Chapter I. That by reason of the identity of Their nature, the Son is in the Father, and the Father again is in the Son.

11 Believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me

He now admits plainly, or rather enjoins on the disciples henceforth, that it is fitting that we should be no otherwise minded than as the Word of Truth Himself may desire. For He is Consubstantial with His Father, nothing whatever intervening or in any way separating One from the Other into a diversity of nature. He is One with Him, so that the Son's nature appears in the essence of the Father, and in the essence of the Offspring appears conspicuously that of God the Father; just as one might see happen in the case of human relations. For we are in no way different in our nature from our offspring, nor are we sundered from them in an alienation of nature, although we are distinguished by a difference of outward personality; in illustration of which, let any man who has looked upon the son begotten by himself consider the history of the blessed Abraham. But in the case of men the difference is often very considerable, each one tending definitely, in a way, towards a retirement and withdrawal of himself into a peculiar line of life and manners, without feeling personally bound up in the other; although their unity of essence may be certain and evident to all. But in the case of God, Who is ever in perfect accordance with His nature, thou wilt believe it to be otherwise. The Father indeed is in individual personality Father and not Son; and again similarly He Who cometh forth from the Father is Son and not Father; and the Spirit is peculiarly Spirit. But since the Holy Trinity is united and joined together into a oneness of Godhead, there is among us One God alone: and it would be impossible to attribute to each one of the Persons here indicated the habit of secession from the others, and neither will ever withdraw into absolute separation; but we believe that each Person is in very substance exactly what we have here entitled Him. We consider that the Son, being of the Father, that is, of His essence, proceeded forth from Him in a manner ineffable, and yet abides in Him. Likewise also concerning the Holy Spirit: He proceeds in very truth from God as He is by nature, and yet is in no wise severed from His essence; but rather proceeds forth from Him, still abiding ever in Him, and is supplied to the saints through Christ; for all things come through the Son by the Holy Spirit. Such is the true and upright teaching that the wisdom of the holy fathers has taught us: thus we have been trained also by the Holy Scriptures themselves to speak and to think. And the Lord would cheer us onward to accept this unreviled faith, when he says: Believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me.  

Or else believe for the very works' sake.

In these words He distinctly says that He could never have worked out and achieved those miracles which were characteristic of the Divine nature alone, if He had not been Himself essentially of that nature. And see on what sure grounds and also with what truth He makes this declaration. He does not claim credence for His words alone, although He knew no deceit, so much as for His actions. And why this is so I will tell you. There would be nothing to prevent any man, however mad and however foolish, from falsely using God-befitting words and speeches, and uttering such expressions in a most reckless manner: but who could ever display a God-befitting power of action? And to whom of created beings will the Father grant that glory which is especially His own? Do we not always say that the power of doing all things and the possession of an all-supreme might is the glory of God alone, attaching to no other being, at least to no one ever numbered among the creatures of God? Therefore it is that Christ, wishing to give a proof of His Divinity resting on cogent and unquestionable arguments, urged them to believe the evidence of His actual works that He was in the Father, and that the Father again was in Him: that is, that he bears in His own substance the nature of the Father, as being His very own Offspring and most truly His Fruit, and appearing in natural relation to Him as Son to Father. But while the Church of Christ, in perfect confidence in the rightness of her teaching, holds in this form her doctrine concerning the Only-begotten, on the other hand the ungodly heretics have attempted to seduce to a different belief those who follow after and attend to their pernicious teachings. For the miserable creatures are furious in their outcries against Christ, and consider one another not to provoke unto godliness, but to the end that each one may appear more godless than another, and may utter something yet more unseemly. For since they drink the wine of Sodom and gather the bitter clusters of Gomorrah, because they receive not from the Divine Spirit their knowledge concerning Him, nor yet by revelation from the Father, but from the dragon himself; they can conceive in their minds nothing that is sound and right, but they utter sayings which bring to absolute wretchedness the souls of those who hear them, hurling them down to Hades and the abyss below. They venture moreover to publish these opinions in books, thus stereotyping their own wickedness for all time. It ought to have been sufficient for us to have said just so much on the present passage as would have been likely to benefit those who may chance to read it, by way of establishing in absolute accuracy the true conception concerning the Son, without making any allusion whatever to the heretical writings. But as it is in no way improbable that some persons of feeble intelligence may, on chancing to meet with their miserable sayings, be carried away by them; I considered it necessary to put an end to the harm that might result from their foolish talk, by exposing the utter weakness of the slanders they wish to raise in their vehement attack on the Son, or rather, for that is the truer way of putting the case, on the whole Divine nature.

I happened then to meet with a pamphlet of our opponents, and on investigating what they had to say on the text now before us, I found, in the course of reading it, these words used after certain others: "The Son therefore being essentially encompassed by the Father, has within Himself the Father, and it is the Father Who utters the words and accomplishes the miracles. This is the interpretation of His words: The things that I speak unto you, I speak not from Myself; but the Father abiding in Me, He doeth the works"

Such are the exact expressions of the author's quibbling jugglery. Now since it is my duty to mention this view, which is opposed to the language of Scripture, and which may very well perplex an inexperienced mind, I make this assertion. As to their phrase, that "the Son is essentially encompassed by the Father," I do not in the least understand what in the world it means, or what it signifies,----I speak the truth, as I feel it my duty to do,----so great is the obscurity of the expression. The real sense of the words seems ashamed of itself, and inclined to veil itself in overmuch dimness, not daring to explain itself openly and clearly. For even as he that doeth ill hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest he should be improved, according to the Saviour's word; even so every argument with an ill tendency is wont to move through dark ideas, and will not go towards the light of plain speaking, lest the meanness of its inherent unsoundness should be reproved. What then may we suppose to be the meaning of the Son's being "essentially encompassed by the Father?" For I will spare no pains to discover reasonings which may sift in every possible way the real import of that which is here so dimly expressed, and which perhaps shrinks from being understood lest it may then reveal the folly of its author. If then the meaning be this, that the Son, appearing in the essence of the Father as Consubstantial with Him, displays also in His own Person the Father brilliantly shining in the nature of His Offspring, we also will assent to the truth of the statement: still, the use of the word "encompass" would perchance do more than a slight injustice in its application to the Son. But if this be not the meaning,----and surely it cannot be, for never would it be admitted that the Son is begotten of the essence of the Father by one who has vomited such blasphemy against Him, insisting that like some finite body the nature of the Son is enclosed within that of the Father,----certainly such an one will be convicted of evident blasphemy, and will be shown to be full of the most excessive madness. For while admitting in words that the Son is God, they endeavour most illogically to invest Him with properties peculiar to [created] bodies. For the being parted off by a boundary line and separated by a definitely conceived measure, the starting from a fixed origin and ceasing at a fixed limit, all this surely implies existence conditioned by place and size and fashion and form. And these are surely attributes of [created] bodies. Shall we not then in this way be thinking of Him Who is above us as though He were on a level with us as one of ourselves? Would He not then be a brother to the rest of creation, having henceforth nothing in Himself by way of superiority to it, inasmuch as this theory has come to speak of His existence as merely finite? And, being so, at least according to the foolish supposition of our opponents, why did He vainly reproach us in the words: Ye are from beneath; I am from above, and again: Ye are of this world; I am not of this world? For in saying that He Himself is "from above," He does not simply mean that He came from heaven: else, how would He excel the holy angels, since we shall find that they also are "from above," if we interpret the meaning in a merely local sense? But He signifies that He is the Offspring of that essence which is from above, and which is more excellent than all else in the universe. How then after this can He be speaking the truth, if He possesses the peculiar attributes of [created] bodies in common with all creation, and is "encompassed" by the Father, even as those things that are brought into existence out of nothing? For of course we are ready to agree that no created thing can be situated outside of the Father. And the inspired Psalmist also, speaking surely by the Spirit deep truths and hidden mysteries, says that the Son is all-pervading, attesting thereby His incorporeal and illimitable nature, and that as God He is confined to no one locality. For his words are: Whither can I go from Thy Spirit, and whither can I fly from Thy Presence? If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there; if I descend into Hades, Thou art present: if I take my wings in the morning, and go unto the uttermost parts of the sea, even there also Thy hand shall guide me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. But these heretics, in utter recklessness ranging their own opinions in antagonism to the words of the Spirit, subject the Only-begotten to limitations and boundaries, although they ought to have understood the matter from the cogent and instructive reasoning of this Scripture. For if He has filled the heavens and the uttermost parts of the earth, and therefore also the regions of Hades, is it not excessively unreasonable to apply to Him the word "encompassed," without reflecting that if His Presence, that is, if the Spirit----for the Psalmist calls the Spirit the Presence of the Son----fills all things, it is inconceivable that Christ Himself should be "encompassed" within any boundary, even though it be in the substance of God the Father? Nay, it will be no less outrageous to limit within a confined space that which is incorporeal than to include in a measure that which exists in no finite form. For to say that He is "essentially encompassed by God the Father" is surely nought else than to imply that His essence is finite, exactly like any individual thing of the works that were made by Him: and these we shall safely and truly allow to be capable of being "encompassed ": for they are [created] bodies, even though perchance not all such as ours.

But besides, there is this also to be thought of. If we maintain that it is necessary that whatever is enfolded by anything lies entirely within the limits of that which is said to "encompass" it, will it not certainly follow that we should think of that which is "encompassed" as something less than that which "encompasses" it, and should speak of it as limited thereby, and as it were enclosed within the compass of that which is greater than itself? What sayest thou now, my friend? Here we have Christ presenting Himself before us as a Likeness of God the Father, and plainly saying: He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father, and again straightway adding: I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. Let us assume then that He means, as you would understand Him to say, that "although I am the Very Image and Likeness of My Father, yet I am essentially encompassed by Him." Surely it is acknowledged by all men that He would have us hold just such ideas concerning the Father as we would conceive concerning Himself also. Therefore it would follow that the Father also is subject to limitation, for He is in the Son: and let the heretic search if he will and find out who or what is greater than the Father; I should deem it impious to express or even to conceive such an idea. The Son can never be a Likeness of the Father in one way and not so in another. For if He has in Himself anything at all that would alter or interfere with His resemblance in all points, He would be, as a consequence of that, a partial and not a perfect Likeness. But where could you show us the Holy Scripture teaching such a doctrine as this? For most certainly we are not going to be led astray by your words so as to reject the plain truth of the Sacred statements. And I wonder how it is they did not shrink in dismay from adding to their former arguments the following: "Just as Paul had Christ speaking in him and effecting the mighty deeds, exactly in the same way also the Son had the Father speaking in Him and working the miracles; wherefore He says: Believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake." After this, who will any longer allow the name of Christian to one who holds such views and thinks such thoughts concerning Christ? For behold how very evidently he maintains that Christ is no longer truly God: recklessly He invests Him with the limitations properly characteristic of creatures, proclaiming Him to be a sort of God-bearer, or one who participates in God, rather than One begotten God of God. To put it briefly, his aim is throughout the utter severance of Christ, in every way and in every respect, from the essence of God the Father; and to cut Him off altogether from that intimate relationship in nature and essence which He has with God His own Father.

Now what could be conceived to surpass such views as these in the immense amazement they are calculated to excite? How could one refrain from shedding in torrents uncontrollable tears of love over men so utterly abandoned to ungodliness, as though they were already dead and perished? One might say, and that very appropriately: Who will give to my head water, and to mine eyes a fountain of tears, and I will weep for this people day and night? For over those who have chosen to think such thoughts as these, one might fitly shed innumerable tears. But since it is by means of the doctrines of the truth that I conceive we ought to refute their slanders, for the sake of that which is profitable to simple folk, come now, and let us answer them by saying that we have been very jealous for the Lord. For assuredly, my friends, the inspired Paul or any other among the saints, while they had in themselves Christ tabernacled in their hearts by the Spirit, very easily did such things as seemed good unto God, and appeared as workers of miraculous deeds. It is an established fact therefore, and one that thou wouldst thyself admit to be true, that being really human in nature, and different in essence from the Holy Spirit of Christ that dwelt within them, they were fearers of God, and were glorious by reason of the grace bestowed on them by Christ. And thou wilt altogether agree with us in saying that they were at one time destitute of this gift, and were called thereunto when it seemed good to God, Who directs all things well, that thus it should be. It was then not impossible that, by some untoward action, or deed not well done, the blessed Paul, or any other of those similarly favoured, should after being joined unto God be capable of losing again the grace given to him, and being thrust back again to return to the humiliation whence he had arisen. For that which is wholly adventitious and from without may easily be spurned away, and is capable of being taken back even as it was given. Now then, my good sir: for my question is coming back to thee: if it is true, according to thy ignorant notions and most impious imagination, that even as Christ was speaking and working wonders in Paul, so one must admit that the Father is in the Son; what manner of doubt can there be that He must be in no sense whatever in His nature God, but rather something different from the Father indwelling in Him, the Father being God in very truth? For thus it was that Christ was in Paul. So then, [according to you,] the Only-begotten is a sort of instrument or implement [in the hand of the Father], cunningly devised to set forth His glory, in no wise differing from a flute or a lyre, giving utterance to whatsoever the mouth of the player might breathe into it or the touch of his finger call forth in rhythmic melody. And He will be acceptable to the Father as an assistance in the performance of His wonders, as one might conceive of a saw or an axe in the hands of a skilful carpenter. And then what can be more paradoxical than this? For if He is by nature as those heretics say, He must be altogether alien from God the Father; whereas in our opinion He is by nature God, and none other than God. But if the Son is severed from the essence of the Father, as far at least as pertains to His being in nature God, surely we are correct in inferring that the Son Who sits at the Father's right hand is placed in the same rank with the created world, and reckoned among the results of God's workmanship, and regarded in the light of a mechanical instrument, and looked upon henceforth as a servant to ourselves rather than as a master; or indeed that He is in strict truth not actually a Son at all. For never could one regard or accept in the light of a Son a being who was placed in the rank of a mere instrument. The Father, it would appear, has begotten an instrument to show forth His wisdom and skill, and is deemed to have generated something quite different from that which He is Himself. How could this possibly happen? Surely it is the height of folly to conceive such a notion. If therefore thou refusest to surrender that opinion concerning the Son which regards Him as an instrument or a servant, and if thou art unwilling to acknowledge Him as at all in truth a Son, and deniest His ineffable generation from the essence of God the Father; thou wilt be doing injustice to the glory even of the Father Himself: for then the Father will cease to be Father in veritable reality; for how could one who had not begotten a son of his own essence be at all in his nature a father? It would follow that the Holy Trinity is altogether falsely named, if neither the Father is truly Father, nor the Son in His nature Son. And the logical sequence to this view will be blasphemy against the Holy Ghost as well.

It would therefore follow in this case that we have been grossly deceived: our faith is a falsehood: the Holy Scripture is coining a lie when it calls God by the name of the Father. And if the Son is not in His nature God, as having been begotten of God the Father, we have been led astray, and together with us the citizens of the world above have erred also, even the undefiled multitude of the holy angels, when they joined us in glorifying and adoring the Son as One Who is in His nature God; being led on in some mysterious manner to sing the praise of one who (if we speak after the manner of the heretics' accursed folly) is a God-bearing vessel, the work of God's hands. And if the Father ever willed to withdraw from His relationship to the Son and His indwelling in Him, the Son would then be in no respect different from others who have fallen away from their original sovereignty, with nothing to distinguish Him, no trace within His nature of the Father Who begat Him; but rather one like ourselves in all things, who had only been strengthened by the Divine grace, and indeed honoured with the title of sonship, in the same degree as ourselves. Tell me then, why does He not Himself acknowledge His natural relationship to us? Why is it written: We perish for ever, whereas Thou abidest for ever? And why are we "servants" and He "Lord "? For even if we are called the sons of God, yet by acknowledging none the less our own proper nature we do not disgrace the honour done to us: but tell me the reason why----if He is like unto us and not at all superior to His creatures, inasmuch as He is not in nature God (for this is their ignorant opinion)----He does not confess His community with us in being a servant? Eather we find Him investing Himself with the honour and glory that peculiarly befit and are specially ascribed to the Divine nature, and saying to the holy disciples: Ye call Me Lord and Master, and ye say well; for so I am. This is the Saviour's saying: but our illustrious expositors, who introduce these doctrines attacking His Divinity, accept his words and affirmation asserting that He was truly called Lord, and yet thrust Him away from His natural lordship, because they are unwilling to confess Him as in His nature God of God; though they are not bold enough to bring against Him the worst of all the charges that their accursed blasphemy implies.

For that He wills not to be reckoned among those who hold the rank of servants, or even in the category of created objects, but rather that He ever looks to the freedom inherent in Himself by nature, even at the time when He was made in the form of a servant----all this thou wilt learn in the following manner. He had arrived at Capernaum, as we read in the Gospels: the collectors of the legal tribute-money came to Peter, and said: Doth not your Master pay the half-shekel? And when Christ heard of this, it is right that we should notice the question He addressed to Peter: The kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons or from strangers? And after Peter had wisely and sensibly acknowledged that it was a stranger to the kingdom, as regards birth and kinship as it is reckoned among us, who would be compelled to submit to ordinances and taxation; Christ forthwith brought forward His claim that a God-befitting nature was truly existent in Himself, by adding the words: Therefore the sons are free. Whereas if He had been a fellow-servant, and not a Son truly begotten of the essence of the Father, with no intimate natural relationship to the Father; why is it that, after implying that all besides are subject to the tribute, inasmuch as their nature is foreign to that of Him Who of right receives the tribute, and they are only in the rank of servants, He has claimed freedom for Himself alone? For it is by an inaccurate use of terms that attributes, which mainly and truly are befitting to the Godhead alone, are ascribed to us; whereas in Him they are in very truth inherent. And so if any one were to investigate accurately the nature of things created, he would perceive that to that nature the title as well as the fact of slavery most appropriately belongs; whereas if any like ourselves have been decorated with the glorious name of freedom, an honour that is due to God alone is attributed to them only by an inexact use of language.

Now here again is another question I should be very glad to ask them. Will they allow to Paul the epithet; of God-bearer, seeing that Christ dwells in him through the Holy Spirit, or will they be silly enough to deny this? For if they shall say that he is not in truth a God-bearer, this will be sufficient I think to persuade all men for the future to reject the nonsense they talk, and to hate them utterly, as men who shrink from saying no absurd thing. And if, avoiding this, they shall turn to the duty of saying the truth, and confess him to be truly a God-bearer, because that Christ dwells in him, will they not be convicted of very impiously saying that the Son is alien from the essence of God the Father? For Paul is no longer a God-bearer, if the Son is not in His nature God. But sometimes they blush, and say----for they are also characterised by recklessness and perverseness in argument----that the Son is truly God, yet not in His nature begotten of God. And there is no manner of doubt that any man whatever will exclaim against them on this point too; for how could one who is not in his nature begotten of God be God? Further, we add this. You say that the Son is in His nature God: how then could He Who is in His nature God be a God-bearer or a partaker of God? For no one could ever be a partaker of himself. For to what end will God dwell in God, as though in something different? For if the recipient is in nature just the same as the indweller may be conceived to be, what henceforth becomes of the need of the participation? And if in the same way that Christ dwelt in Paul, the Father also dwelt in Him, will not Christ be a God-bearer in the same way as Paul? And He will not in any other sense possess the quality of being in His nature God, through His having the need of a greater one, namely, the indwelling God. Then again this noble friend of ours goes further in his clever inventions, and by many proofs (as he seems to think them) he attempts to talk people round to his peculiar doctrine. For I think it is worth while to go through all his words in detail, and to make a direct investigation of the impious plot that he has laid, in order that he may be clearly convicted of numbering the Only-begotten among things created. And the wretched man, having buried his impiety towards Christ beneath a heap of cleverly devised conceits, confesses Him to be God, and yet, excluding Him from the Divinity that is truly and naturally His, imagines that he will elude the observation of those who are looking for the real truth.

Accordingly he writes thus: "But even as we, while we are said to be in Him, have our substance in no way mingled with His; in the same way also the Son, while He is in the Father, has His essence entirely different from the Uncreated One."

What lamentable audacity! What extravagant language, and how full of folly, or rather of all perversity and madness! Professing themselves to be wise they in reality became fools; and holding these views concerning the Only-begotten, they denied the Master that bought them, as it is written. For if they say that the Word of God is a man and one like ourselves, there remains nothing that prevents them from saying that He is in God in the same way that we are: but if they believe Him to be God, and have learnt to worship Him as being so by nature, why do they not rather ascribe to Him existence in a God-befitting way in His own Father, and also the possession of the Father in Himself? For this I think would be more fitting for those who are really lovers of God to think and say. And if we find them still cherishing their shamelessness undaunted, and persisting in the words they have uttered,----saying that the Father is in the Son in the same manner as may be the case with any one of us, who have been created out of nothing and formed out of the earth by Him,----why is it not permissible for those who wish to do so, to say henceforth with impunity: He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and: I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? But I think that in this way any one would be condemned, and very properly, on a charge of the most utter folly possible. For not only is it absurd, but such a thing was never said by any of the saints in the inspired Scripture. On the other hand, they all concede to Him Who is in His nature Lord and God, the Only-begotten, an incomparable excellence above all good men; yea, verily, they proclaim aloud and say: Who among the sons of God shall be likened unto the Lord? How then is the Only-begotten any longer like us, if (according to the language of the saints) no one is His equal or His peer? Whereas if He is in God in just the same way that we are, we shall in consequence be compelled to say that the 3ompany of the saints are untruthful, and to ascribe to Him Who is in His nature Son nothing extraordinary which might distinguish Him as of a different rank from those who are sons only by adoption. Away with the loathsome idea, man! For we will not be so persuaded; God forbid! On the contrary, following the opinions of the holy fathers, we believe that we shall be well-pleasing unto God.

