τῷ Υἱῷ κατ' οὐσίαν, εἴ γε μὴ τρόπος ὑπάρξεως τὸν ἀγέννητον, ἀλλ' οὐσία. Εἰ κτίσμα καὶ οὐ γέννημα ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ πάντα δὲ τὰ ὄντα κτίσματα, μάτην ἀγέννητος ὁ Πατὴρ λέγεται, οὐκ ὄντος ὅλως γεννήματος πρὸς ὃ καλεῖται ἀγέννη τος. ∆ικαιότερον οὖν ἄκτιστος ἢ ἀγέννητος λέγοιτο ἄν. Τὸ ἀγέννητος εἰ ὄνομα, οὐκ οὐσία. Τῶν γὰρ οὐσιῶν σημαντικὰ τὰ ὀνόματα, οὐκ αὐτὰ οὐσία. Εἰ δὲ αὐτοουσία τὸ ἀγέννητος, λεγέτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα αὐ τῆς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τῶν οὐσιῶν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν ὀνομά των καὶ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν γνωρίζομεν, καὶ μάλιστα τὰ 29.684 ἀσώματα. Εἰ τὸ ἀγέννητος ὄνομα τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ τὴν οὐσίαν τὴν ἰδίαν εἰδὼς ὁ Θεὸς τὸ ὄνο μα τῆς οὐσίας ἠγνόησεν, ἢ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα εἰδὼς τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἠπάτησε. Κύριος γάρ φησιν· Παντοκρά τωρ ὄνομά μου. Καὶ παρὰ Μωσέως ἐρωτηθεὶς, τί ὄνομα αὐτῷ, φησίν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν· καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ὁ ΘεὸςἸακώβ· τοῦτό μοι ὄνομα αἰώνιον· καὶ ∆αβίδ· Κύ ριος ὄνομά σοι. Ἀγέννητον δὲ ὄνομα οὔτε αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ, οὔτε τις τῶν ἁγίων εἴρηκεν. Εἰ δὲ οὔτε ἠπάτησεν, οὔτε ἠγνόησεν (ἀσεβὲς γάρ τι τούτων εἰπεῖν), τὸ ἀγέννητος οὐκ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Τὸ ἀγέν νητος ἢ οὐσία ἐστὶν, ἢ συμβεβηκὸς (παρὰ ταῦτα γὰρ οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη)· ἀλλ' οὐσία μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν, οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ἀντιδιαστελλόμενον αὐτῷ· γεννητὸς γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ καθὸ οὐσία, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἐγεννήθη· εἰ δὲ συμβεβηκὸς, ἢ συμπέφυκεν, ἢ ἐνδέχεται ὑπάρχειν καὶ μὴ ὑπάρχειν. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν συμπέφυκεν, ἀνάγκη τῷ Θεῷ καὶ οὐσίαν καὶ συμβεβηκὸς εἶναι. Ἐξ ἀνάγκης γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα συμβαίνει οἷς συμβέβηκεν. Εἰ δὲ ἐνδεχομένως, ἔσται καὶ ἀγέννητός ποτε καὶ γεννητός. Εἰ ἀγέννητον λέγουσι τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι μὴ ἐγεννήθη, οὐ τί ἐστιν ἡ οὐσία αὐτοῦ, λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ τί οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐδεμία δὲ οὐσία ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ἔστι γνω ρίζεται, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὧν ἐστι. Καὶ τὸ ἀθάνατος γὰρ, καὶ τὸ ἄφθαρτος καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτος, οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅτι μὴ ἀποθνήσκει,