But seeing that they brought forward, as a proof of what they think and say, that well-known saying of Paul, that in God we live, and move, and have our being, arguing that when the Son is said to be in the Father the expression lacks precision, being adopted from our everyday life; come and let us subject their statement to the requisite investigation, and so convict them of deliberately misrepresenting the mind of the holy Apostle and most foolishly perverting to their own views what was said in absolute truth. For when the blessed Paul was at Athens and saw the inhabitants abjectly devoted to polytheistic error, although the people in that city were reputed wise, he attempted to lead them back from their ancient delusion, seeking (by argumentative exhortations to true piety) skilfully to convince them of the necessity for the future of knowing one God and one only, Who bestows on those that have been made by Him the power of moving and living and having their being. For the Creator of all, being in His nature Life, implants life in all, infusing into them by an ineffable process the power of His own Individuality. For in no other way was it possible that things which had received their allotted birth out of nothing should preserve their capability of existence: for surely each would have returned to its own nature, I mean back again to non-existence, unless, by the help of its relationship to the Self-Existent One, it had overcome the weakness of its own condition at birth. Therefore the inspired Paul very rightly and properly said, by way of showing that God is the life of the universe, that in Him we live, and move, and have our being: not at all meaning what the heretics invented for themselves, in corrupting (to suit their own peculiar theories) the true signification of the Holy Scriptures; but rather saying exactly what was true, and also highly profitable for those who were just being trained up to a knowledge of God. And, if it is needful to put it even more plainly, he has never wished to imply that we, who are in our nature men, are yet contained in the essence of the Father, and appear as existing in Him; but rather that we live and move and have our being in God, that is, our life consists in Him.

For notice that Paul did not say simply and unreservedly, "We are in God," and nothing more. This was on account of thy ignorance, my good friend, and most naturally so. But he employed different expressions, by way of interpreting the exact meaning of his words. After beginning with the statement: " We live," he added thereto the further idea: " We move" and thirdly he brought in the phrase: " We have our being;" presenting this also, so as to supplement the meaning of the previous words. And I think that the correct argument we shall use concerning this matter will very probably put to shame the ungodly heretic: but if he insists in his opposition, and drags round the words "in God" to the meaning which pleases himself and no one else, we will set forth the common use of the inspired Scripture. Scripture is wont occasionally to use the words "in God" in the sense of "by God." For let that man tell us what is the meaning of a certain Psalmist's declaration, when he says: "In God" let us do valiantly; and again, addressing God: " In Thee" will we push down our enemies. For surely no one will suppose that the Psalmist means this, that he promises to accomplish something valiantly "in the essence of God," nor even that "in that essence" we shall discover our own enemies and push them down: but he uses the words "in God" in the sense of"by [the help of] God," and again, "in Thee" in the sense of "by Thee." And why also did the blessed Paul say in his letter to the Corinthians: I thank my God concerning you all for the grace which was given you " in Christ Jesus," and again: But of Him are ye " in Christ Jesus," Who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption? For will any one reasonably maintain that the Spirit-bearer says that the grace which was bestowed on the Corinthians from above was given "in the actual essence of Christ," or to quote the authority of Paul in support of heterodoxy? Surely such a one would be evidently talking nonsense. Why therefore, setting aside the ordinary usage of terms in the Sacred Scriptures, and misrepresenting the intention of the blessed Paul, dost thou say that we are "in God," that is, "in the essence of the Father," because thou hearest him say to those in Athens, that in Him we live, and move, and have our being?

"Yes," says the defender of the pernicious opinions, "but if it seems to thee right and proper that the words 'in God' should bear and be acknowledged to bear the sense of ' by God,' why dost thou make so much needless ado? And why dost thou bring against us charges of blasphemy when we maintain that the Son was made ' by the Father'? For behold, He Himself says: I am ' in the Father,' in the sense of 'by the Father,' at least according to thy explanation, Sir, and according to the common usage, which thou hast just laid before us in thy quotations from the Sacred Scriptures."

But I say that it is necessary to defend myself again in reply to this, and lay bare their mischievous intentions and pernicious notions. For I am astonished that, after hearing gladly that it is a usage of the Sacred Scripture to use the words "in God" as equivalent to "by God," and after approving and accepting the phrase merely for the sake of being able to say something against the glory of the Only-begotten, they have by no means become conscious of the fact that they will again be convicted of talking as foolishly as before, although they claim to be wise and acute. For if our opponents were the only ones entrusted with the duty of defending from time to time the usage of the inspired Scripture in reference to the essence of the Only-begotten, and of saying that He was made by the Father, because of this, that He says He is "in God," and we have allowed that "in God" is to be understood in the sense of "by God;" then it might have seemed at least probable that their mischievous intention rested on grounds not altogether unreasonable. But if in truth there is nothing which can prevent us also, in our eagerness to refute by a reductio ad absurdum the unsoundness of the sentiments they hold, from carrying on the force of the meaning implied so as to make it refer to the Father Himself, and from saying plainly that since Christ also adds this: The Father is " in Me," we must understand it in the sense of "by Me," so that as a consequence the Father Himself also will be a creature; surely then they, having relied on arguments so very foolish, will be universally condemned as guilty of unmitigated folly. For just as the Son says that He Himself is "in" the Father, so also He said that the Father, is "in" Him: and if they wish the words "in the Father" to be understood in the sense of "by the Father," what is there that prevents us from saying that the words "in the Son" shall be understood in the sense of "by the Son "? But we will not suffer ourselves again to be drawn down with them into such an abyss of folly. For neither will we say that the Son is made by the Father, nor indeed that He from Whom are all things, namely God the Father, was brought into existence by the Son; but rather, referring the usage of the inspired Scripture in due proportion to each occasion or person or circumstance, we shall thus weave together our theory so as to make it on all essential points faultless and indisputable. For with regard to those who out of nothing have been created into being, and have been brought into existence by God, surely it would be most fitting that we should regard them and speak of them as being "in God" in the sense of "by God:" but with regard to Him Who is in His nature Son and Lord, and God and Creator of the universe, this signification could not be specially or truly suitable. The real truth is that He is naturally in the Father, and in Him from the beginning, and has Him in Himself, by reason of His showing Himself to possess identity of essence, and because He is subject to no power that can sever between Them, and divide Them into a diversity of nature.

And perhaps it might seem to minds more open to conviction that this matter has been sufficiently discussed, as indeed I think myself: yet our opponent will by no means assent to this; but he will meet us again with the objection, dishing up again the argument introduced by him at the first, that the Father is in the Son in the same manner, as we are in Him.

"What then," we might say, judiciously rebuking the unsoundness and childishness of his thoughts and words, "dost thou say that the Son is in the Father even as we are in Him? Be it so. What limit to our natural capacity then," we shall reply, "is there, that prevents us from using expressions with respect to ourselves as exalted as any of those which Christ is seen to have used? For He Himself, seeing that He is in the Father and has the Father in Himself, inasmuch as He is thereby both an Exact Likeness and Very Image of Him, uses the expressions: He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father: I and the Father are One. But with regard to ourselves, tell me, if we are in Him and if we have Him in ourselves exactly in the same way that Christ Himself is in the Father and the Father in Him, why do we not extend our necks as much as we can, and, holding our heads high above those around us, say with boldness: "I am in Christ and Christ in me: He that hath seen me hath seen Christ: I and Christ are one "? Then what would come next? No one, I think, would any longer have any just cause for alarm, or any sufficient ground for hesitation, to prevent his speaking as follows, daring henceforth to say concerning the Father Himself: "I and the Father are one." For if the Father is one with the Son, surely such a man, having become an exact image of the Exact Image, namely of the Son, will share henceforth in all the Son's relations to the Father Himself. Who therefore will ever descend to such a depth of madness as to dare to say: "He who hath seen me hath seen Christ: I and Christ are one"? For if thou attributest to the Son the being in the Father and the having the Father in Himself in some non-essential manner and not in His nature, and supposest that we in like manner are in Christ and Christ in us; in the first place the Son will be on the same footing as ourselves, and in the next place there is nothing that prevents us at our pleasure from passing by the Son Himself as though He were an obstacle in our way, and rushing straight on to the Father Himself, and claiming that we are so exactly assimilated to Him that nothing can be found which distinguishes us from Him. For the being said to be one with anything would naturally bear this meaning. Do ye not then see into what a depth of folly and at the same time of impiety their minds have sunk, and of what absurd arguments the wild attack upon us has consisted? What their excuse is therefore for saying and upholding such things, and for buoying themselves up on such rotten arguments, I will now again tell. Their one endeavour is to show that the Son is altogether alien and altogether foreign to the essence of the Father. For we shall know that we are speaking the truth in saying this, by reference to the words that follow after and are closely connected with the heretic's previous blasphemies. For he proceeds thus: "But even as we, while we are in Him, have our substance in no way mingled with His; in the same way also the Son, while He is in the Father, has His essence entirely different from the Unbegotten God." What sayest thou, O infatuated one? Hast thou made thy blasphemy against the Son in such plain language? Will any one therefore venture to say that we are trying to heap upon the heads of the God-opposers groundless and false accusations'? For see clearly, they attribute to Him no superiority whatever over those who have been made of earth and have been by Him brought into existence. And although I can scarcely endure the things which the wretched men have dared to say, I will endeavour to prove this, as being in accordance with the scope of Divine Scripture, namely, that since they deny the Son they deny at the same time the Father also, and thenceforth are without God and without hope in this world, as it is written. And to prove that we are right in saying this, the God-beloved John will come forward as a trustworthy witness on our side, for he wrote thus: He that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also. And surely the Spirit-bearer speaketh very rightly, not failing to make his statement conform fittingly to his argument. For because he knows that [God the Father] is essentially in His nature what He is said to be, namely a Father, and that not merely in name but rather in reality, he consequently says that the One is necessarily denied when the Other is denied. For concurrently in some way or other with One Who is really in His nature a Father and is so conceived of, there must always be the knowledge and manifestation of the Offspring that proceedeth from Him; and One Who has been in very truth begotten involves the Personal existence of Another capable by nature of begetting. For no sooner do we recognise a man as a father than we understand him to have begotten offspring, and we can by no means consider the idea of an offspring without implying that some father has begotten it. Thus by either term the other conception is produced in the minds of those who hear it, and so any one who denies that God is truly a Father makes out the generation of the Son to be altogether impossible, and similarly any one who does not confess the Son to be an Offspring must by implication lose all knowledge of the Father. When therefore, as from a sling, he hurls at us his unholy arguments, and maintains that the Son has His essence quite distinct from that of the Unbegotten God, why does He not openly deny that the Son is really a Son? And if there is not a Son, the Father Himself can no longer be conceived of as truly a Father. For whose Father will He be, if He has not begotten any Offspring? What we say is, that the Son is quite distinct from the Person, but not from the essence, of the Father; not being alien from Him in His nature, as forsooth these God-opposers think, but being possessed of His own Person and His own distinct subsistence, inasmuch as He is Son and not Father. But, if we understand our own mind rightly, we would not ourselves say, nor would we assent to any of the brethren who say, that He is distinct from the Father in regard to essence. For how can distinction exist in that one thing, with reference to which each individual has some special characteristic? For Peter is Peter, and not Paul, and Paul is not Peter; yet they remain without distinction in their nature. For both possess one kind of nature, and the individuals who are associated in a uniformity of nature have that same kind without any difference at all.  

For what reason are we saying such things as this? We confess that our object is to show that those who hold such blasphemous opinions rob the Son of the Godhead which is His by nature, when they (as we have already explained) ascribe to Him nothing more than a non-essential relationship to God the Father. Else why do they put forward ourselves in illustration of their argument, and say: "Even as we have our substance in no way mingled with His, while we are in Him; so also He Himself has His essence entirely different from God, although He is said to be in Him "? Is not their craftiness patent to all men? Will not any one be right in saying that the man who vomited forth such an abominable statement as this must surely be one of the "mockers" announced beforehand by the Spirit? For what does Jude, the disciple of the Saviour, write to us in his epistle? But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they said to you, that in the last time there shall come mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts. These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit. For no man whatsoever, who speaks in the Holy Spirit, will say anything against the glory of the Only-begotten. For I maintain that this is just the same as saying: Jesus is anathema. On the other hand, sensual and worthless men, and those whose hearts are devoid of the Holy Spirit, make separations between the Father and the Son; asserting that the latter is as essentially and completely severed from the former as are created things and each of the works made by Him, and believing Him to be in the Father only in the same way that we are in Him.

And that they who have dared to write such things have thereby reached the furthest verge of folly, let us if you please proceed to show in another way, as is quite possible, from the Divine Scripture; and let us hasten to prove to our hearers that we are in the Son in one way, whereas the Son is in His own Father in another way. For one person is not a likeness of another's substance when he conforms himself to that other by the exercise of a virtuous will, nor is he on that account said to be in the other; but when he is in natural identity with the other, and possesses one essence with him. And let the most wise John be called in as a witness for us on this point, since he says: Yea, and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. How then, pray, do they say, and in what manner do they think fit to assert, that we have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ? For if we are considered to be in Them, as having our own essence commingled with the Divine nature, that is, with the Father and the Son, and if the expression "fellowship" does not rather refer to the similarity of our wills; how can we have it with the Father and with the Son, when (according to these heretics) the Father and the Son are not Consubstantial? For in that case we must hold opinions worthy of ridicule, and say that we have cleft our own nature asunder into two parts, and given one half to the Father and the other to ourselves and to the Son, and thus we consider ourselves to be in Them. Or else we must reject such absurdity of statement, and say that by doing our best to make our own disposition brightly radiant through the exercise of a virtuous will and through conformity to the Divine and ineffable beauty, we obtain for ourselves the grace of fellowship with Them. But shall we therefore say that the Son is in the Father after a similar manner to this, and that He only possesses a non-essential and artificially-added fellowship with the One Who begat Him? And yet, if so, why in the world does He wish, through the similarity and indeed identity of their works, to lead our mind to feel the necessity of believing without any hesitation that He is Himself in the Father, and that He again has also the Father in Himself? For is it not seen by every one to be perfectly evident and true that, wishing the brilliancy of His deeds to be investigated by us, He shows Himself equal in strength to His own Father, as if the severance as regards essence and the difference as to nature no longer maintained their position; since both Himself and the Father glorify themselves by similar achievements"?

For observe how we who constantly strive after conformity with God do (so to say) render ourselves worthy of fellowship with Him, not in such ways as these, but in certain other ways. For when we show pity to one another, are ardently devoted to works of love, and practise all that is truly respectable in our ordinary life, even then we can hardly venture to pronounce ourselves "in God." And John is our witness, saying: Hereby know we that we are in Him: he that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked; and again: As for you, he says, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. For if that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. And what he means by " that which ye heard from the beginning," which he bids to remain in us in order that we may be in God, he himself will make no less clear to us when he says: For this is thecommand which ye heard from the beginning, that ye should love one another. Thou hearest how we are in God, namely, by practising love one towards another, and striving to the utmost of our power to walk in the footsteps of our Saviour, imitating His virtue. When I say virtue, I do not mean such as was shown by Him in being able to create heaven, and make angels, and set fast the earth, and spread out the sea; nor that which He exhibited when, in His ineffable and simple majesty, by a word He lulled the violence of the winds, and raised up the dead, and graciously bestowed sight on the blind, and with great authority bade the leper be cleansed: but rather that virtue which may be suitable to the capacities of our humanity. We shall find Him, as indeed Paul says, reviled by the unholy Jews, yet not reviling again; instead of that, we see Him suffering, yet not threatening, but rather committing Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. Again, we shall find Him saying: Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

So then, when we strive by such conduct as this to imitate Christ Who is our guide unto all virtue, we are said to abide both in the Father and in Him, obtaining this distinction as a reward and compensation for the worthiness of our life. But the Son does not wish us to estimate in this way the brilliance that is inherent in Him: He bids us direct our natural shrewdness of attention to the magnificence of His miracles, and infer from thence the exact resemblance which He has to His own Father; so that henceforth we may believe that, as they are Consubstantial, it is thus that He has in Himself the One Who begat Him, and that He Himself is also in the Father. Or let our opponents come forward and teach, that when the Son is conceived of as being in the Father, He too in common with ourselves has this distinction as a reward, and as a fair payment for conducting His life according to the law of the Gospel. But I suppose that even this appears to them nothing dreadful: for to men by whom no form of talking is unpractised, what expression, however extravagant and monstrous, seems unfit for use? It is possible therefore that they will say even this, that the Son is in the Father and again has also the Father in Himself on this account, namely, because He fashions Himself like to the Father by practising the virtues that are also attainable by us. And we would reply, "Why then, honoured Sirs, when Philip said: Lord, shew us the Father, did not the Christ put forward all the holy Apostles as a likeness and accurate representation of Him Whom they meant, and say, 'Have we [all] been so long time with one another, and dost thou not know the Father?" Whereas He does not associate with Himself a single one of the others, but comparing Himself alone to the Father alone, He passes over our attributes as small matters altogether; and not willing that the Divine essence should be thought accurately imaged in human attributes, He has reserved to Himself alone the perfection of resemblance. For He says: He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. Then to these words He straightway added: Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. For seeing that He possesses resemblance in the most absolute exactness, He must as a necessary consequence possess in Himself the Father, and be possessed (so to speak) by the Father. For think of something of the same kind, and accept it as an illustration of the words we are considering. If, for instance, any one were by chance to bring into our presence the son of Abraham or of any other man, and then were to question him as to the nature of his parent, desiring to learn precisely who and what kind of person the parent was; would not the youth employ reasonable language if he were to point to his own nature and say, "He that hath seen me hath seen my father: I am in my father, and my father is in me?" Then as a proof of his speaking the truth, would it not be fitting that he should draw attention to the identity with his father exhibited in his human doings and his physical peculiarities, and say: "Believe me for the very works' sake, seeing that I have all the qualities and can perform all the actions which pertain to human nature?" Indeed I think every one will say and will justly allow, both that he speaks the truth and that (in alleging the identity) he puts forward an accurate indication of the relationship involved in their particular actions. Why then do not they, who pervert such things as are right, persuade their own disciples to travel on the straight path of reasoning, instead of thrusting them off from the well-trodden king's highway, and taking an untrodden and rugged route, both deceiving themselves and destroying those who feel it their duty to follow them? We, however, not taking their road, will keep along the direct path; and, giving credit to the Sacred Scriptures, we believe that the Son, Who is in His nature begotten of God the Father, is of equal strength and Consubstantial with the Father, and essentially His Image; and therefore that He is in the Father, and the Father in Him.

12, 13  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If anyone should think to discourse hereon commensurately with the extent of the meaning of what is here submitted to us. the task would be broad and deep. But if we consider what is rather profitable for the hearers, we shall think it beseems us to grasp in general wise the things signified, and to curtail the length of our discourse. For so would the meaning be most easy to be received by most men. So then, wishing to show forth that He was Consubstantial with His own Father, and that He is a Very Image of Him; carried in the Father as in an Archetype, albeit having the Archetype in Himself, as being a Very Image both naturally and essentially, and not in virtue of any shaping which implies a process of moulding and fashioning; for the Divinity transcends shape, inasmuch as. it is incorporeal withal: I, He says, am in the Father and the Father is in Me. But to the end that we may not look for the identity of the resemblance and the exact conformity thereof in any other sort than as a conclusion from those prerogatives alone that attach to His nature; for it was possible therefrom to see that the similarity is essential and natural; He says: Or else, believe by reason of the works. For indeed He very rightly thought that of a surety if any man beheld Him radiant with the like mighty works to those of God the Father, He would accept Him for a really natural Image and Likeness of His essence; for nought save what is naturally of God would ever do equivalent deeds to those of God; nay, neither could the power to work wonders on any wise in equal measure with the Divine nature come to belong to any created thing. For utterly unapproachable and beyond reach to them that have been called into being out of nothing are the proper excellences of the Eternal. And in no wise was it likely that any would doubt that the Saviour's saying would be utterly irreproachable, at least in the eyes of the right-minded; yet, as God, He was not ignorant that even what was well said would be, to them that held opposite opinions, an occasion and a pretext for strange teaching. With intent then that no place for loquacity might be left herein for them that pervert such things as are right, and lest they should say it was not of His immanent might nor of His own power that the Son became a worker of wonders, but only inasmuch as He had within Him the Father doing the works: on this account, as He Himself said and insisted, the Lord (when need arose) courted them with words that might allure their minds: for He promises herein that He will be to them that believe on Him a Supplier of what things soever they will ask, and promises that He will supply to them not merely an equal power and authority but the same with increase: for greater things, He says, than I have done, shall he do. Seest thou then how He cuts short, and profitably so, the boldness of our opponents, and by His refutations of error reins in men (as it were) when they are rushing over precipices? For anyone will say to them: "O fools and blind, whereas ye suppose the Son to have been able to effect nothing of Himself, but rather to have been supplied by the Father with the power and authority for all those things that have been wondrously accomplished; how does He promise that He will grant to them that believe on Him to effect even greater things? How shall another, by borrowing the power from Him, effect what He has not done Himself? For notice that He has not said herein that the Father will supply power to them that believe; but, Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, I will do it. But He Who as God imparts to others the power to effect even those greater things, how could He have been Himself supplied with the power by another?" So that what they say is utter nonsense, and thoughtless trash, and inventions of a devilish perversity. But no man would contemplate the power of the Son as in any wise limited, nor as extending to one thing but insufficient to reach things still greater; nay, but as doing easily whatsoever it will, and bestowing on the worthy the power to glory in thrones, it may be of equal honour, or it may be even more highly exalted. And let none suppose us to say that any of those who have set store by their faith in Him will ever have such excess of power as to be able to fashion a heaven, or to make a sun and a moon, or the brilliant choir of the stars, or peradventure to create angels, or an earth, or such things as are therein. For the aim of His words is not directed towards these things, but is bent upon the things whereon it was reasonable that so it should be; and He overpasses not the measure of the splendour that beseems mankind, in glory to wit, and holiness. For surely it is for this cause, by way of restraining His words from ranging as it were whithersoever a man might desire, and of confining Himself to those wondrous works which He did while on earth after He became man, when He draws the contrast with the greatness of the still greater deeds, that He says: "He shall do the things which I have done, and greater things than these." For it was not because He was too weak to accomplish the greater things, that He held back His own power within the bounds of the things which He accomplished; but when He has done what was needful, and all perchance for which opportunity offered, He kindly gives us to understand by these words, that the reach of the incomprehensible greatness of His immanent power is not limited to those things. But to the end that, preserving the order of the thoughts presented to us, we may set the minds of our hearers on the contemplation of His utterance, [we will repeat that] He says: Verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father.

Then, "What is this?" one of the hearers might say with some reason, "I mean the Son's going to the Father in order that they who believe on Him may be able to effect things even still greater than the deeds exhibited by Himself? Surely the saying introduces some hidden subject for contemplation." To learn what it is that He says, consider Him as perhaps meaning: ----"O ministers and genuine pupils of My words, so long as I abode with you on the earth, and had My conversation as a man, I did not exhibit the power of the Godhead undimmed before you: I both spake and acted as befitted the measure of My humiliation and the condition of a slave. But thereafter, when those things shall have been be-seemingly accomplished, then also will the mystery of the dispensation in the flesh be completed for Me. For almost immediately I shall suffer death and shall rise to life again. And I promise to then bestow on you the power to accomplish works still greater than My own miracles. And the time for this is even now at hand, and so is the glory of their accomplishment. For I am going to the Father, that is, to sit down with Him and to reign with Him as God of God in unveiled power and authority, [and in the fulness] of My own nature to give good things unto My friends. Whatsoever ye shall ask," He says, " in My Name, I will do it, when the time has been completed wherein it was necessary," He says, "that I should show Myself in the garb of humiliation. I have observed all that was requisite to the proper carrying out of the scheme of the Incarnation; and now henceforth I promise that unveiledly as God I will work the works of God, not thrusting out the Father from the glory so God-befitting, but with intent that He may be glorified in the Son." For if the Offspring is glorified, the Parent also shall assuredly be glorified in Him. For the Son, being ever in His nature God, would have been declared by many other signs; yet no less also is He disclosed by receiving the prayers of the saints, and granting them whatsoever they might ask and wish. How then should not the Father be glorified in Him? For like as He would have been grievously blamed, and naturally so, if the Offspring that came forth from Him had not been in His nature God; in like manner He will be exceeding glorious in that He has for the Fruit that came forth from His essence One Who is God and can skill so well to do all things and to enable others to do them.

But if it tends to the glory of the Father that the Son should be seen possessed of God-befitting prerogatives, what manner of punishment shall fasten upon the heretic, forasmuch as he dreads not to disparage Him with shameless blasphemies in divers manners? And I will further say another thing, in no small measure (as I deem) at issue with their crude ignorances. For if we pray to the Son and seek our petitions from Him, and He pledges His promise to grant them; how could it be that He is not by nature God, and begotten of One Who is in His nature God? For if they conceive Him not so to be, and say that He was created, how shall we any longer be distinguished from those who invoke the sun, or the heaven, or any other of the creatures? For if, exceeding mischievously, ashamed of the ungainliness of their own folly, they say that albeit a creature equally with the rest of the creatures yet He hath a certain incomparable supereminence over all; notwithstanding let them be assured that none the less will they outrage the glory of the Father, that is, the Son, so long as ever they say that He is one in the number of the things that have been made. For the issue is, not whether He is haply a great or a small creature, but whether He is a creature at all, and is not rather in His nature God; which indeed is the truth.  

14 If ye shall ask anything in My Name, that will I do.

Undisguisedly now He says that, being Very God, He will accept exceeding readily the prayers of His own people, and will supply right gladly what things soever they desire to receive, meaning of course spiritual gifts and such as are worthy of the heavenly munificence. And not as the minister of another's benevolence, nor yet as subserving another's kindness, does He say such things; but as, with the Father, having all things in His power; and as Himself being the One through Whom are all things, both from us to God-ward, and to us-ward from Him. For this cause Paul also prays on behalf of the worthy for such supplies of benefits as are by him ever mentioned in conjunction, in the following words: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; and surely no man in his senses will ever in the face of this suppose that the Father by Himself separately grants a grace, and again the Son by Himself separately and as it were in turn does so; but the grace is one and the same, albeit it is spoken of as coming through Both. Notwithstanding, it is by the Father through the Son that all good things are wrought for the worthy, and the distribution of the Divine gifts is made; through the Son, I say, not as accepted in the rank of a servant, as we have already explained, but as conceived to be Co-Giver and Co-Supplier, and moreover as being so of a truth. For the nature of the Godhead is one, and also is believed so to be. For although it is extended to Father and Son and to the Holy Spirit, yet it has no absolute and entire severance; I mean, into each of the Persons indicated. For we shall be orthodox in believing that the Son is naturally both of the Father and in the Father, and that the own Spirit of the Father and of the Son, that is, the Holy Spirit, is both of and in the Father. So then, forasmuch as the Godhead of Their nature both is and is conceived of as One, Their gifts will be supplied to the worthy through the Son from the Father in the Spirit, and our offerings will be carried to God manifestly through the mediation of the Son: for no one cometh unto the Father but through Him, as to be sure He also Himself fully confesses. So then the Son both has become and is the Door and the Way as well of our friendship as of our progress towards God the Father, and the Co-Giver as well as Distributer of His bounty, forasmuch as it proceeds from a single and common munificence. For one is the nature of the Godhead in the person and substance both of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And forasmuch as it was unwonted in a way with them of old time, and as yet foreign to their practice, to approach the Father through the Son, He teaches this also for our profit, and laying first in His own disciples a foundation as it were of the structure, He implants in them both faith in this and knowledge, and despatches to ourselves instruction both how we are to pray and wherein lies our hope. For He promises that He will Himself give us what we ask in prayer; a proof of the Godhead in His nature, and of the royal authority inherent in Him; adding this to the other proofs thereof.

15 If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

Having ordained that when men pray they must ask in His Name and promising that He will Himself supply to them that ask whatsoever they desire to receive, He takes great thought not to seem to speak falsehood, having in view the unholy slanders of such as are wont to be captious. For a man can see, and best out of the Sacred Writings themselves, that some approach and ask earnestly in His Name, and notwithstanding in no wise receive; because God is not ignorant of what is fitting for each and profitable for the askers. Therefore to the end that our Lord Jesus the Christ might clearly exhibit who they are in reference to whom the word has been spoken and stands good, and to whom is due the grace of the promise; He straightway introduced the mention of the persons who love Him, in whose case the promise will assuredly be fulfilled, and conjoins with His saying the exactly-defined keeper of the law, showing that unto such and not unto others shall the promise of kindness and the bestowal of the spiritual blessings hold good and come to pass. For that oftentimes the bounteous hand of God is shortened in hesitation, cutting off from them that will not ask aright the consummation of their hopes, thou wilt easily understand, from what the disciple of Christ is at pains to write on this wise: Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, when ye will spend it in your pleasures. Wherefore also again he says, about them that are wont to be double-minded: For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; for [ he is] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. For to them that ask for the grace that is from above, not for establishing of virtue, but for enjoyment of carnal pleasure and worldly lusts, God well-nigh shuts fast His ear, and in no wise grants them anything; for what things soever He forbids and wholly casts out by reason of the abomination that is in them, how could He grant them to any? And the spring of all sweetness, how could it give forth a bitter stream? But that unto the lovers of spiritual gifts with rich and readiest hand He distributes blessings, thou shalt easily perceive, when thou hearest Him saying unto them by the mouth of Isaiah the prophet: While thou art yet speaking, 1 will say, What is it? and by the voice of the Psalmist: The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayer.

So having determined and expressly declared that the enjoyment of the heavenly blessings, supplied, that is, through Him by the Father, is both due to them that love Him, and in very truth shall be theirs; He straightway goes on to describe the power of love, and instructs us excellently and irreproachably, for our profit, with intent that we should devote ourselves to the pursuit thereof. For albeit a man say that he loves God, he will not therefore straightway win the credit of truly loving, forasmuch as the power of virtue stands not in bare speech, nor is the beauty of piety towards God fashioned in naked words; but rather it is really distinguished by means of good deeds effected and an obedient temper; and the keeping of the Divine precepts best gives living expression to love towards the Divinity, and presents the picture of a virtue wholly living and true; not sketched out in mere sounds that flow from the tongue, as we have said, but gleaming as it were and altogether radiant with brilliant colours, to wit, the portraits of good works. And indeed our Lord Jesus the Christ shows us this plainly, when He says: Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father, Which is in heaven. For the proof of faith lies not in barren words or professions, but in the qualities of acts, and indeed the Holy Scripture says that it is dead when the works do not follow therewith. For the knowledge that God is One, it says, we shall find, not only in human minds, but in the unclean devils themselves; who also shudder, even involuntarily, at the power of Him that made them. Howbeit to keep the radiance of their acts concurrent with their faith is manifestly the beauty and ornament of those only who truly love God. So then the proof of love and the most perfect definition of faith is the observance of the Evangelic decrees and the keeping of the Divine precepts. And perhaps it would be in no wise difficult to add other things hereunto, akin in their drift; only that I suppose they do not suit the present occasion. Wherefore we must once more betake ourselves to such points as are more suitable to what lies before us. If ye love Me, He says, ye will keep My commandments. For indeed thou must understand once again and call well to mind that oftentimes, when conversing with His own disciples or even with the Jews themselves, He would say: The words that I speak are not Mine, but His Who sent Me; and again: I speak not from Myself, but the Father Which sent Me, He hath given Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak; and again: The things therefore which I speak, are not Mine, but His Who sent Me. And yet now again, notwithstanding He has confessed at large, up and down His discourses, that the words He addressed to us are God the Father's, He here says they are His own commandments, which He has spoken to us. And no one that has sense will suppose that He speaks falsely, for let not this thought come into the mind of a Christian; and moreover He will of course speak truly, forasmuch as He is Himself the Truth. For it was not in the manner of one of the prophets, as if with the rank of a minister and a servant, that He conveyed the message from the Father to us; but as bearing such likeness to Him that not even in word was He haply observed to differ, but rather naturally to speak on such wise as the Father Himself might peradventure talk with us. For the exact similarity of essence leads us to believe that the Son also corresponds in His utterances to Him that begat Him; and inasmuch as He is Himself the Word and Wisdom and Purpose of God the Father, He says that He has received commandment what to say and what He shall speak. For we also ourselves individually see that our own minds well-nigh even lay a commandment on our speech uttered through words, as it proceeds to the world without, that it shall interpret what is in the mind itself. Small indeed is the force of the illustration as applied to God; but notwithstanding this, by taking the analogy of human things to assure us of the things that transcend them, we apprehend the Divine Mysteries as it were in a mirror and darkly.

16, 17  And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth: Whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdethHim not, neither knoweth Him: ye know Him; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you.

He mingles once more the human with the Divine, and neither reverts to the pure glory of the Godhead, nor yet altogether confines His range within the limits of humanity, but traverses both, wondrously and at the same time indistinguishably too, forasmuch as He is at once both God and man. For He was God by His nature, inasmuch as He was the Fruit of the Father and the Effulgence of His essence; and again, He was man, inasmuch as He has become Flesh. Accordingly He speaks as God and at the same time as man: for after this manner it was possible to preserve duly such forms of language as befitted the dispensation in flesh. Notwithstanding, while we are searching for the meaning of the passage before us, we say this: that at this point also, of necessity, our Lord has introduced the mention of God the Father, for the building up of their faith, and for the exceeding profit of the hearers; as indeed the argument will demonstrate as it proceeds. For when He bade us ask in His Name, and revealed, along with the other truths, a manner of praying unused among the ancients, promising withal even very earnestly that He will give whatsoever things we wish to receive: with intent that He might not seem thereby to thrust aside the Person of God the Father, nor yet to curtail the power of Him Who begat Him, the power (I mean) of satisfying the aspirations of the saints, He said that the Father would be a Co-Supplier for our profit, and would join in bestowing on us the Paraclete: adding also the words " I will ask," as man; and referring peculiarly to the whole Divine and unspeakable nature what befits it especially, as in the Person of God the Father. For this was His custom, as we have oftentimes said already in the foregoing parts of this work.

Another Paraclete, however, is the name He gives to the Spirit that proceeds from the essence of God the Father and from that of Himself. For the kind of the essence is the same in the case of Both, not excluding the Spirit, but allowing the manner of His distinctness to be understood as lying solely in His being and subsisting in a separate personality. For the Spirit is not a Son, but we will accept in faith verily and properly to be and to subsist as That Which He is; for He is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. But [the Son] knowing that He Himself also both is in truth a Paraclete and is so named in the Sacred Writings, He calls the Spirit another Paraclete; not on the ground that the Spirit can skill to effect in the Saints something else perchance more than what He also can, Whose Spirit He both is and is called. And that the Son also Himself both was named and is a Paraclete, John will bear record, in his own compositions, when he says: These things say I unto you, that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have a Paraclete with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins. So Jesus calls the Spirit another Paraclete, willing Him to be conceived of as possessing the attributes of a proper personality; albeit having so close a likeness to Himself, and able so to work in exact correspondence what things soever He Himself might haply work, as that He might seem to be the Son Himself and no whit different: for He is His Spirit. And indeed Jesus called Him the Spirit of Truth, saying also in the discourse before us that He is Himself the Truth.

But any one will naturally say to those who suppose the Son alien to the essence of God the Father: "How is it, pray, that the Father gives the Spirit of Truth, that is, of the Son, not as foreign or alien, but as His own Spirit; notwithstanding that according to you He has the kind of His essence distinct from that of the Son, and, for of this there is no question, the Spirit is the Son's? And once more, how is it, if it be so that the Son is of another essence, that He gives the Spirit of the Father as His own?" For it is written that He breathed on His disciples, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. So then will not a man suppose, and very rightly, or rather will he not be even firmly convinced, that the Son, being essentially partaker of the natural excellences of God the Father, has the Spirit after the same manner as the Father also would be understood to have Him: that is, not as something added or from without, for it were simple or rather mad to hold such an opinion; but as each of us has within himself his own breath, and pours it forth without from the inmost parts of his body? For indeed it was for this cause that Christ breathed on them even bodily, showing that as the breath proceeds bodily from the human mouth, so also from the Divine essence the [Spirit] from Him is in God-befitting manner poured forth. Forasmuch then as He is the Spirit both of God the Father and of the Son, how can it be but that the power They thus possess at once in division and in conjunction will be altogether one? For the Father is a Father and not a Son, and the Son is a Son and not a Father; notwithstanding, the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father; moreover, it is not the Father separately by Himself, or the Son separately by Himself, Who gives the Paraclete or the Holy Spirit, but rather He is supplied to the saints from the Father through the Son. For indeed on this account [we must understand that] when the Father is said to give, the Son also gives, through Whom are all things; and that when the Son is said to give, the Father also gives, of Whom are all things.

But that the Spirit is both Divine and not of another essence, in reference I mean to the Father and the Son, is I imagine doubtful to no one who is right-minded; and furthermore a necessary argument will convince us thereof. For if a man say that the Spirit is not of the essence of God, how then henceforward would the creature in receiving the Spirit be a partaker of God? And after what manner shall we be entitled temples ofGod, and be so, if we receive a created or an alien spirit, and not rather That Which is of God? And how are those who have a share of the Spirit partakers of the Divine nature, according to the words of the sacred writers, if He is in the number of the things that are made, and does not rather proceed for us from the Divine nature itself; not passing through it unto us, as something foreign to it, but so to speak becoming in us a certain quality of the Godhead, and dwelling in the saints, and remaining for ever----[as He does] if by cleansing the eye of their understanding by all goodness, and by unyielding earnestness in the pursuit of every virtue, they preserve the grace in their hearts. For Christ says that the Spirit is uncontainable and invisible for them that are in the world, that is, for those that savour of the things in the world, and choose to love the things that are on earth; yet that He is containable and easily beheld by the saints. For what reason? They who have an uncleanness hard to be washed out of them, and who have filled their own mind as it were with some unhealthy humour, do not narrowly consider the beauty of the Divine nature, nor yet accept the law of the Spirit, forasmuch as they are wholly tyrannised over by the passions of the flesh; whereas the good and sober, keeping their heart free from the evils that are in the world, voluntarily induce the Paraclete to dwell within themselves, and after receiving Him keep Him and (so far as it is attainable by men) behold Him spiritually, winning therefrom something large and great and enviable for their prize. For He will sanctify them, and will make them at once fulfillers of all good things, and will release them from the shame of man-befitting slavery, and will endue them with the prerogative of the adoption of sons. And Paul will bear witness to this, saying: And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  

18 I will not leave you desolate: I come unto you.

Of necessity our Lord Jesus the Christ at this point finishes the discourse touching the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity. For He has already shown before, setting forth both words and facts for assurance unto them that love Him, both that He is in His nature God and is begotten of God the Father, and is of equal might and like mind with Him. For to this end He also at one time said: What I speak, I speak not from Myself; and at another time again : If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not Me, believe My works. But besides these things it was in no small measure needful also that men should receive the right and irreproachable doctrine with reference to the Holy Spirit Himself; for so might the minds of His hearers be directed wholly unto Tightness of faith. Therefore I will set forth in few words what Christ teaches us by the passage before us. By saying that "Another" shall be sent unto us from God the Father, He once more, in accordance with His careful and wise plan, renders the expression of the faith secure. For it was only likely that some, not rightly understanding what was said, would think that He meant that the Holy Spirit was not of the essence of God (as in fact some of the witless did suppose), but that He was in His nature something different; for to say "Another," among the more ignorant sort at least, might carry the appearance of some such ground for its use. So with intent to exhibit clearly that He does not wish the kind of distinctness which the Spirit possesses to be understood in any other way, save solely in virtue of His being in a peculiar and proper sense that which His Name implies, for the Spirit is a Spirit and not a Son, even as the Son is a Son and not a Father; after saying that the Paraclete shall be sent forth, He promises that He will come Himself; showing that the Spirit is not something other than what He is Himself, forasmuch as He is a proper Spirit proceeding from the Father, and is conceived of as the Son's, and for this cause is also called His Mind. For example, Paul says, signifying withal this very thing: But we have the Mind of Christ. So then, understanding the matter rightly and without all error, and rejecting as ungainly all perversion in any direction contrary to what is reasonable, and following the words of the inspired Scripture, we say that He is not something different from the Son so far as regards natural identity, but the same; yet with characteristics both distinct and personal. For, so understanding it, I imagine, the inspired Paul also oftentimes mingles Them and introduces Either as identical with the Other; the Paraclete, I mean, and the Son. For thou wilt find him saying: But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His, and again directly after: And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of the sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Hearest thou how he expressly confesses that they have Christ who have received His Spirit? And he says also in another place: For I think that I also have the Spirit of God. And he who spake this unto us, also says: If ye seek a proof of Christ That speaketh in Me; and oftentimes prays that in us also, who have believed, Christ may dwell by faith, howbeit himself receiving the Holy Spirit. And let no one suppose that we say that he annuls the fixity of name or person in respect of each, or that he says that the Son is not a Son but a Spirit, or at least that he does not know the Spirit as Spirit, but says He is a Son; this was not the aim in his mind, and indeed neither do we so believe. For he knows how to count the Persons of the Holy and Coessential Trinity, and teaches that each of the Persons signified subsists in His proper distinctness: notwithstanding he proclaims clearly that the Holy Trinity is fixed in absolute identity. Else how ean it be that the Spirit is and is called God? For do ye not know, he says, that ye are a temple of God, andthe Spirit of God dwelleth in you? But if, forasmuch as the Spirit dwelleth in us, we are made temples of God, how can the Spirit not be of God, i.e. of His Essence, whereas He makes God to dwell in us through Himself? So then by way of showing that the Spirit is not alien from His own Nature, the Only-begotten, having said that the Paraclete is being sent forth from the Father for the Saints, promises that He will come Himself and fill the place of a father, to the end that they be not found like some orphans destitute of the assistance of one to stand forth for them, and for this cause be found henceforth easy to be taken in the snares of the devil, and exceedingly easily assailed by the offences in the world, for all they be many and come as of necessity, by reason of the ungovernable madness of them that bring them to pass. So then for a shield and an irrefragable security unto our souls, the Father has given the Spirit of Christ, to fulfil in us His grace and presence and power. For it were impossible for a man's soul to effect ought that is good, or to have power over its own passions, or to escape the great subtilty of the snare of the devil, if it were not fortified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and had not Christ Himself by reason thereof within itself. And indeed the inspired Psalmist? composing for us through the wisdom that was in him his thanksgivings on this behalf, cried aloud unto God: Lord, Thou didst crown us as with a shield of favour----meaning by a shield of favour nothing else than the Holy Spirit Who shields us, and constrains us, by gifts of unexpected strength, to [the fulfilling of] the good pleasure of God. And so He promises that none the less He will be present and will help through the Spirit them that believe on Him, albeit He ascend into the very heavens, after His Revival from the dead, now to appear in the presence of God for us, according to the words of Paul.  

19 Yet a little while and the world beholdeth Me no more; but ye behold Me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Now that the Passion is close at hand, and brings along with it the moment of His Assumption, He says that He will be invisible to the world, that is, to them that value the enjoyment of things temporal before the Divine blessings, and set more store by earthly things than by heavenly. And by way of making our belief to the end thereof kindred and consistent with what has been already said above, we shall be right in saying, that God the Father has given the Paraclete, i.e. the Holy Spirit, of course through the Son; for all things are through Him from the Father. Notwithstanding He has come, not on all indiscriminately, both evil and good, but on them on whom it was fitting He should go forth. For so far forth as touches the most rich and unstinted grace of the Giver, no man of all in the earth remained a non-partaker: For I will pour out, He says in the prophets, of my Spirit on all flesh. Yet each man is unto himself an accessory cause of his possessing or else wholly failing to get the God-given blessing. For some men, because that in no wise do they strive to cleanse their own mind by all goodness, but love exceedingly to dwell in the evils in the world, shall abide non-partakers of the Divine grace, and shall not see Christ in themselves, forasmuch as they have a heart void of the Spirit. For this cause albeit they are ranged on the side of the Protector of the orphans they are torn in pieces by simply everything that is strong enough to overreach, be it a passion or a devil, or yet any other worldly lust, and by everything that can drag them down as it were and overpower them unto sin. Howbeit, unto the holy and them that were purposed to receive Him, He said, as was likely He would, forasmuch as they were going to endure none of those ills, I will not leave you orphans, I am coming unto you. And so He says He shall be invisible and wholly unbeheld by them that mind the things in the world, after His Departure hence, I mean His Ascension into heaven. But He says He will be found visible unto the holy, forasmuch as the Holy Spirit is putting a certain Divine and spiritual flash in the eyes of their heart, and sowing therein all good knowledge.

For we shall either suppose that this is what He means by Yet a little while and the world beholdeth Me no more; but ye behold Me; or else turning aside to a different point of view----especially when there is intertwined with His words the saying Because I live, ye shall live also----we reason somewhat on this wise. For after His Revival from the dead, when He had effected for our nature the return unto that whereunto it existed from the beginning, and had made man incorruptible, He ascended, as it were by way of first-fruits and in the Temple of His own Body first, unto God the Father in heaven. But after in the meanwhile accomplishing a short time, He will descend again, as we believe, and will return again unto us, in the glory of His Father with the Holy Angels, and will set up the appalling tribunal before all men, both evil and good. For all created things shall come to judgment. And rendering becoming awards, corresponding to the life each one has led, He will say to them on the left, i.e. to those that have minded the things in the world: Depart from Me ye cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; howbeit to them on the right, i.e. to the holy and good: Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For they shall be with Christ and shall reign with Him, and shall revel in the heavenly blessings, having been made conformable to His Resurrection, and escaped the meshes of the ancient corruption, being endued with the long and ineffable life, and living endlessly with the ever-living Lord. For that they who have practised a life dear to God and exalted, shall be with Christ without ceasing, to wit contemplating His divine and unspeakable beauty, Paul will make clear where he says: For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord; and again, to them that have chosen to mortify worldly passions: For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory. So----for I will sum up the meaning of the Lord's saying----the lovers of the evil things in the world shall go down to Hades and be banished from the presence of Christ; howbeit there shall be with Him and dwell with Him for ever the lovers of virtue, they who have kept inviolate the earnest of the Spirit, and being with Him of a surety they shall also behold His Divine Beauty without all hindrance. For, he says, the Lord shall be thine eternal Light, and God thy glory. And it is also likely that this is what the Lord means to make manifest, when we hear Him saying: Yet a little while and the world beholdeth Me no more; but ye behold Me; because I live ye shall live also. Howbeit in no wise will He speak falsely in saying that the time intervening, before His Revelation as it were, is a little while. For to God Who always is, even what is a long time with us counts utterly for nothing; and the Psalmist will testify this when he says: For a thousand years in Thy sight, O Lord, are but as yesterday that is past, and a watch in the night.

20 In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.

The meaning of the passage before us is somewhat hard to reach, and as it were demands that the inquiry applied to it be keen, and imposes very considerable delay on our discourse: howbeit we believe that Christ will once more direct us into truth. Now some, albeit among the number of those once supposed among the impious heretics to be of eminence, refusing malignantly to confess that the Son is of the essence of God the Father, and is therefore in Him, conceive that the union is an accidental one and not one of nature; and in fact they have written----belching forth thereby what proceeds from their own minds, not from the Holy Spirit----that, forasmuch as the Son is loved by the Father, and Himself loves the Father in return, it is after this sort that He is in Him. And these demented men bring as a proof hard to overthrow, the words attached to the clause before us, to wit concerning us and Him; and indeed they say, resting withal their blasphemies on the staff of a reed, that as we are said to be in Him, and have Him in ourselves, and are not united to Him in the matter of our essence, but the manner of the union is determined by our capacity to love and be loved in return; so the Son also, one of them would say, is not at all within the essence of God the Father, but being wholly distinct in the matter of His nature, and being quite differently characterised, is understood to be in the Father solely by virtue of the law of love. For it is their aim, as we said just now, to show that the Only-begotten is an effect and a creature, and produced and honoured merely with His preeminence over the rest of the creatures, notwithstanding He is external to the essence of God the Father.

But forasmuch as concerning this we have already spoken at length, assaying thereby to show to the best of our power, that the Son is by nature in the Father and that the union which He has with Him is substantial, we will forbear further for the present to extend our remarks touching this subject. Howbeit we will not wholly leave as it were the ground of the argument clear for our opponents to overrun, but will set the battle in array against them in a few words, exhibiting so far as possible at once the mischief and the ignorance of their wicked and loathsome artifice; and particularly we will say: If it is solely by reason that He is loved and loves that the Son is in the Father, and if by the same law we are in Him and He in us, and no different bond of union is discernible, whether we consider that which binds the Son to the Father, or us to Him and Him to us: in what sense or on what principle, I pray you, does He say that it is in that day we shall know the mystery of this? For seemingly we do not yet know that the Father loves the Son, and the Son also loves the Father; nor, I suppose, do we yet know our own condition, but a vain calculation mocks us, when we think that the Son loved us, and for this cause won us unto the Father, and that we also loved Him! For when He says In that day ye shall know, He shows that the time of the knowledge is not yet present; then, why did the Lord all in vain make our ears ring with His words: The Father loveth the Son? For that He Himself loves the Father, who will deny? And how, I pray you, said He also that His choosing to suffer in our behalf was a clear proof of His love to us-ward? For greater love hath no man than this, He says, that a man lay down His life for His friends. And why did He manifestly seek for love from us towards Himself, and that for this cause we should be eager to fulfil His good pleasure? For he that loveth Me, He says, will keep My commandments. For when shall we keep the Divine commandment, if at the present we make no account thereof? Forasmuch then as it is fit we believe that the Son loves the Father, and loves us and is beloved by us, how is it not consistent to conceive that the Son has purposed to signify something diverse from this, and not to define the manner of the union by the law of love; or rather that He has manifestly introduced it to us as after some different sort, when He says: In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father and ye in Me and I in you. But peradventure the opponent will answer, that before the Passion Christ said such things as these to us, to wit that He loves the Father and is loved again by the Father, and He loves us also and we Him; but that after the Passion and the Revival from the dead, when we saw that He burst the bonds of death, we learnt that He is in the Father, forasmuch as also He is loved, and for this cause rose from the dead. For this cause also He is in us and we in Him, according to the same law of love.

But we reply: Your opposition is exceeding idle, and wholly without understanding, and a tissue of rotten words. But, excellent Sirs, consider once more that what we knew of a truth before the Resurrection from the dead, there was no need to learn after the Resurrection. For if it was only imperfectly that we believed that the Son is loved of His own Father, and Himself loves the Father, it was indeed necessary to await the Resurrection, with intent we might therefrom have the perfection of knowledge. But if the Father be worthy of belief when He says even before the Resurrection: He is My beloved Son; and if the Saviour Himself also speaks true when He says: The Father loveth the Son; and if the law of love is fittingly to be conceived in its entire perfection; why do ye foolishly strike at us with hard words? And why, thrusting aside the beauty of the Truth, do ye fashion you an unsightly lie, dragging outside of the Father's essence the Son that is of Him and through Him, and withal inventing right rotten words, and contriving tricks of absurd argumentation? For that the Only-begotten loved us, and that we also loved Him, will be open to any one to see with utmost readiness, so he be willing to regard intently the nature of the truth: For being in the form of God the Father, He counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. Then what, I pray you, was the ground of such actions? Was it not the law of love towards us? And how is it possible to doubt? And our willingness too on behalf of Christ and readiness to abandon our very life to the persecutors, that we may not deny our own Lord, will it not supply proof to demonstration of our love to Him? But a man will also say that this either is entirely true, or will condemn the Holy Martyrs as having wrought a desperate struggle for Christ for no useful end, and endured so grievous a danger all unrecompensed. So then, whereas it is proved with all clearness that the Father has towards the Son love in perfection, and that in like sort also He loves the Father, and we Him and He us, what reason could there be in supposing that the discernment thereof is referred perchance to other times, when the Lord says: In that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.

For away with their idle talkings and the pretentiousness of their God-hating speculations! But we waxing bold in the consciousness of bearing the torch of the Spirit, will not hesitate to say what seems to be right, with intent to clear up the questions at issue. So then, having said above: Because I live ye shall live also, straightway He is found to have added: In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. Then to what man, upright and wont to think rightly, would it not be abundantly clear, that He limits a day, the time to wit of the knowledge hereof, upon which we ourselves also, renovated after His likeness, shall ascend unto eternal life, escaping from the curse of death? And something after this sort the Christ-bearer seems to me to indicate----I mean, Paul----when, revealing to us the Divine Mystery, he writes to some: For ye died and your life is hid with Christ in God; when then Christ, which is your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. For He shall transform the body of our humiliation----this body assuredly, and not a diverse----to be conformable unto His glory, and shall transmute the nature of man unto the ancient type with power unspeakable, changing all things easily unto whatsoever He will, none forbidding; for He is very God That maketh all things and changeth the fashion of them, as it is written. So then at that day, or time, when ye also yourselves shall live----for I do live, albeit made man like unto you, and clad with the body which as touching its proper nature is subject to corruption----ye shall recognise clearly, He says, that I am in the Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. And we shall be disposed to think that the Lord said this unto us, not with intent we might suppose that He is in the Father according to the law of love, as indeed our opponents thought fit to believe, but according to the power of a deep mystery, which is also both difficult to conceive, and hard to utter; howbeit I will essay how I may be able to expound it.

Now I hold that the mind of any man on earth is very far from equal to the accurate exposition hereof; notwithstanding, in the fervour of love, albeit with powers of sight and utterance but little whetted, let us now consider the aim of the Incarnation of the Only-begotten. Let us, I pray you, examine the cause, wherefore, being as God in the form of God the Father, He counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and endured the cross despising the shame. For in this way the depth of the mysteries before us will be manifest, so far as is possible, howbeit hardly so. But we shall learn how the Son is in the Father, naturally, that is, and not by virtue of the relation of being loved and loving as invented by our opponents; and we again in Him after the same sort, and He in us. Well then, one cause the wise Paul expounded was a true and most general cause of the Incarnation of the Only-begotten, when he said: For God the Father was pleased to gather together in one all things in Christ; and "gathering in one," both the name and the thing, plainly involves the bringing back again and resumption of the things that have digressed to an unconformable end unto what they were in the beginning. Then desiring to put before us in a clear light the methods of the gathering in detail, at one time he said: For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the ordinance of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; and at another again: Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death He might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. And herein we have two methods of the gathering together which Paul expounded the doctrine of the Incarnation of the Only-begotten as of necessity involving; but a further method, inclusive of the others, was set forth by the wise Evangelist John. For he writes thus touching Christ: He came unto His own, and they that were His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So then it is abundantly evident and manifest I conceive unto all, that it was for these causes especially that, being by nature God and of God, the Only-begotten has become man; namely with intent to condemn sin in the flesh, and by His own Death to slay Death, and to make us Sons of God, regenerating in the Spirit them that are on earth unto supernatural dignity. For it was, I trow, exceeding good, after this sort to gather together again into one and to recover unto the ancient estate the sore-stumbled race, to wit, the human. Again, let us set each of the causes just given side by side with the Lord's saying, and thereupon make such remarks that seem fit. For we must inquire in what sense it may be seemly to conceive that God the Father condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son inlikeness of sinful flesh. For albeit the Son were by nature God and had shone forth from His essence and possessed naturally the immutability of His proper being, and for this cause in no wise could stumble into sin, or turn aside anywhither into what is not right, the Father caused him voluntarily to descend into the flesh that is subject to sin, with intent that making very flesh His own, He might bring it over unto His own natural property, to wit, sinlessness. For, I conceive, we shall not be right in believing that it was with intent to effect this for the Temple of His own Body alone that the Only-begotten has been made man; for where were the glory and profit of His Advent unto us to be seen, if He accomplished the salvation of His own Body alone? But we believe rather that it was to secure the benefits for all nature through Himself and in Himself first as in the firstfruits of humanity, that the Only-begotten has become like us. For like as we have followed after not only death but all the sufferings of the flesh, undergoing this suffering in the first man by reason as well of the transgression as of the divine curse; after the same sort, I conceive, shall we all of us follow Christ, as He saves in many ways and sanctifies the nature of the flesh in Himself. Wherefore also Paul said: And as we love the image of the earthy, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly. For the image of the earthy, to wit of Adam, is to be in sufferings and corruption; and the image of the heavenly, to wit of Christ, is to be in impassibility and incorruption. So then the Word being God by nature condemned sin in His own flesh, by charging it to cease its activity, or rather so amending it as that it should move after the good pleasure of God, and no longer at its own will; and so whereas the body was natural, He made it spiritual. This then is one method of the gathering together; but the method that is most befitting and appropriate to the drift of the passage before us shall follow it. And it will be our task to speak touching eternal life and the slaying of Death, and how the Only-begotten removed from human nature the corruption that came of the transgression. Therefore forasmuch as the children are partakers of blood and flesh, He also in like manner took part in the same with intent to slay Death, and that He that created all things unto immortality and made the generations of the world healthful, according as it is written, might remould once more the fashion of things unto their ancient estate.

And once again, albeit my argument be more minute than behoves, yet, as it needs must, it shall proceed, setting forth the ancient condition of our estate. For I conceive the sincere purpose to grasp the meaning of the words before us, will wholly escape the dangers that come of mere loitering. So then this rational creature upon earth, I mean man, was made from the beginning after the image of Him that created him, according to the Scriptures; and the meaning of image is various. For an image may be, not after one sort, but after many; howbeit the element of the likeness to God that made him, which is far the most manifest of all, was his incorruptibility and indestructibility. But never, I conceive, would the creature have been sufficient unto himself to be so, merely by virtue of the law of his own nature; for how could he that is of the earth in his own nature have been shown to possess the glory of incorruption, unless it were from the God that is by nature both incorruptible and indestructible and ever the same, that he was enriched with this boon in like manner as with all others? For what hast thou that thou didst not receive? saith somewhere unto us the inspired Paul, with exceeding reason and truth. With intent then that what was once brought into being out of that which is not, might not, by sinking back to its own original, once more vanish into nothing, but rather be preserved evermore----for this was the aim of Him that created it----God makes it partaker of His own nature. For He breathed into his face the breath of life, i.e. the Spirit of the Son, for He is Himself the Life with the Father, holding all things together in being. For the things that are receptive of life both move in Him and live, according to the words of Paul.

And let none of us found hereupon any words of false teaching, by supposing that we said that the Divine inbreathing has become a soul unto the living creature; for this we deny, guided unto the truth of the matter by such reasoning as this. If any suppose that the Divine inbreathing became a soul, let him tell us whether it was turned aside from its own nature and has been made into a soul, or has it remained in its own identity? For if they say it has been on anywise changed and that it traversed the law of its own nature, they will be convicted of blasphemy; for they will say that the immutable and ever-unchanging Nature is altogether mutable; whereas if it was in no wise turned aside, but has ever remained what it always was, after coming forth from God, to wit His inbreathing, how did it deflect unto sin, and become susceptible of so great diversity of passions? For, I trow, they would not say that there is, in anywise, in the Divine Nature the possibility of transgression. But to get over the words due to the subject before us without using lengthy proofs, I say we must repeat this once again and say,----that no one, I imagine, rightly minded would suppose that the Breath which proceeded from the Divine Essence became the creature's soul, but that after the creature was ensouled, or rather had attained unto the propriety of its perfect nature by means of both, soul and body to wit, then like a stamp of His own Nature the Creator impressed on it the Holy Spirit, i. e. the Breath of Life, whereby it became moulded unto the archetypal Beauty, and completed after the image of Him that created it, enabled unto every form of excellence, by virtue of the Spirit given to dwell in it. But whereas, being free of will, and entrusted with the reins of its own purposes----for this also is an element in the image, forasmuch as God has power over His own purposes----it turned and has fallen----but how this came to pass the Holy Scripture must teach you, for the account of it therein is plain----God the Father both determined and took in hand to gather together once more in Christ the nature of man unto its ancient estate, and willing it accomplished it withal. So then it naturally follows that we should observe how it has come to pass. It was not otherwise possible for man, forasmuch as he was of a nature that was perishing, to escape death, save by recovering that ancient grace, and partaking once more in God Who holdeth all things together in being and preserveth them in life through the Son in the Spirit. Therefore He hath become partaker of blood and flesh, i.e. He hath become man, being by nature Life, and begotten of the Life that is by nature, i.e. of God the Father----to wit, His Only-begotten Word, with intent that ineffably and inexpressibly and as He alone could skill to do, uniting Himself with the flesh that by the law of its own nature was perishing, He might bring it back unto His own Life and make it through Himself partaker of God the Father. For He is Mediator between God and men, according as it is written, knit unto God the Father naturally as God and of Him, and again unto men as man; and withal having in Himself the Father and being Himself in the Father; for He is the impress and effulgence of His Person, and not distinct from the Essence, whereof He is impress and wherefrom He proceeds as effulgence; but both being Himself in It, and having It in Himself; and again having us in Himself according as He wears our nature and our body has become entitled the Body of the Word. For the Word was made flesh, according to the utterance of John. And He wears our nature, remoulding it unto His own Life. And He is also Himself in us; for we have all been made partakers of Him, and have Him in ourselves through the Spirit; for, for this cause we have Both, being made partakers of the Divine Nature, and are entitled sons, after this sort having in us also the Father Himself through the Son. And Paul will testify hereof where he says: Because ye are sons God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. For His Spirit is not something diverse from the Son, I mean as touching the law of identity, to wit, identity of nature.

This being the result of the progress of our discourse of these things, let us now take the meaning of what has been set forth, and adapt it to the interpretation of our Saviour's words: For in that day ye shall know, He says, that I am in the Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. For I live Myself, He says, for I am Life by nature, and have shown the Temple of My own Body alive; but when ye also yourselves, albeit ye are of a corruptible nature, shall behold yourselves living in like manner as I do, then indeed ye shall know exceeding clearly, that I, being Life by nature, did knit you through Myself unto God the Father, Who is also Himself by nature Life, making you partakers as it were and sharers in His Incorruption. For naturally am I in the Father----for I am the Fruit of His Essence and Its real Offspring, subsisting in It, having shone forth from It, Life of Life----and ye are in Me and I in you, forasmuch as I appeared as a man Myself, and made you partakers of the Divine Nature by putting My Spirit to dwell in you. For Christ is in us through the Spirit, converting that which has a natural tendency to corruption into incorruption, and transferring it from the condition of dying unto that which is otherwise. Wherefore also Paul says that He that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, shall quicken also your mortal bodies, through His Spirit that dwelleth in you. For albeit the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, yet He comes through the Son, and is His Own; for all things are through the Son from the Father. For that it was through the Spirit we were wrought anew unto eternal life, the Divine Psalmist will bear us record, when he cries as unto the God of all: When Thou openest Thine Hand, all things shall be filled with goodness; whenThou turnest away Thy Face they shall be troubled; Thou shalt take away their breath and they shall fail and shall turn again to their dust. Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be made, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Hearest thou how the transgression that was in Adam, and the " turning away" as it were from the Divine precepts, sore troubled the nature of man, and made it return to its own earth? But when God sent forth His Spirit, and made us partakers of His own Nature, and through Him renewed the face of the earth, we were transfigured unto newness of life, casting off the corruption that comes of sin, and once more grasping eternal life, through the grace and love towards mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom and with Whom unto God the Father, be glory with the Holy Spirit unto the ages. Amen.

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ Α. Ὅτι διὰ τὴν ταυτότητα τῆς φύσεως, ὁ Υἱὸς μὲν ἐν τῷ Πατρί ἐστιν, ὁ Πατὴρ δ' αὖ πάλιν ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ ἐστιν.
« Πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν. » ἈΝΑΦΑΝΔΟΝ ἤδη φησὶν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐπιτάττει λοιπὸν ὅτι προσήκοι φρονεῖν οὐχ ἑτέρως ἡμᾶς, ἢ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας βούλοιτο λόγος. ὁμοούσιος γάρ ἐστι τῷ ἰδίῳ γεννήτορι, μεσολαβοῦντος παντελῶς οὐδενὸς, ἢ κατά τι γοῦν διακόπτοντος εἰς ἑτερότητα φυσικὴν θατέρου τὸν ἕτερον. εἷς γάρ ἐστι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὡς ἐν τῇ τοῦ τεκόντος οὐσίᾳ τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ διαφαίνεσθαι φύσιν, καὶ ἐν τῇ τοῦ γεννήματος οὐσίᾳ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὁρᾶσθαί τε καὶ διαπρέπειν, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς θεωρήσαι τις ἄν. οὐ γὰρ ἕτεροι κατὰ φύσιν ἐσμὲν πρὸς τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν γεννήματα, οὔτε μὴν εἰς ἀλλοτριότητα μεριζόμεθα φυσικὴν, εἰ καὶ τῇ τῶν σωμάτων ἑτερότητι διεστήκαμεν: διόπερ ἴδοι τις ἂν τὸν μακάριον Ἁβραὰμ ὁ τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθέντα υἱὸν ἑωρακώς. ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν ἀνθρώπων τυχὸν πολλή τις ἐστὶν ἡ διακοπὴ, συστελλομένου τρόπον τινὰ καὶ ἀναχωροῦντος μεμορφωμένως ἑκάστου πρὸς τὸ ἰδίως ἔχειν καὶ φαίνεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐμπεφυκότος τῷ ἑτέρῳ σωματικῶς, εἰ καὶ κοινὸς ἅπασιν ὁ τῆς οὐσίας ὁρῷτο λόγος: ἐπὶ δὲ Θεοῦ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἐννοήσεις οὐχ οὕτως: ἰδιαζόντως μὲν γὰρ πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ οὐχ Υἱός: καὶ πάλιν ὁμοίως Υἱὸς ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ πατὴρ, καὶ πνεῦμα τὸ Πνεῦμα ἰδίως: ἀλλ' εἰς μίαν θεότητος φύσιν συνιούσης τε καὶ συνειλεγμένης τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος, εἷς Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ οὐχ ὁλόκληρον ἑκάστῳ τῶν σημαινομένων δοίη τις ἂν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἑτέρου τυχὸν ἀποφοίτησιν, οὐδ' ἀναχωρήσει παντελῶς εἰς τὸ εἶναι μεμερισμένως: ἀλλ' εἶναι μὲν ἕκαστον τοῦθ' ὅπερ ἐστὶ καὶ κατωνόμασται παρ' ἡμῖν ἰδιοσυστάτως πιστεύομεν. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὄντα τὸν Υἱὸν, τουτέστιν, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τε προελθεῖν ἀῤῥήτως, ἐν αὐτῷ τε μένειν ἐννοοῦμεν. τὸν δὲ αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ἔστι μὲν γὰρ ἐκ Θεοῦ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἀληθῶς, ἀλλ' οὐδαμόθεν μεμερισμένον τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, προϊὸν δὲ μᾶλλον ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ μένον ἀεί: χορηγούμενον δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις διὰ Χριστοῦ: πάντα γὰρ δι' Υἱοῦ ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ. ταύτην ἡμᾶς τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ὀρθότητα καὶ ἀλήθειαν ἐδίδαξεν ἡ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων σύνεσις: οὕτω πεπαιδεύμεθα λαλεῖν τε καὶ φρονεῖν καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων: ὅτι δὲ λίαν ὀρθῶς ἐπὶ ταύτην ἴμεν τὴν ἀλοιδόρητον πίστιν, παραθαρσύνει λέγων ὁ Κύριος Πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ δὲ ἐν ἐμοί.
« Εἰ δὲ μὴ, διὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ πιστεύετε. » Διαῤῥήδην γὰρ ἐν τούτοις φησὶν, ὡς οὐδ' ἂν ἐργάσαιτο, οὐδ' ἂν ἐξανύσαι πώποτε τὰ μόνῃ τῇ θείᾳ πρέποντα φύσει, μὴ οὐχὶ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς. καὶ ὅρα μεθ' ὅσης ἀσφαλείας τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀληθείας τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν. οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ὧν ἂν λέγοι, τοσοῦτον ἀξιοῖ πιστεύεσθαι, καίτοι ψεύδεσθαι μὴ εἰδὼς, ὅσον ἐξ ὧν ἐνεργῇ. καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν, ἐρῶ. λόγοις μὲν γὰρ καὶ ῥήμασι τοῖς θεοπρεπέσιν ἀποκεχρῆσθαι τυχὸν, καί τι τῶν ῥιψοκινδύνων εἰπεῖν, ἀνδρὶ μαινομένῳ καὶ παραπαίοντι, χαλεπὸν οὐδέν: ἔργῳ γεμὴν καὶ δυνάμει τῇ θεοπρεπεῖ τίς ἂν χρήσαιτό ποτε; χαριεῖται δὲ τίνι τῶν γενητῶν τὴν ἰδίαν δόξαν ὁ Πατήρ; ἢ γὰρ οὐχὶ Θεοῦ δόξαν εἶναί φαμεν τὸ πάντα δύνασθαι δρᾶν, καὶ παντουργικὴν ἔχειν ἰσχύν: οὐδενὶ γεμὴν ἑτέρῳ προσεῖναι, τῷ γε ὅλως ἐναριθμουμένῳ τοῖς κτίσμασιν; οὐκοῦν ἐξ ἀναγκαίων τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀναντιῤῥήτων ἀποδείξεων τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν δοκιμάζεσθαι βουλόμενος ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐξ αὐτῶν κελεύει πιστεύεσθαι τῶν ἔργων, ὡς εἴη μὲν αὐτὸς ἐν Πατρὶ, ἔχει δὲ αὖ πάλιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, τουτέστι, τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς φύσιν ἐν ὑπάρξει τῇ ἰδίᾳ φορεῖ, ὡς γνήσιον γέννημα, ὡς καρπὸς ἀληθῶς, ὡς Υἱὸς ἐκ Πατρὸς πεφηνὼς φυσικῶς. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καίτοι λίαν ἐπαυχοῦσα τῇ τῶν δογμάτων ὀρθότητι, τοιαύτην ἔχει τὴν δόξαν περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς: τοῖς γεμὴν θεομάχοις αἱρετικοῖς ἑτεροῖα παρέστη φρονεῖν ἀναπείθειν τοὺς τοῖς ὀλεθρίοις αὐτῶν προσιόντας τε καὶ προσέχοντας λόγοις. ἐπιλυττῶντες γὰρ ταῖς κατὰ Χριστοῦ λοιδορίαις, φιλονεικοῦσιν οἱ δείλαιοι, καὶ κατανοοῦσιν ἀλλήλους, οὐκ εἰς παροξυσμὸν εὐσεβείας, ἀλλ' ἵν' ἀσεβέστερος ἑτέρου ὁρῷτο δεῖν ἕτερος, καὶ φθέγξαιτό τι τῶν ἀπηχεστέρων. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν ἐκ Σοδόμων πίνουσιν οἶνον, καὶ πικρὰν ἐκ Γομόῤῥας τρυγῶσι σταφυλήν: οὐ γὰρ ἐκ θείου δέχονται Πνεύματος τὰ ἐπ' αὐτῷ θεωρήματα, οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀποκαλύψεως τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς τοῦ δράκοντος κεφαλῆς: οὐδὲν μὲν φρονοῦσι τῶν ἐχόντων ὑγιῶς, ἐκεῖνα δὲ λέγουσιν, ἃ τὰς τῶν ἀκροωμένων ταλαιπώρους ἀποφαίνει ψυχὰς, πρὸς ᾅδην αὐτὰς κατακομίζοντα καὶ εἰς τὸ κάτω βάραθρον. ταῦτα καὶ βιβλίοις ἐνθεῖναι τολμήσαντες, ἀθάνατον ὥσπερ τὴν ἐνοῦσαν αὐτοῖς ἀνεστήλωσαν πονηρίαν. ἔδει μὲν οὖν ἡμᾶς διαρκῶς εἰρηκότας εἰς τὸ προκείμενον, ἅπερ ἦν εἰκὸς ὠφελεῖν δύνασθαι τοὺς ἐντευξομένους, ὀρθοτάτην ἔχοντα τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Υἱῷ διάληψιν, μηδεμίαν τῶν παρ' ἐκείνοις ποιήσασθαι μνήμην. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπεικὸς οὐδὲν τοῖς ἀθλίοις ἐκείνων περιτυχόντας ῥήμασι συναρπαγῆναι τῶν ἁπλουστέρων εἰς σύνεσίν τινας, ἀναγκαῖον ᾠήθην τοῖς ἐξ ἀληθείας δόγμασι τὰ ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων φλυαρίας διακρούσασθαι βλάβη, εὐανάτρεπτόν τε παντελῶς ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν συκοφαντίαν, ἣν ἐπιτειχίζειν βούλονται τῷ Υἱῷ, μᾶλλον δὲ ὅλῃ τῇ θείᾳ φύσει: τοῦτο γὰρ εἰπεῖν ἀληθέστερον. Τοιγαροῦν ἐνέτυχον βιβλιδίῳ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας: εἶτα τὰ ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ῥητῷ διερευνώμενος, εὕρισκον ἐπὶ λέξεως αὐτῆς οὕτω λέγοντα μεθ' ἕτερά τινα ” Ὁ τοίνυν Υἱὸς „οὐσιωδῶς περιεχόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τὸν Πατέρα ἐν ” ἑαυτῷ ἔχει τὰ ῥήματα φθεγγόμενον καὶ τὰ σημεῖα ἐπιτε„λοῦντα: ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύει λέγων ‘Ἃ ἐγὼ λαλῶ ὑμῖν ἀπ' ” ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ λαλῶ, ὁ δὲ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων ποιεῖ τὰ „ἔργα αὐτός.’” Ταυτὶ τῆς ἐκείνου τερθρείας τὰ ῥήματα: ἐπειδὴ δὲ χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰπεῖν τὸ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀντιστατοῦν καὶ ἀδόκιμον ὄντα τὸν νοῦν διελέγχειν δυνάμενον, ἐκεῖνό φημι Τὸ μὲν οὖν οὐσιωδῶς περιέχεσθαι λέγειν τὸν Υἱὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὅ τι ποτὲ ἄρα ἐστὶν, ἢ τί ἄρα δηλοῖ, οὐ σφόδρα συνίημι: χρῆναι γὰρ οἶμαι τὸ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν: τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν ἀσάφειαν. ἐρυθριᾷ γὰρ ὥσπερ καὶ συστέλλεταί πως πρὸς τὸ ἀφανέστερον παῤῥησίαν οὐκ ἔχον τὸ θεώρημα. ὥσπερ γὰρ “ὁ τὰ ” φαῦλα πράσσων μισεῖ τὸ φῶς καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ “φῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ,” κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνήν: οὕτω πᾶς λόγος ὁ τὰ φαῦλα δηλῶν, διὰ σκοτεινῶν ἐννοιῶν ἔρχεσθαι φιλεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ σαφηνείας οὐχ ἥξει φῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ σαθρότητος ἡ εὐτέλεια. τί οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ οὐσιωδῶς περιέχεσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός; ἴημι γὰρ δὴ δι' ἐννοίας ἁπάσης, οἷσπερ ἂν δύνωμαι διαπτύσσων λόγοις τὸ ἀμυδρῶς εἰρημένον, καὶ δυσωπούμενον τάχα μὴ καὶ ἄρα νοηθὲν ἀποκαλύψῃ τὴν τοῦ τεκόντος αὐτὸ δυσβουλίαν. εἰ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο βούλεται δηλοῦν, ὡς ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίᾳ φαινόμενος ὁ Υἱὸς, ὡς ὁμοούσιος αὐτῷ, ἔχει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα ἐν τῇ τοῦ γεννήματος φύσει καλῶς διαλάμποντα, συναινέσομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς τὴν τοῦ θεωρήματος δύναμιν: οὐ μετρίως δ' ἂν ἀδικήσαι τυχὸν τὸ τῆς περιοχῆς ὄνομα κείμενον ἐφ' Υἱῷ. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ φησίν: οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς γεγεννῆσθαί ποτε παραδέξεται τὸν Υἱὸν ὁ τοιαύτην ἐμέσας κατ' αὐτοῦ δυσφημίαν, ὥσπερ δέ τι σῶμα πεπερασμένον τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ φύσιν ἐμπεριειλῆφθαι τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς διισχυρίζεται: πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἀναφανδὸν δυσφημήσας ἁλώσεται, καὶ τῆς εἰς ἄκρον ἡκούσης φρενοβλαβείας ἀνάπλεως ὤν; καὶ αὐτοὶ γὰρ Θεὸν εἶναι λέγοντες τὸν Υἱὸν, τὰ σωμάτων ἴδια προσάπτειν αὐτῷ παραλόγως ἐπιχειροῦσι: τὸ γὰρ ὅλως περιορισμῷ τινι καὶ μέτρῳ περισχοινίζεσθαι τῷ νοουμένῳ κατὰ διάστασιν, ὡς καὶ ἀπό τινος ἀρχῆς καταλήγειν εἰς πέρας, πάντως ἐπιδέξαιτο καὶ τὸ εἶναι τυχὸν ἐν τόπῳ καὶ ποσῷ καὶ εἴδει καὶ σχήματι. εἶτα πῶς οὐ σωμάτων ἴδια ταυτί; πῶς δὲ οὐ μεθ' ἡμῶν, ὡς καθ' ἡμᾶς, ὁ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς νοηθήσεται; ἢ πῶς οὐκ ἀδελφὸς τῇ ἑτέρᾳ κτίσει, λοιπὸν οὐδὲν ἔχων παρ' αὐτὴν τὸ πλέον, ὅσον ἧκεν εἰπεῖν εἰς τὸ εἶναι πεπερασμένως; ἔχων δὲ οὕτω κατά γε τὴν ἀμαθῆ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας ὑπόνοιαν, τί μάτην ἡμᾶς προσεκτύπει λέγων “Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστὲ, ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί:” καὶ πάλιν “Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐστὲ, ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ ” τοῦ κόσμου τούτου;“ ἄνωθεν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν εἶναι λέγων, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐδήλου τὸ ἐξ οὐρανῶν: τί γὰρ ἂν ἔχοι τὸ πλεῖον παρὰ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους, εἴπερ ἄνωθεν κἀκείνους ὄντας εὑρήσομεν, τοπικῶς ἐκληφθέντος τοῦ σημαινομένου; σημαίνει δὲ ὅτι τῆς ἄνωθεν οὔσης καὶ τῆς τοῖς ὅλοις ἐποχουμένης οὐσίας ἐξέφυ. πῶς οὖν ἀληθὴς ἀναφαίνεται λοιπὸν, εἰ κοινὰ πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν ἔχει κτίσιν τὰ σωμάτων ἴδια, καὶ ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρενεχθεῖσι περιεχόμενός ἐστιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός; εἴπερ οὐδὲν ἔξω κεῖσθαι δώσομεν αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὁ μὲν θεσπέσιος μελῳδὸς, ἀληθῆ που πάντως καὶ κεκρυμμένα μυστήρια λαλῶν ἐν Πνεύματι, οὐδενὸς μὲν παντελῶς ἀπολιμπάνεσθαι τόπου φησὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, τὸ ἀσώματόν τε καὶ ἀπεριόριστον αὐτῷ διὰ τούτου προσμαρτυρῶν, καὶ ὅτι μὴ τόπῳ περιληπτὸς, ὡς Θεός: ” Ποῦ γὰρ πορευθῶ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, καὶ “ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου ποῦ φύγω; ἐὰν ἀναβῶ εἰς τὸν ” οὐρανὸν, σὺ ἐκεῖ εἶ, ἐὰν καταβῶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, πάρει: ἐὰν “ἀναλάβω τὰς πτέρυγάς μου κατ' ὄρθρον καὶ πορευθῶ εἰς ” τὰ ἔσχατα τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἡ χείρ σου ὁδη“γήσει με, καὶ καθέξει με ἡ δεξιά σου.” ῥιψοκινδύνως δὲ οὗτοι, καὶ ταῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος φωναῖς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀντεξάγοντες γνώμην, ὁρισμῷ καὶ περιγραφαῖς ὑποβάλλουσι τὸν Μονογενῆ, καίτοι λογισμὸν ὀφείλοντες ἐπὶ τούτῳ λαβεῖν ἀναγκαῖόν τε καὶ χρήσιμον. εἰ γὰρ πεπλήρωκε μὲν οὐρανοὺς, καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα τῆς γῆς, τουτέστι, τὰ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην: πῶς οὐ σφόδρα παραλογώτατον τὸ περιοχῆς ὄνομα προσάπτειν αὐτῷ, μηδὲ ἐκεῖνο λογισαμένους, ὅτι εἰ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι, τὸ Πνεῦμα: πρόσωπον γὰρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καλεῖ τὸ Πνεῦμα: τὰ πάντα πληροῖ, πῶς ἂν αὐτὸς εἴσω γένοιτο περιοχῆς, κἂν λέγῃ ὅτι περιοχῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑβριεῖ περιγράψας τὸ ἀσώματον, καὶ μέτρῳ περιτιθεὶς τὸ οὐκ ὂν πεπερασμένως. τὸ γὰρ οὐσιωδῶς αὐτὸν περιέχεσθαι λέγειν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, τί ἕτερόν ἐστι δηλοῦν, ἢ ὅτι πεπερασμένην ἔχει τὴν οὐσίαν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀμέλει καὶ ἓν ἕκαστον τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγονότων, ἃ καὶ ἀκινδύνως τε καὶ ἀληθῶς περιέχεσθαι δώσομεν: σώματα γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοιαῦτα τυχὸν ὁποῖα τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ἔπεισι δέ μοι κἀκεῖνο πρὸς τούτοις ἐννοεῖν. εἰ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναί φαμεν τὸ ὑπό του περιειλημμένον εἴσω δὴ κεῖσθαι πάντως τοῦ περιέχειν αὐτὸ λεγομένου, πῶς οὐκ ἀναμφιλόγως ἕψεται τὸ ἐν ἐλάττοσιν εἶναι νοεῖν τοῦ περιέχοντος τὸ περιεχόμενον, καὶ πεπερατῶσθαι λέγειν αὐτὸ, κατακλειόμενον ὥσπερ τῇ τοῦ μείζονος περιοχῇ; τί οὖν ὦ βέλτιστε πάλιν ἐρεῖς; ἰδοὺ γὰρ εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἑαυτὸν παραθεὶς καὶ διαῤῥήδην εἰπών “Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν ” Πατέρα,“ καὶ πάλιν ἐπήνεγκεν εὐθύς ” Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ “καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ δὲ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν:” εἰ γὰρ τοῦτό φησι καθ' ὑμᾶς, ὅτι καίτοι χαρακτὴρ καὶ εἰκὼν ὑπάρχων τοῦ γεγεννηκότος, οὐσιωδῶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ περιέχομαι, πῶς οὐχ ἅπασιν ἀναμφίλογον, ὅτι τοιαύτας ἡμᾶς ἐννοίας ἔχειν περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς βούλεται, ὁποίαν περ ἂν λάβοιμεν καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ; πεπερατῶσθαι τοιγαροῦν ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν Πατέρα, ἔστι γὰρ ἐν Υἱῷ: καὶ ζητείτω λοιπὸν ὁ αἱρετικὸς, τίς ὁ μείζων αὐτοῦ: ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐ θέμις εἰπεῖν ἢ νοεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἀνὰ μέρος μὲν εἰκὼν ἔσται τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀνὰ μέρος δὲ οὐκέτι. εἰ γὰρ ὅλως ἔχει τι τὸ παραλλάττον καὶ μεσολαβοῦν τὴν εἰσάπαν ὁμοίωσιν, μέρος ἂν εἴη λοιπὸν, οὐχ ὁλόκληρος εἰκών. ἀλλὰ ποῦ τοῦτο δείξαις ἂν τὴν ἁγίαν λέγουσαν γραφήν; οὐ γὰρ δήπου τοῖς σοῖς ἀναπεπεισμένοι λόγοις, τὴν τῶν ἱερῶν δογμάτων ὀρθότητα παρωσόμεθα. θαυμάζω δὲ ὅπως οὐ κατέδεισαν ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰπεῖν ” Καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλος τὸν „Χριστὸν εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦντα καὶ ἐνεργοῦντα τὰς ” δυνάμεις, τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τὸν Πατέρα „λαλοῦντα καὶ τὰ σημεῖα ποιοῦντα εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ: διό φησι ” Πιστεύετε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ δὲ ἐν ἐμοί: „εἰ δὲ μὴ, διὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ πιστεύετε.„ εἶτα τίς ἔτι Χριστιανὸν προσερεῖ τὸν οὕτω διεσκεμμένον καὶ πεφρονηκότα περὶ Χριστοῦ; ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἰδοὺ, καὶ μάλα σαφῶς, Θεὸν μὲν αὐτὸν οὐκέτι φησὶν ἀληθῶς: ῥιψοκινδύνως δὲ περιθεὶς τὸ πρέπον τοῖς κτίσμασι μέτρον αὐτῷ, θεοφόρον τινὰ καὶ Θεοῦ μέτοχον, ἤγουν ἐκ Θεοῦ γεννηθέντα Θεὸν κηρύττει. σκοπὸς γὰρ αὐτῷ διὰ παντὸς, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τρόπου καὶ λόγου τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς παντελῶς ἀπείργειν αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰσάπαν ἀποτεμεῖν τῆς φυσικῆς καὶ οὐσιώδους οἰκειότητος, ἧς ἔχει πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα καὶ Θεόν. Εἶτα τί ἂν γένοιτο τῶν τοιούτων τὸ ὑπερτεροῦν εἰς ἀποπληξίαν; ἢ πῶς οὐκ ἄν τις, ὡσεὶ νεκροῖς ἤδη καὶ ἀπολωλόσι, τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐπιστάξαι δάκρυον ἀχαλίνως οὕτω τετραμμένοις εἰς ἀσέβειαν: ἐρεῖ δὲ καὶ λίαν εὐκαίρως “Τίς ” δώσει τῇ κεφαλῇ μου ὕδωρ καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου πηγὴν “δακρύων, καὶ κλαύσομαι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἡμέρας καὶ ” νυκτός;“ ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα φρονεῖν ἑλομένοις, ἀκρατὲς ἄν τις εἰκότως ἐπιστάξαι δάκρυον. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῖς ἐξ ἀληθείας δόγμασιν ἀποκρούεσθαι δεῖν τὰς παρ' ἐκείνων συκοφαντίας προσήκειν ὑπολαμβάνω, διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις λυσιτελὲς, φέρε πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖνο λέγωμεν, ὅτι ζηλοῦντες ἐζηλώκαμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ. ὁ γάρ τοι θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, ὦ οὗτοι, ἢ καί τις ἕτερος τῶν ἁγίων, τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχοντες ταῖς ἑαυτῶν διανοίαις ἐνοικισθέντα διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἔδρων εὖ μάλα τὰ δοκοῦντα Θεῷ, καὶ δημιουργοὶ τῶν παραδόξων ἐφαίνοντο. οὐκοῦν ἄραρεν, ὅ τι δοίης δ' ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχειν ἀληθὲς, ὡς ἄνθρωποί τε τὴν φύσιν ὑπάρχοντες, καὶ ἕτερόν τι κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν παρὰ τὸ ἐνοικοῦν αὐτοῖς Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ, θεόφοβοί τινες ἦσαν καὶ λαμπροὶ διὰ τῆς δοθείσης αὐτοῖς παρὰ Χριστοῦ χάριτος: συνερεῖς δὲ πάντως ἡμῖν, ὡς ἔρημοι μὲν τοῦ χαρίσματος ἦσάν ποτε, κέκληνται γεμὴν εἰς αὐτὸ, δόξαν οὕτω καλῶς ἔχειν τῷ ποτε καλῶς διιθύνοντι Θεῷ: ἦν οὖν ἄρα τῶν ἐνδεχομένων, καὶ διά τινος τῶν ἀτόπων ἢ καὶ ὀρθῶς οὐκ εἰργασμένων, προσκεκρουκότα τῷ Θεῷ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, ἤγουν τινὰ τῶν κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἕτερον, ἔρημον μὲν τῆς δοθείσης αὐτῷ χάριτος ὀφθῆναι δύνασθαι, κατωθεῖσθαι δὲ αὖθις καὶ ὑπονοστεῖν εἰς τὴν ὅθεν ἀνέβη ταπείνωσιν. τὸ γὰρ ὅλως ἔξωθεν καὶ ἐπακτὸν ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἀποπτύοιτο καὶ ἀναφαίρετόν ἐστιν, ὡς δοτόν. ἆρ' οὖν ὦ βέλτιστε: τετράψεται γὰρ πρὸς σὲ ὁ λόγος πάλιν: εἰ κατὰ τὴν πρὸς σὲ ἀπαιδευσίαν καὶ ἀσεβεστάτην ὑπόληψιν, καθάπερ ἦν ἐν τῷ Παύλῳ Χριστὸς λαλῶν καὶ τερατουργῶν, οὕτως εἶναι δοίη τις ἂν ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ τὸν Πατέρα, πῶς οὐκ ἀμφίλογον ὡς Θεὸς μὲν ἔσται κατὰ φύσιν οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ' ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τὸν ἐνοικοῦντα Πατέρα, Θεὸν ὄντα κατὰ ἀλήθειαν; οὕτω γὰρ ἦν ἐν τῷ Παύλῳ Χριστός. ὄργανον οὖν ἄρα καὶ ὥσπερ τι σκεῦός ἐστιν εἰς δόξαν κατηρτισμένον ὁ Μονογενὴς, καὶ διοίσει μὲν οὐδὲν αὐλοῦ καὶ λύρας, ἐκεῖνο φωνῶν, ὅπερ ἂν ἐμπνέηται τυχὸν, ἤγουν εὐρύθμως ἀναμελῳδεῖν τῷ πλήκτρῳ κελεύηται: ἔσται δὲ οὕτω παραδεκτὸς εἰς θαυματουργίαν τῷ Πατρὶ, ὡς ἂν νοοῖτο τυχὸν πρίων ἢ σκέπαρνον τοῖς εἰδόσι τὸ ξυλουργεῖν. εἶτα τί τούτου παραλογώτερον; οὕτω γὰρ ἔχων φύσεως, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοί φασιν, ἀλλότριος ἔσται παντελῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ὅσον εἰς τὸ εἶναι φύσει Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἕτερος παρ' αὐτὸν οὐδείς. εἰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ὁ Υἱὸς ἀποσχοινίζεται, κατά γε τὸ εἶναι φύσει Θεὸς, πῶς οὐκ ἀληθῶς ἤδη φαμὲν, ὅτι τῇ κτίσει συντέτακται, καὶ συνηρίθμηται τοῖς ποιήμασι, καὶ ἐν ὀργάνου παρελήφθη χρείᾳ, καὶ ὑπουργὸς ἡμῖν ἀντὶ δεσπότου πέφηνεν ἤδη λοιπὸν ὁ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ συνεδρεύων Υἱός: μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ υἱός ἐστι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν; οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἐν ὀργάνου τάξει τεθὲν, εἰς υἱόν τις νοήσαι καὶ παραδέξαιτο. ἐργαλεῖον οὖν ἄρα τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ τέχνης, ἤτοι σοφίας, ἔτεκεν ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ ἕτερόν τι παρ' ὅπερ ἐστὶν αὐτὸς ἀποκυήσας ὁρᾶται. καὶ πῶς ἂν ἐνδέχοιτο; πῶς δὲ οὐκ εὔηθες παντελῶς τὸ νοεῖν τι τοιοῦτον; οὐκ ἀπαλλάξας τοίνυν ὀργανικῆς τε καὶ οἰκετικῆς ὑπολήψεως τὸν Υἱὸν, γέννημα δὲ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ὁμολογῶν αὐτὸν οὐδαμῶς, ἀρνούμενος δὲ τὴν ἄῤῥητον γέννησιν, τὴν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός φημι, αὐτὴν ἀδικήσεις τοῦ τεκόντος τὴν δόξαν: οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ ἔσται πατὴρ κατ' ἀλήθειαν ὁ Πατήρ: ὁ γὰρ μὴ γεννήσας ὅλως ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, τίνος ἂν εἴη κατὰ φύσιν πατήρ; ψευδώνυμος οὖν ἄρα παντελῶς ἡ ἁγία Τριὰς, μήτε τοῦ Πατρὸς ὄντος κατὰ ἀλήθειαν πατρὸς, μήτε μὴν υἱοῦ κατὰ φύσιν τοῦ Υἱοῦ. ἀκολουθήσει δὲ ἀναλόγως τῷ θεωρήματι καὶ ἡ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος δυσφημία. Οὐκοῦν ἠπατήμεθα, καὶ διέψευσται μὲν ἡ πίστις: ψευδομυθεῖ δὲ ἡ ἁγία γραφὴ, πατέρα καλοῦσα τὸν Θεόν: καὶ εἰ μή ἐστι κατὰ φύσιν Θεὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, ὡς ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς γεννηθεὶς, πεπλανήμεθα μὲν ἡμεῖς, συμπεπλάνηται δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἡ ἄνω πόλις καὶ ἡ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων καθαρωτάτη πληθὺς, τῷ κατὰ φύσιν Θεῷ συνδοξάζουσά τε καὶ συμπροσκυνοῦσα, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως δοξολογεῖν ἀναπεπεισμένη θεοφόρον τι σκεῦος καὶ τῶν ποιημάτων ἓν, κατά γε τὴν ἐκείνων ἀβελτηρίαν φημί. εἰ δὲ βούλοιτό ποτε τῆς εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν σχέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐνοικήσεως ἀναχωρεῖν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὐδὲν διοίσει τάχα τῶν διωλισθηκότων τῆς ἰδίας ἀρχῆς, ἴδιον μὲν ἔχων οὐδὲν, οὔτε μὴν ἐν ἰδίᾳ φύσει τὸν γεννήσαντα φέρων, πάντα δὲ μᾶλλον ὑπάρχων τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ μόνῃ τῇ θείᾳ νευρούμενος χάριτι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τῆς υἱότητος ὀνόματι μεθ' ἡμῶν τετιμημένος. τί οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς σὺν ἡμῖν τὴν οἰκείαν ὁμολογεῖ φύσιν; διατί δὲ ” Ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμενοι τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ αὐτὸς καθή“μενος τὸν αἰῶνα;” τοῦ δὲ δὴ χάριν ἡμεῖς μὲν οἰκέται, Κύριος δὲ αὐτός; εἰ γὰρ καὶ υἱοὶ κεκλήμεθα Θεοῦ, τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπιγινώσκοντες, οὐκ αἰσχυνόμεθα τὴν δόξαν: αὐτὸς δὲ εἰπέ μοι, διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν, εἴπερ ἐστὶ καθ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ κατ' οὐδὲν τῶν κτισμάτων ἐν ἀμείνοσι, κατά γε τὸ μὴ εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν Θεός: τοῦτο γὰρ τοῖς ἀπαιδεύτοις δοκεῖ: τί μὴ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁμολογεῖ τὴν δουλείαν; τὴν δὲ πρέπουσαν καὶ ἀνακειμένην ἰδικῶς τῇ θείᾳ φύσει τιμήν τε καὶ δόξαν ἑαυτῷ περιθεὶς, τοῖς ἁγίοις μαθηταῖς εὑρίσκεται λέγων “Ὑμεῖς καλεῖτέ με Ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ ” καλῶς λέγετε: εἰμὶ γάρ.“ καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Σωτήρ: οἱ δὲ καλοί τε καὶ ἀγαθοὶ τῶν κατ' αὐτοῦ δογμάτων εἰσηγηταὶ, ἐπαινοῦσι μὲν λέγοντα καὶ διατεινόμενον, ὡς εἴη παναληθῶς καλούμενος Κύριος, τῆς δὲ κατὰ φύσιν κυριότητος ἐξωθοῦντες αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ μὴ βούλεσθαι Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ὁμολογεῖν, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν βδελυρίας τὰ πάντων αἴσχιστα κατηγορεῖν οὐ πιστεύουσιν. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς τὴν δουλικὴν ἔχουσι τάξιν, οὐδὲ τοῖς τῶν γεγονότων καταλόγοις ἐναρίθμιος εἶναι βούλεται, βλέπει δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς τὴν ἐνοῦσαν αὐτῷ κατὰ φύσιν ἐλευθερίαν, καὶ ὅτε γέγονεν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ, καὶ διὰ τούτου συνήσεις. ἀφίκετο μὲν γὰρ ἐν Καφαρναοὺμ, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἀνέγνωμεν: οἱ δὲ τοῦ κατὰ νόμον διδράχμου πράκτορες, Πέτρῳ προσιόντες ἔφασκον ” Ὁ διδάσκαλος “ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὸ δίδραχμον;” καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο Χριστὸς διεπύθετο, τί πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον ἀπεκρίνατο, δίκαιον οὖν ἰδεῖν “Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσι κῆν” σον ἢ τέλη; ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων;“ τοῦ δὲ Πέτρου σοφῶς τε καὶ νουνεχῶς τὸν τῆς βασιλείας ἀλλότριον, ὅσον εἰς γένος καὶ τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς νοουμένην ἀγχιστείαν, ὑποκεῖσθαι δεῖν τοῖς θεσμοῖς ἢ τοῖς τέλεσιν ὁμολογήσαντος, εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἑαυτῷ τὴν θεοπρεπῆ μαρτυρίαν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐνοῦσαν προσνέμων ” Ἄρα γε ἐλεύ“θεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί.” εἰ δὲ ἦν ὁμόδουλος, καὶ οὐχ Υἱὸς ἀληθῶς ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας γεγεννημένος, οὐδὲ φυσικὴν ἔχων πρὸς τὸν τεκόντα τὴν οἰκειότητα, τί τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τοῖς τέλεσιν ὑποθεὶς, ὡς ἀλλοτρίους ὄντας κατὰ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ δασμολογεῖν ὀφείλοντος, καὶ ἐν οἰκετῶν τάξει κειμένους, μόνῳ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν μεμαρτύρηκεν ἑαυτῷ; καταχρηστικῶς μὲν γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τὰ κυρίως τε καὶ ἀληθῶς μόνῃ πρέποντα τῇ θεότητι φέρεται, ἐνυπάρχει δὲ αὐτῷ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, ὥστε τὴν τῶν γενητῶν εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς διασκέπτοιτο φύσιν, θεωρήσαι πάντως αὐτῇ τὸ τῆς δουλείας ὄνομά τε καὶ πρᾶγμα πρεπωδέστατον. εἰ δέ τινες τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν τῇ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τετίμηνται δόξῃ, καταχρηστικῶς ἔχουσι τὸ μόνῳ Θεῷ χρεωστούμενον. Ἡδέως δ' ἂν σφόδρα κἀκεῖνο πρὸς τούτοις ἐροίμην αὐτούς Ἆρα θεοφόρον ἐροῦσι τὸν Παῦλον, Χριστοῦ κατοικοῦντος διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Πνεύματος: ἢ καὶ τοῦτο ληροῦντες ἀρνήσονται. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐροῦσι θεοφόρον οὐκ εἶναι κατ' ἀλήθειαν, ἀρκέσει δὴ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ πάντας ἀναπεῖσαι λοιπὸν τὰς παρ' αὐτῶν ἀποσείεσθαι φλυαρίας καὶ μισεῖν εἰς ἄκρον, ὡς οὐδὲν εἰπεῖν τῶν ἀτόπων παραιτουμένους. εἰ δέ γε τοῦτο φεύγοντες πρός γε τὸ χρῆναι λέγειν τραπήσονται τἀληθὲς, καὶ θεοφόρον ἀληθῶς ὁμολογήσουσιν αὐτὸν, διὰ τὸ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖν, πῶς οὐ σφόδρα δυσσεβῶς ἁλώσονται τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἀλλότριον εἶναι λέγοντες τὸν Υἱόν; οὐκέτι γὰρ θεοφόρος ὁ Παῦλος, εἰ μὴ Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱός. ἀλλ' ἐρυθριῶντες ἔσθ' ὅτε: πρόσεστι γὰρ καὶ τὸ πανοῦργον αὐτοῖς καὶ κακόηθες εἰς λόγους: Θεὸν μὲν ἐροῦσιν ἀληθῶς τὸν Υἱὸν, μὴ μὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι κατὰ φύσιν. καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἁπαστισοῦν αὐτῶν κἀν τούτῳ καταβοήσειεν, οὐκ ἀμφίλογον: πῶς γὰρ ἂν εἴη Θεὸς, ὁ μὴ ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν γεγεννημένος; πλὴν ἐκεῖνο λέγομεν Θεὸν εἶναι φῂς κατὰ φύσιν τὸν Υἱόν: πῶς οὖν ἂν εἴη θεοφόρος ἤγουν Θεοῦ μέτοχος ὁ κατὰ φύσιν Θεός; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἑαυτοῦ μετάσχοι ποτέ: εἰς τί γὰρ οἰκήσει Θεὸς ἐν Θεῷ, ὡς ἕτερος ἐν ἑτέρῳ; εἰ γὰρ τουτέστι κατὰ φύσιν τὸ δεχόμενον, ὅπερ ἂν νοοῖτο καὶ τὸ ἐνοικοῦν, ποία οὖν λοιπὸν ἡ τῆς μετοχῆς γένοιτο χρεία; εἰ δὲ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς ἐνῴκησε τῷ Παύλῳ, τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν αὐτῷ, πῶς οὐ θεοφόρος ἔσται κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον, τὸ εἶναι Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν οὐδαμόθεν ἔχων ἔτι, διὰ τὸ κρείττονος δεηθῆναι τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος Θεοῦ; εἶτα πάλιν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ γεννάδας ἡμῖν οὑτοσὶ προσεπινοεῖ, καὶ διὰ πολλῶν ἀποδείξεων, ὡς ὑπείληφεν αὐτὸς, τὸν οἰκεῖον θρυλοῦν πειρᾶται λόγον. ἄξιον γὰρ οἶμαι διὰ πάντων αὐτοῦ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐλθεῖν, καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ θεομάχου βουλῆς ἁπλῶσαι τὴν πεῦσιν, ἵνα διελέγχηται σαφῶς, ὅτι τοῖς ποιήμασιν ἐναρίθμιον τίθεται τὸν Μονογενῆ, καὶ κεκομψευμέναις ἀπάταις τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀσέβειαν καταχώσας ὁ δείλαιος, Θεὸν μὲν εἶναι συνομολογεῖ, τῆς γεμὴν ἀληθῶς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν θεότητος ἐκπέμπων αὐτὸν οἴεταί πως δύνασθαι λαθεῖν τοὺς εἰς αὐτὴν βλέποντας τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Γράφει τοίνυν ὡδί ” Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι „λεγόμενοι, φησὶν, ἀμιγῆ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχομεν τὴν ὑπό” στασιν: τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ „τυγχάνων διακεκριμένην τοῦ ἀγενήτου ἔχει τὴν οὐσίαν.” Φεῦ γε τοῦ τολμήματος: ὡς δεινὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ μεστὸς ἀπονοίας, μᾶλλον δὲ δυσβουλίας ἁπάσης καὶ ἀποπληξίας. ἐμωράνθησαν ὄντως φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, καὶ φρονοῦντες οὕτω περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτοὺς Δεσπότην ἠρνήσαντο, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον εἶναί φασι καὶ ἕνα τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, οὐδὲν ἔτι τὸ κωλύον εἰπεῖν οὕτως ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν ἐν Θεῷ, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς: εἰ δὲ Θεὸν εἶναι πιστεύουσι, καὶ ὡς τοῦτο κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχοντι προσκυνεῖν ἐγνώκασι, τί μὴ μᾶλλον ἀπονέμουσιν αὐτῷ τὸ θεοπρεπῶς ἐνυπάρχειν τῷ ἰδίῳ γεννήτορι, ἔχειν τε αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ; τοῦτο γὰρ οἶμαι φρονεῖν τε καὶ λέγειν τοῖς ὄντως θεοφιλέσι πρεπωδέστερον. εἰ δὲ ἄθραυστον ἡμῖν ἐπιτηδεύοντες τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν ἐμμένουσιν οἷς εἰρήκασιν, οὕτω τέ φασιν ἐν Πατρὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴη τυχὸν καὶ ἡμῶν ἕκαστος, τῶν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς δι' αὐτοῦ γεγονότων, τί μὴ τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν ἐφεῖται λοιπὸν ἀκινδύνως εἰπεῖν “Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα, ” κἀγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν;“ ἀλλ' οἶμαι μωρίας τῆς ἁπασῶν ἐσχάτης ἁλοίη τις ἂν ἐπὶ τούτῳ γραφῇ, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. ἀπηχές τε γὰρ καὶ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἁγίων ἠνέχθη ποτὲ τοιαύτη φωνὴ παρὰ τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ γραφῇ: παραχωροῦσι δὲ πάντες τῷ κατὰ φύσιν Κυρίῳ καὶ Θεῷ τῷ Μονογενεῖ τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀσυγκρίτως ὑπεροχὴν, καὶ δὴ καὶ κεκράγασι λέγοντες ” Τίς ὁμοιωθήσεται τῷ “Κυρίῳ ἐν υἱοῖς Θεοῦ;” πῶς οὖν ἔτι καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Μονογενὴς, εἴπερ οὐδεὶς ἴσος τε καὶ ὅμοιος αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων φωνήν; εἰ δὲ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἐν Θεῷ, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, πῶς ἂν οὐκ ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν ψευδομυθῆσαι μὲν λέγειν τὸν τῶν ἁγίων χορὸν, οὐδὲν δὲ τὸ πλεῖον ἀπονεῖμαι τῷ κατὰ φύσιν Υἱῷ, δι' οὗπερ ἂν φαίνοιτο τοῖς κατὰ θέσιν οὐκ ἰσοστατῶν; ἄπαγε τῆς βδελυρίας, ἄνθρωπε: φρονήσομεν γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς, μὴ γένοιτο, ταῖς δὲ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων ἑπόμενοι δόξαις, εὐδοκιμήσειν παρὰ Θεῷ πιστεύομεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ὧν φρονοῦσι καὶ λέγουσιν ἐκεῖνο παρήγαγον τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ τοῦ Παύλου, ὅτι ἐν Θεῷ “ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμὲν,” τὸ ἐν Πατρὶ λέγεσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν δεικνύντες εἰκαῖον ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς, φέρε ταῖς καθηκούσαις ἐρεύναις τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑποβάλλοντες διελέγχωμεν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων συκοφαντεῖν ἐθέλοντας νοῦν, καὶ εἰς τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτοῖς ἀβουλότατα παρατρέποντας τὰ λίαν ὀρθῶς εἰρημένα: Ἀθήνῃσι μὲν γὰρ γεγονὼς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, εἶτα πολὺ λίαν εἰς πολύθεον πλάνην ἀνεπτοημένους ὁρῶν, καίτοι σοφοὺς εἶναι πεπιστευμένους τοὺς ἐκεῖσε λαοὺς, παρακομίζειν αὐτοὺς ἐπειρᾶτο τῆς ἀρχαίας ἀπάτης τοῖς εἰς εὐσέβειαν λογισμοῖς μεταθεὶς εὐφυῶς εἰς τὸ χρῆναι λοιπὸν ἕνα τε καὶ μόνον εἰδέναι Θεὸν, τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγονόσι καὶ τὸ κινεῖσθαι καὶ ζῆν καὶ εἶναι δωρούμενον. ζωογονεῖ γὰρ τὰ πάντα, ζωὴ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων ὁ πάντων Δημιουργὸς, τῆς ἰδίας ἰδιότητος ἐντιθεὶς ἀῤῥήτως αὐτοῖς τὴν δύναμιν. οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως διασώζεσθαι πρὸς τὸ εἶναι διακρατούμενα τὰ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος λαχόντα τὴν γένεσιν: ἢ γὰρ ἂν εὐθὺς εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ὑπενόστησε φύσιν: φημὶ δὲ πρὸς τὸ μὴ εἶναι πάλιν: εἰ μὴ τῇ πρὸς τὸν ὄντα σχέσει τῆς οἰκείας γενέσεως ἐνίκησε τὴν ἀσθένειαν. ἔφη τοιγαροῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος ὀρθῶς τε καὶ μάλα καλῶς, ζωὴν τῶν ὅλων ἐπιδεικνὺς τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν: οὐκ ἐκεῖνο πάντως δηλῶν ὅπερ αὐτοὶ, τὴν τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων ὀρθότητα παραφθείροντες, διεπλάσαντο κατ' οἰκεῖον σκοπὸν, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἦν ἀληθὲς, καὶ τοῖς ἄρτι παιδαγωγουμένοις εἰς θεογνωσίαν ὠφελιμώτατον: καὶ εἰ δεῖ σαφέστερον εἰπεῖν, οὐκέτι σημῆναι βεβούληται, ὅτι ἄνθρωποι τὴν φύσιν τυγχάνοντες, ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς κείμεθά τε καὶ ὡς ὄντες ἐν αὐτῷ φαινόμεθα, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν Θεῷ, ἤτοι συνεστήκαμεν. Σύνες γὰρ ὡς οὐχ ἁπλῶς τε καὶ ἀνειμένως ἔφη τὸ, ὅτι μόνον ἐσμὲν ἐν Θεῷ, διὰ τὴν σὴν ὡς εἰκὸς ἀμαθίαν, ὦ τᾶν, ἀλλὰ διαφόρως, ὅπερ ἠθέλησεν εἰπεῖν ἑρμηνεύων, καὶ τό Ζῶμεν προτάξας, ἐπαγαγὼν δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τὸ Κινούμεθα, τρίτον ἐπήγαγε τό Ἐσμὲν, τῇ τῶν προλαβόντων διανοίᾳ καὶ αὐτὸ χαριζόμενος. καὶ οἶμαι μὲν ὅτι δυσωπήσει τάχα που τὸν θεομάχον ὀρθῶς ἔχων ἡμῖν ὁ περὶ τούτου λόγος: ἐνισταμένῳ δὲ πάλιν, καὶ τό Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ περιέλκοντι πρὸς τὸ αὐτῷ καὶ μόνῳ δοκοῦν, τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς τὴν συνήθειαν ἐπιδείξομεν. ἔθος γὰρ αὐτῇ λέγειν ἔσθ' ὅτε ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ Θεοῦ, τό Ἐν Θεῷ. ἐπεὶ λεγέτω γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἡμῖν, πῶς ἐν ψαλμοῖς ἀνακέκραγε λέγων τις “Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσωμεν ” δύναμιν:“ καὶ πάλιν ὡς πρὸς αὐτόν ” Ἐν σοὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς “ἡμῶν κερατιοῦμεν.” οὐ γὰρ δή τις οἰήσεται τοῦτο λέγειν αὐτὸν, ὡς ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμίν τινα δημιουργήσειν ἐπαγγέλλεται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐν αὐτῇ τοὺς ἰδίους ἐχθροὺς εὑρίσκοντας κερατιεῖν αὐτοὺς ὁ ψάλλων φησίν: ἀλλ' ἐν Θεῷ, φησὶν, ἀντὶ τοῦ Διὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ τό Ἐν σοὶ πάλιν, ἀντὶ τοῦ Διὰ σοῦ. τί δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν; “Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου περὶ πάντων ” ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῇ δοθείσῃ ὑμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ χάριτι,“ καὶ πάλιν ” Ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς “ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς ” καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις.“ ἆρα γὰρ ἐρεῖ τις νουνεχῶς, ὅτι τὴν ἀπονεμηθεῖσαν ἄνωθεν τοῖς Κορινθίοις χάριν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δεδόσθαι φησὶν ὁ πνευματοφόρος, ἤγουν ἀκολούθως τούτῳ τὸ ἕτερον ἐκλήψεται; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἂν ὁρῷτο ληρῶν; τί τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων παραλύων ἔθος, καὶ τὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου βουλὴν συκοφαντήσας, ὑπάρχειν ἡμᾶς ἐν Θεῷ, τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγεις, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τοῖς ἐν Ἀθήνῃσι διειπόντος, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν; ” Ἀλλὰ ναὶ,„ φησὶν ὁ τῶν ὀλεθρίων δογμάτων προεστηκώς: „ἐπεί σοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὀρθῶς ἔχειν φαίνεται τό Ἐν ” Θεῷ εἶναι καὶ νοεῖσθαι Διὰ Θεοῦ, τί μάτην καταφλυαρεῖς; „τί δὲ τοῖς δυσφημίας ἐγκλήμασιν ὑποτίθης, ὅταν πεποιῆ” σθαι διὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς διατεινώμεθα τὸν Υἱόν; ἰδοὺ γὰρ „αὐτός φησιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, ἀντὶ τοῦ Διὰ τοῦ ” Πατρὸς, κατά γε τὸν σὸν ὦ οὗτος λόγον, καὶ τὴν ἀρτίως „ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων παρενεχθεῖσαν συνήθειαν.” Ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτό φημι δεῖν ἀπολογήσασθαι πάλιν, καὶ τὰς ἐκείνων κακουργίας ἀπογυμνῶσαι καὶ βλάβη. θαυμάζω γὰρ ὅπως ἀσμένως ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ἐν Θεῷ, διὰ Θεοῦ λέγειν ἔθος τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ, καὶ διὰ μόνον τὸ δύνασθαι κατειπεῖν τι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, συναινέσαντές τε καὶ τὴν λέξιν παραδεξάμενοι, ληροῦντες ὅτι πάλιν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἁλώσονται διεγνώκασιν οὐδαμῶς, καίτοι φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοί τε καὶ δριμεῖς. εἰ μὲν γὰρ μόνοις ἐφεῖται τοῖς δι' ἐναντίας τὸ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς ἀεὶ τειχίζειν ἔθος τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πεποιῆσθαι λέγειν αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐπείπερ εἶναι μὲν ἐν Θεῷ φησιν: τὸ δέ Ἐν Θεῷ, διὰ Θεοῦ νοεῖσθαι δεδώκαμεν, ἔδοξεν ἂν κατά γε τὸ εἰκὸς λόγον ἔχειν αὐτοῖς οὐχὶ λίαν ἀμαθῆ τὸ κακούργημα. εἰ δὲ δὴ τὸ κωλύον οὐδὲν καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς, διὰ τῆς μείζονος ἀτοπίας ἀνατρέπειν ἐθέλοντας τὴν τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς δογμάτων σαθρότητα, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀναφέρειν τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ σημαινομένου τὴν δύναμιν, εἰπεῖν τε σαφῶς, ὡς ἐπείπερ καὶ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι, προσήκει νοεῖν, ἀντὶ τοῦ δι' ἐμοῦ, ἵνα λοιπὸν γενητὸς γένηται καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, πῶς οὐ λίαν ἀσυνέτοις ἐπιθαρσήσαντες λογισμοῖς, τὴν ἐπ' ἀκράτῳ μωρίᾳ ψῆφον ἀποίσονται; ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς ἑαυτὸν εἶναί φησιν ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, οὕτως ἔφη καὶ τὸν Πατέρα εἶναι ἐν ἑαυτῷ: εἰ δὲ τὸ ἐν Πατρὶ, διὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς νοεῖσθαι βούλονται, τί τὸ ἀπεῖργον εἰπεῖν ὅτι καὶ τό Ἐν Υἱῷ, δι' Υἱοῦ νοηθήσεται; ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τοῦτο μωρίας σὺν ἐκείνοις κατολισθεῖν ἀνεξόμεθα πάλιν: οὔτε γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐροῦμεν πεποιῆσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, οὔτε μὴν δι' Υἱοῦ γενέσθαι τὸν ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, Πατέρα καὶ Θεόν: ἔθος δὲ μᾶλλον τὸ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς ἑκάστῳ πρεπόντως ἐπιῤῥιπτοῦντες καιρῷ καὶ προσώπῳ καὶ πράγματι, καθαρόν τε καὶ ἀνυπαίτιον τὸν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἐξυφανοῦμεν λόγον. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρενεχθεῖσι καὶ γεγονόσι διὰ Θεοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἂν μάλιστα πρέποι τὸ νοεῖσθαί τε καὶ λέγεσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν, ὡς εἰσὶν ἐν Θεῷ, τουτέστι διὰ Θεοῦ; τῷ γεμὴν κατὰ φύσιν Υἱῷ καὶ Κυρίῳ καὶ Θεῷ καὶ δημιουργῷ τῶν ὅλων, οὐκ ἂν οἶμαι τοῦτο κυρίως τε καὶ ἀληθῶς ἁρμόσειεν, εἶναι δὲ φυσικῶς ἐν Πατρὶ καὶ ἐνυπάρχειν αὐτῷ ἔχειν τε αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, διὰ τὸ ἐν οὐσίας ταυτότητι φαίνεσθαι, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχειν παντελῶς τὸ μεσολαβοῦν καὶ διατέμνον εἰς ἑτερότητα φυσικήν. Καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἴσως τοῖς εὐμαθεστέροις, ὥς γε μοι φαίνεται, καλῶς διείρηται δόξειεν ἂν, συναινέσει γεμὴν ὁ δι' ἐναντίας οὐδαμῶς: ἐρεῖ δὲ δὴ πάλιν, τὸν ἐν ἀρχαῖς εἰσκεκομισμένον ἀναμασώμενος λόγον, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ. Τί οὖν ἄρα: φήσαιμεν ἂν οὐκ ἀσυνέτως ἐλέγχοντες σαθρά τε καὶ μειρακιώδη φρονοῦντά τε καὶ λέγοντα: οὕτως εἶναι φῂς τὸν Υἱὸν ἐν Πατρὶ, καθάπερ ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ; καλῶς. εἶτα τί δὴ, πρὸς τοῦτο ἐροῦμεν, μὴ τοῖς ἴσοις ἡμᾶς ἐπισεμνύνεσθαι λόγοις τὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως ἐφίησι μέτρον, οἷσπερ ἂν ὁρῷτο καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστός; αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐπείπερ ἐστὶν ἐν Πατρὶ, ἔχει δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, ἅτε δὴ καὶ εἰκὼν αὐτοῦ καὶ χαρακτὴρ ἀπαράλλακτος διὰ τοῦτο ὑπάρχων ” Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, φησὶν, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα, “ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν,” ἡμεῖς δὲ εἰπέ μοι, εἰ οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἔχομέν τε αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀμέλει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν αὐτῷ: διὰ τί μὴ μακρὸν ἀνατείνοντες τὸν αὐχένα, καὶ ὑψηλὸν τοῖς ὑπαντῶσι δεικνύντες τὸ πρόσωπον, μετὰ παῤῥησίας φαμέν Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν ἐμοί: ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Χριστόν: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἕν ἐσμεν; εἶτα τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν; οὐκ ἂν οἶμαί τις καταδείσειεν ὀρθῶς, οὐδ' ἂν κατοκνήσαι πρεπόντως ἔτι τοῦτο αὐτὸ φάναι τολμήσας καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν τοῦ Πατρός Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν. εἰ γὰρ ἕν ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, πῶς οὐκ αὐτῷ λοιπὸν ἰσομοιρήσει τῷ Πατρὶ, εἰκὼν ἀπαράλλακτος ἀπαραλλάκτου γεγονὼς εἰκόνος, τουτέστι τοῦ Υἱοῦ; τίς οὖν ἄρα πρὸς τοῦτο μανίας κατοιχήσεταί ποτε, ὡς τολμήσαι λέγειν Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Χριστόν: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἕν ἐσμεν; εἰ γὰρ σχετικῶς καὶ οὐ κατὰ φύσιν ἀπονέμεις τῷ Υἱῷ τὸ εἶναι ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, ἔχειν τε ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν Χριστῷ καὶ Χριστὸς ἐν ἡμῖν: πρῶτον μὲν ἐν τάξει τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Υἱὸς, εἶτα τὸ κωλύον οὐδὲν παρελάσαντας καὶ αὐτὸν, εἰ βουλοίμεθα, τὸν Υἱὸν, ὡς διὰ μέσου κείμενον, ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὥσπερ εὐθυδρομεῖν τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ αὐτῷ προσωμοιῶσθαι λέγειν ἡμᾶς οὕτως ἀκριβῶς, ὡς μηδὲν ὁρᾶσθαι τὸ διαλλάττον. τὸ γὰρ ἓν εἶναι πρός τι λέγεσθαι τοιαύτην ἂν ἔχοι τὴν δύναμιν. ἆρ' οὖν οὐχ ὁρᾶτε εἰς ὅσην αὐτοῖς ἀσυνεσίαν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀσέβειαν κατώλισθε τὰ φρονήματα, καὶ ὅσων ἡμῖν λογισμῶν ἀτόπων εἰσπεπήδηκε θόρυβος; Τίς οὖν ἡ πρόφασις τοῦ ταῦτα λέγειν καὶ διατείνεσθαι, καὶ τοῖς οὕτως ἑώλοις ἐπινήχεσθαι λόγοις αὐτοὺς, ἐρῶ δὴ πάλιν. σκοπὸς εἷς αὐτοῖς, ἀλλότριόν τε καὶ ἔκφυλον παντελῶς τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἀποφῆναι τὸν Υἱόν. ὅτι γὰρ ἀληθεύοντες τὰ τοιαῦτά φαμεν, ἐκ τῶν ἐφεξῆς καὶ παρεζευγμένων ταῖς προτέραις αὐτοῦ δυσφημίαις εἰσόμεθα. ἐπάγει γὰρ οὕτως ” Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς, φησὶν, ἐν αὐτῷ „ὄντες, ἀμιγῆ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχομεν τὴν ὑπόστασιν: τὸν ” αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ τυγχάνων, διακε„κριμένην τοῦ ἀγεννήτου Θεοῦ ἔχει τὴν οὐσίαν.„ τί φῂς, ἐμβρόντητε; γυμνὴν οὕτω τὴν εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν πεποίησαι δυσφημίαν; ἆρ' οὖν μὴ διάκενον ἐρεῖ τις συκοφαντίαν καταχεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐπείγεσθαι τῆς τῶν θεομάχων κεφαλῆς; ἰδοὺ γὰρ σαφῶς, οὐδὲν ὅλως τὸ πλεῖον ἀπονέμουσιν αὐτῷ τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς γεγονότων καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ εἶναι παρενηνεγμένων. ἐγὼ δὲ καίτοι λίαν ἀφορήτως ἔχων ἐφ' οἷς εἰπεῖν οἱ δείλαιοι τετολμήκασιν, ἐκεῖνο δεῖξαι πειράσομαι τῷ σκοπῷ πάλιν ἑπόμενον τῆς θείας γραφῆς, ὡς ἐπείπερ ἀρνοῦνται τὸν Υἱὸν, συνηρνήσαντο τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ λοιπόν εἰσιν ἄθεοι, καὶ ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες ἐν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. καὶ ὅτι φαμὲν καλῶς, ἀληθὴς μάρτυς ἡμῖν εἰσβήσεται ὁ θεοφιλὴς Ἰωάννης γεγραφὼς ὡδί “Ὁ ἀρνού” μενος τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱόν: πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν “Υἱὸν οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει: ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ τὸν ” Πατέρα ἔχει.“ ὀρθῶς δέ τοι λίαν ὁ πνευματοφόρος, καὶ τῆς τῷ λόγῳ πρεπούσης ἁρμονίας οὐκ ἔξω τιθεὶς τὸ θεώρημα. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἶδεν οὐκ ὀνόματι μόνον, ἐνεργείᾳ δὲ μᾶλλον, ὅπερ εἶναι καὶ λέγεται, τουτέστι, Πατὴρ, κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχοντα, ἀναγκαίως συνεξαρνεῖσθαί φησιν ἑτέρῳ τὸν ἕτερον. συνειστρέχει γάρ πως ἀεὶ τῷ γε ὄντι κατὰ φύσιν καὶ νοουμένῳ Πατρὶ τοῦ προελθόντος ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννήματος ἡ γνῶσίς τε καὶ δήλωσις, καὶ τῷ γεννηθέντι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν τὸ τοῦ τίκτειν πεφυκότος συνεπινοεῖται πρόσωπον. ἅμα γάρ τις ἔγνω Πατέρα, συνῆκεν ὅτι γεγέννηκε, καὶ εἰ μάθοι τὸ γέννημα, διακείσεται πάντως ὅτι πατρὸς ἐξέφυ τινός. οὐκοῦν δι' ἀμφοῖν τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις ἡ ἑκατέρου γνῶσις ἐντίκτεται: καὶ ἀρνησάμενος μέν τις, ὅτι Πατήρ ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ Θεὸς, συναναιρήσει πάντως τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ γέννησιν: γέννημα δὲ πάλιν οὐχ ὁμολογήσας εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν, τὴν περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς γνῶσιν συνεξελεῖ δὴ πάντως αὐτῷ. ὅτε τοίνυν τοῖς ἀνοσίοις ἡμᾶς κατασφενδονήσας λόγοις, διακεκριμένην τοῦ ἀγεννήτου Θεοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν διατείνεται ἔχειν τὸν Υἱὸν, πῶς οὐ διαῤῥήδην οὐδὲ Υἱὸν ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖ; Υἱοῦ δὲ οὐκ ὄντος, οὐδ' ἂν αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ ἀληθῶς ἔτι νοοῖτο πατήρ. τίνος γὰρ ἔσται πατὴρ, εἰ μὴ τέτοκε; διακεκρίσθαι μὲν γὰρ οὐχὶ τῆς οὐσίας, ἀλλὰ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ αὐτοί φαμεν τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐχ ὡς ἀλλότριον ὄντα κατὰ φύσιν αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ ἀμέλει τοῖς θεομάχοις δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' ὡς ὄντα τε καὶ νοούμενον ἐν ἰδίῳ προσώπῳ, καὶ κατ' ἰδίαν ὕπαρξιν ἑτερότητι: Υἱὸς γάρ ἐστι, καὶ οὐ Πατήρ: διακεκρίσθαι γεμὴν κατ' οὐσίαν οὔτ' ἂν αὐτοὶ φαίημεν, εἴ γε φρονοῦμεν ὀρθῶς, οὔτε τινὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν συμβουλεύσαιμεν. πῶς γὰρ ἂν καὶ διακέκριται μόνον, καθ' ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἰδιαζόντως ἕκαστον; ὁ Πέτρος γὰρ Πέτρος ἐστὶ καὶ οὐ Παῦλος, καὶ ὁ Παῦλος οὐ Πέτρος, μένουσι γεμὴν ἀδιάκριτοι κατὰ φύσιν. εἷς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν τῆς οὐσίας ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἀπαραλλάκτως ἕξει τὰ πρὸς ἑνότητα φυσικὴν συνδούμενα. Τοῦ δὲ δὴ χάριν τὰ τοιαῦτά φαμεν; ἐπιδεῖξαι γὰρ ἡμῖν σκοπὸς, ὅτι φρονοῦντες ἐκεῖνοι δυσσεβῶς, τῆς κατὰ φύσιν θεότητος ἐξέλκουσι τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ πλέον, καθάπερ ἤδη προείπομεν, σχετικῆς ἀπονέμοντες οἰκειότητος τῆς ὡς πρὸς Πατέρα καὶ Θεόν. ἐπεὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν ἡμᾶς παραδείγματα παραθέντες τοῦ λόγου ” Καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, φασὶν, „ἀμιγῆ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχομεν τὴν ὑπόστασιν, ὄντες ἐν αὐτῷ, ” οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς διακεκριμένην ἔχει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν, „κἂν εἶναι λέγηται, φησὶν, ἐν αὐτῷ;” ἆρ' οὐ πᾶσιν εὐκάτοπτος ἡ πανουργία; ἆρ' οὐκ ἐρεῖ τις εὐλόγως τὸν οὕτω δυσωδέστατον ἐξεμέσαντα λόγον ἐκείνων ὑπάρχειν ἕνα τῶν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος προκεκηρυγμένων ἐμπαικτῶν; τί γὰρ Ἰούδας ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλει τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ μαθητής; ” Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἀγα“πητοὶ, μνήσθητε τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν προειρημένων ὑπὸ τῶν ” ἀποστόλων τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι ἔλεγον “ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τοῦ χρόνου ἐλεύσονται ἐμπαῖκται ” κατὰ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιθυμίας πορευόμενοι τῶν ἀσεβειῶν. “οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀποδιορίζοντες, ψυχικοὶ, Πνεῦμα μὴ ἔχοντες.” οὐδεὶς μὲν γὰρ τὸ παράπαν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι λαλῶν, κατερεῖ τι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Μονογενοῦς. τοῦτο γὰρ εἶναί φημι τὸ λέγειν “Ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς.” ἄνδρες δὲ ψυχικοὶ καὶ δείλαιοι καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐρήμην ἔχοντες τὴν καρδίαν, ἀποδιορίζουσι τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐσιώδη φάσκοντες ἔχειν αὐτὸν τὴν διακοπὴν, καθάπερ ἀμέλει τὰ γενητὰ καὶ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ πεποιημένων ἕκαστον, εἶναί τε οὕτω φρονοῦντες αὐτὸν ἐν Πατρὶ, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὅτι δὲ τῆς εἰς ἄκρον ἀμαθίας εἴσω βεβήκασι τοιαῦτα γράφειν τολμήσαντες, φέρε παρὰ τῆς θείας γραφῆς διασκεπτώμεθα πάλιν, ὡς ἔστιν ἐφικτὸν, ἐπιδεῖξαί τε τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις σπουδάσωμεν, ὡς ἑτέρως μὲν ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ, ἑτεροίως γεμὴν ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ Πατρί. οὐ γὰρ ταῖς κατὰ θέλησιν ἀρεταῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν μορφούμενος, εἰκών ἐστι τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, διά τε τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ: ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ταυτότητι φυσικῇ καὶ ὡς μίαν ἔχων πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν οὐσίαν: εἰσκεκλήσθω δὲ μάρτυς ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ σοφώτατος Ἰωάννης, λέγων “Καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ ” τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ:“ πῶς οὖν ἄρα φασὶν, ἢ κατὰ τίνα διισχυρίζονται χρῆναι τρόπον, τὴν κοινωνίαν ἡμᾶς μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; εἰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν οὐσίαν ὥσπερ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀναμιγνύοντες τῇ θείᾳ φύσει, ἤτοι τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ, ἐν αὐτοῖς εἶναι νοούμεθα, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον τῆς κοινωνίας ὁ λόγος εἰς τὴν τῶν θελημάτων ὁμοιότητα βλέπει, πῶς ἂν ἔχοιμεν αὐτὴν μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καίτοι κατ' ἐκείνους οὐκ ὄντων ὁμοουσίων; ἢ γὰρ ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς τὰ γέλωτος ἄξια φρονοῦντας εἰπεῖν ὅτι, τὴν οἰκείαν διακόπτοντες φύσιν, τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ τῷ Πατρὶ, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον ἡμῖν καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ δεδώκαμεν, οὕτω τε ἐν αὐτοῖς εἶναι νοούμεθα: ἢ παραιτούμενοι τὴν ἀποπληξίαν τοῦ λόγου, φαμὲν ὅτι ταῖς κατὰ θέλησιν ἀρεταῖς καὶ τῇ συμμορφίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τὸ θεῖόν τε καὶ ἀπόῤῥητον κάλλος καταφαιδρύνειν τὸν οἰκεῖον σπουδάζοντες νοῦν, τὴν τῆς κοινωνίας ἑαυτοῖς περιποιούμεθα χάριν. ἆρ' οὖν οὕτως ἐροῦμεν ὑπάρχειν ἐν Πατρὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, ἤγουν σχετικὴν καὶ ἐπιτετηδευμένην κοινωνίαν ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν γεννήσαντα; καίτοι τί δήποτε διὰ τῆς τῶν ἔργων ἰσότητός τε καὶ ὁμοιότητος ποδηγεῖσθαι βούλεται τὸν ἡμέτερον νοῦν ἐπὶ τὸ χρῆναι πιστεύειν ἀνενδοιάστως, ὡς εἴη μὲν αὐτὸς ἐν Πατρὶ, ἔχει δὲ αὖ πάλιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα; ἢ γὰρ οὐχὶ πᾶσι προδηλότατον καὶ ἀληθὲς ὑπάρχον ὁρᾶται, ὅτι τὴν τῶν ἔργων λαμπρότητα παρ' ἡμῶν ἐξετάζεσθαι θέλων, ἰσοσθενῆ δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν τῷ ἰδίῳ Πατρὶ, ὡς οὐδένα λόγον ἐχούσης ἔτι τῆς κατ' οὐσίαν διακοπῆς καὶ φυσικῆς ἑτερότητος, εἰ τοῖς ἴσοις ἐπαυχοῖεν κατορθώμασιν αὐτός τε καὶ ὁ Πατήρ. Ἐννόει γὰρ ὅπως οὐκ ἐν τούτοις εἰπεῖν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑτέροις τισὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν συμμορφίαν ἐπιτηδεύοντες τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν κοινωνίας ἀξιούμεθα. ἐποικτείροντες γὰρ ἀλλήλους, καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀγάπης ἔργων ἀπρὶξ ἐξημμένοι, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιτηδεύοντες τὴν ἐν τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς βίῳ σεμνότητα, τότε δὴ μόλις ἐν Θεῷ εἶναι λεγόμεθα. καὶ μάρτυς ὁ Ἰωάννης λέγων ” Ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμέν: ὁ λέγων ἐν “αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησε καὶ αὐτὸς ” περιπατεῖν,“ καὶ πάλιν ” Ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, ὃ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς “ἠκούσατε ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω: ἐὰν γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ ὃ ἀπ' ” ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ “μενεῖτε.” καὶ τί τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὅπερ ἡμῖν διακελεύεται μένειν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς ὦμεν ἐν Θεῷ, αὐτὸς ἡμῖν οὐδὲν ἧττον σαφηνιεῖ λέγων “Ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἢν ἠκούσατε ” ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.“ ἀκούεις ὅπως ἐσμὲν ἐν Θεῷ, τὴν ἀγάπην δηλονότι τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους ἐπιτηδεύοντες, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἰχνηλατεῖν ἀρετὴν καθ' ὅσον ἔνι σπουδάζοντες: ἀρετὴν δὲ φημὶ, οὐ τὴν ἐν τῷ δύνασθαι κτίζειν οὐρανοὺς, ἢ ποιεῖν ἀγγέλους, ἢ καθιδρῦσαι γῆν, ἢ θάλασσαν ἐξαπλοῦν, οὔτε μὴν τὴν ἐν ἐκείνῳ, καθ' ὃ ἀῤῥήτῳ καὶ ἀπεριεργάστῳ δυνάμει, λόγῳ μὲν πνευμάτων ἐκοίμισε βίας, διανίστη δὲ τοὺς τεθνηκότας, ἤγουν τοῖς τυφλοῖς ἐχαρίζετο τὸ βλέπειν, ἢ τῷ λεπρῷ καθαρίζεσθαι μετὰ πολλῆς τινος τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐπέταττεν: ἐκείνην δὲ μᾶλλον, ἥπερ ἂν ἁρμόττοι τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις. εὑρήσομεν αὐτὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Παῦλός φησι, λοιδορηθέντα μὲν παρὰ τῶν ἀνοσίων Ἰουδαίων, οὐκ ἀντιλοιδορήσαντα δὲ, ἀλλὰ πάσχοντα μὲν, οὐκ ἀπειλήσαντα δὲ, παραδόντα δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως: εὑρήσομεν αὐτὸν λέγοντα πάλιν ” Μάθετε ἀπ' “ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ” ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν.“ Οὐκοῦν διὰ μὲν τῶν τοσούτων κατορθωμάτων μιμεῖσθαι σπουδάζοντες τὸν ἁπάσης ἡμῖν ἀρετῆς ἡγεμόνα Χριστὸν, ἔν τε τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν λεγόμεθα, γέρας ὥσπερ καὶ ἀντιμισθίαν τῆς ἐν βίῳ σεμνότητος τὸ πρᾶγμα κερδαίνοντες. ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἐκ τούτων ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐνοῦσαν αὐτῷ λαμπρότητα δοκιμάζειν βούλεται, τῇ δὲ τῶν παραδόξων μεγαλειότητι μετὰ τῆς ἐνούσης ἀγχινοίας προσεσχηκότας διασκέπτεσθαι δεῖν ἐπιτάττει τὴν ἀπαράλλακτον ἐμφέρειαν, ἢν ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, πιστεύειν τε οὕτω λοιπὸν, ὡς ἐπείπερ ἐστὶν ὁμοούσιος, ἔχει μὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν γεννήσαντα, ἐνυπάρχει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτῷ: ἢ διδασκέτωσαν παρελθόντες οἱ δι' ἐναντίας, ὅτι γέρας ἔχει, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, τὸ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ νοεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ πολιτείας τῆς κατὰ νόμον εὐαγγελικὸν, ἀντίῤῥοπον ἀμοιβήν. ἀλλ' οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεινὸν ἐκείνοις φαίνεται καὶ τοῦτο: οἷς γὰρ εἶδος οὐδὲν γλωσσαλγίας ἀνεπιτήδευτον, τί τῶν λίαν ἀπηχεστάτων οὐχ ἱππήλατον; εἰκὸς οὖν ὅτι κἀκεῖνο ἐροῦσιν, ὡς εἴη μὲν ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν Πατρὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοι δὲ αὖ πάλιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, ἐπείπερ ταῖς καὶ ἡμῖν ἐφικταῖς ἀρεταῖς ὡς πρὸς αὐτὸν σχηματίζεται. καὶ τί δὴ πάλιν, ὦ βέλτιστοι, φαμὲν, Φιλίππου λέγοντος ” Κύριε δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν Πατέρα,“ μὴ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους εἰς εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἀκριβῆ τοῦ νοουμένου παραθεὶς ἔφασκεν ὁ Χριστός Τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ μετὰ ἀλλήλων ἐσμὲν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκας τὸν Πατέρα; ἀλλ' οὐδένα τῶν ἄλλων ἑαυτῷ συνεισδέχεται, μόνον δὲ μόνῳ παραθεὶς τῷ Πατρὶ, ὡς μικρὰ μὲν κομιδῇ παρατρέχει τὰ ἡμέτερα, οὐκ ἐν τούτοις δὲ ἀκριβῶς τὴν θείαν οὐσίαν ἐξεικονίζεσθαι θέλων, ἑαυτῷ τετήρηκε μόνῳ τὴν εἰς ἄκρον ἐμφέρειαν. ὁ γὰρ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, φησὶ, τὸν Πατέρα ἑώρακεν. εἶτα τούτοις ἐπήνεγκεν εὐθύς ” Πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ “καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐστίν.” ὅπου γὰρ ἀπαραλλάκτως ἔχει κατά γε τὴν εἰσάπαν ἐμφέρειαν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι λοιπὸν αὐτὸς μὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, ἔχεται δὲ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός; ἐννόει γάρ τι τοιοῦτον, καὶ πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν δέχου τῶν εἰρημένων. ἆρα γὰρ, εἴ τις τὸ Ἁβραὰμ, ἤγουν ἑτέρου τινὸς ἀνθρώπου τυχὸν εἰς μέσον ἀγάγοι παιδίον, εἶτα τὴν τοῦ τεκόντος αὐτὸ διερωτοίη φύσιν, τίς τε ὅλως εἴη καὶ ποδαπὸς ὁ τεκὼν βούλοιτο μαθεῖν, οὐκ ἂν εὐλόγως ἐφώνησε, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπέδειξε φύσιν, λέγων Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα: ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ δὲ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν; εἶτα πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἂν παροίσαι πρέποντως τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ἔργοις ἤτοι φυσικοῖς πλεονεκτήμασι ταυτότητα λέγων Διὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ πιστεύετέ μοι, ἔχω γὰρ πάντα καὶ ἐνεργεῖν ἰσχύω τὰ τῇ ἀνθρωπείᾳ προσόντα φύσει. ἀλλ' οἶμαι πᾶς τις ἐρεῖ καὶ συναινέσαι δικαίως, ὅτι λέγοι μὲν ἀληθῆ, δριμεῖαν δὲ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις ἔργοις ἀπόδειξιν τὴν ταυτότητα παρακομίσαι. τί τοιγαροῦν οἱ τὰ ὀρθῶς ἔχοντα διαστρέφοντες, μὴ τὴν εὐθεῖαν τῶν θεωρημάτων ἰέναι τρίβον τοὺς ἰδίους ἀναπείθουσι φοιτητὰς ἀλλὰ, τῆς βασιλικῆς τε καὶ τετριμμένης ἐξώσαντες, τὴν ἀστιβῆ καὶ τραχεῖαν ἐρχόμενοι διαλελήθασι μὲν ἑαυτοὺς, συντρίβουσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἕπεσθαι δεῖν οἰομένους αὐτοῖς; ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς, οὐ ταύτην ἐρχόμενοι τὴν ὁδὸν, τὴν εὐθυτενῆ βαδιούμεθα καὶ, τοῖς ἱεροῖς πειθόμενοι γράμμασιν, ἰσοσθενῆ καὶ ὁμοούσιον τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ πιστεύομεν εἶναι τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθέντα κατὰ φύσιν Υἱὸν, εἰκόνα τε ὑπάρχειν αὐτοῦ, διά τε τοῦτο αὐτὸν μὲν εἶναι ἐν Πατρὶ, ἐν ἑαυτῷ δὲ τὸν Πατέρα.
« Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ κἀκεῖνος ποιήσει, καὶ μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει, ὅτι ἐγὼ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα πορεύομαι, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, τοῦτο ποιήσω, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. » Εἴη μὲν ἂν, εἴπερ τῷ δοκεῖ τῷ τῶν προκειμένων θεωρημάτων συνεκτείνεσθαι πλάτει, μακρὸς καὶ βαθὺς ὁ λόγος: τὸ δὲ τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις ἐννοοῦντες λυσιτελέστερον, περιδράξασθαι τῶν σημαινομένων οἰησόμεθα πρέπειν, τὸ πολὺ τοῦ λόγου περιστείλαντες μῆκος: εἴη γὰρ ἂν οὕτω μάλιστα τοῖς πολλοῖς εὐπαράδεκτον τὸ θεώρημα. ἐπιδεῖξαι τοιγαροῦν ἐθελήσας, ὡς εἴη μὲν ὁμοούσιος τῷ ἰδίῳ γεννήτορι, καὶ ὅτι χαρακτήρ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ, φορούμενος μὲν ὡς ἐν ἀρχετύπῳ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἔχων γεμὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, ὡς χαρακτὴρ φυσικῶς τε καὶ οὐσιωδῶς, καὶ οὐ κατά τινα σχηματισμὸν τὸν ἐν διαπλάσει νοούμενον: ἄνω γὰρ σχημάτων τὸ θεῖον, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀσώματον: “ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ” δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐστίν.“ ἀλλ' ἵνα τῆς ἐμφερείας τὴν ἰσότητα καὶ τὸ σύμμορφον ἀπαραλλάκτως μὴ καθ' ἕτερόν τινα ζητῶμεν τρόπον ἢ ἐκ μόνων τῶν τῇ φύσει προσόντων πλεονεκτημάτων: ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ ἦν οὐσιώδη καὶ φυσικὴν ὁρᾶν τὴν ὁμοίωσιν: Εἰ δὲ μὴ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων πιστεύετε. ᾤετο γὰρ δὴ λίαν ὀρθῶς, ὡς εἴπερ ὅλως θεάσαιτό τις αὐτὸν τοῖς ἴσοις ἐκλάμποντα κατορθώμασι τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, εἰς φυσικὸν ὄντως παραδέξαιτο χαρακτῆρα καὶ εἰκόνα τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ: οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε δράσαι τὰ ἴσα τῷ Θεῷ τὸ μὴ ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἂν προσγένοιτό τινι τῶν γενητῶν τὸ ἐν ἴσῳ μέτρῳ τῇ θείᾳ φύσει τερατουργεῖν δύνασθαί ποτε. ἄβατα γὰρ καὶ ἀνέπαφα παντελῶς τοῖς ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι κεκλημένοις τὰ τοῦ ἀεὶ ὄντος ἰδίως ἀγαθά. καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἀλοιδόρητος παντελῶς παρά γε τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσιν ὁ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἔσται λόγος, οὐδαμόθεν ἐνδοιάσειν εἰκὸς ἦν τινας: ἔσεσθαι γεμὴν τοῖς τἀναντία δοξάζουσιν, ἑτεροδιδασκαλίας ἀφορμὴ καὶ πρόφασις καὶ τὸ καλῶς εἰρημένον, οὐκ ἠγνόησεν, ὡς Θεός. ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ τοῖς τὰ ὀρθὰ διαστρέφουσιν ἀθυρογλωττίας ἐν τούτοις παραλίπηται τόπος, μηδὲ λέγοιεν ὅτι δημιουργὸς τῶν θαυμάτων γέγονεν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ἐνούσης ἰσχύος αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ ἐξ ἰδίας δυνάμεως, ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα ποιοῦντα τὰ ἔργα, καθάπερ οὖν αὐτὸς ἔφη καὶ διισχυρίσατο, τεθεράπευκεν ἀναγκαίως ὁ Κύριος ταῖς τῶν νοημάτων ἐπαγωγαῖς: ἑαυτὸν μὲν γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ἔσεσθαι χορηγὸν ἐπαγγέλλεται τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτὸν, ὧνπερ ἂν ἐθέλουσιν αἰτεῖν, καὶ οὐχὶ μόνην αὐτοῖς ἐπαγγέλλεται τοσαύτην χορηγήσειν δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπὶ πολύ: μείζονα γὰρ, φησὶν, ὧν ἐγὼ πεποίηκα ποιήσει. ὁρᾷς οὖν ὅπως ἀνακόπτει χρησίμως τῶν δι' ἐναντίας τὸ θράσος, καὶ ἀνασειράζει τρόπον τινὰ τοῖς ἐλέγχοις ἐρχομένους κατὰ πετρῶν; ἐρεῖ γάρ τις αὐτοῖς Ὦ ἀνόητοι καὶ τυφλοὶ, μηδὲν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ δεδυνῆσθαι κατορθοῦν ὑπειληφότες τὸν Υἱὸν, κεχορηγῆσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασι τοῖς παραδόξως τετελεσμένοις δύναμίν τε καὶ ἐξουσίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός: πῶς καὶ μείζονα κατορθοῦν ἐπαγγέλλεται δώσειν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτόν; πῶς ὃ μὴ δέδρακεν αὐτὸς, ἕτερος κατορθώσει, τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ δανεισάμενος δύναμιν; θέα γὰρ ὅπως οὐκ εἴρηκεν ἐν τούτοις ὅτι χορηγήσει τοῖς πιστεύουσι δύναμιν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀλλ' Ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ποιήσω. ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τὰ μείζω δύνασθαι κατορθοῦν ὡς Θεὸς ἐπιδιδοὺς, πῶς ἂν αὐτὸς ἐχορηγήθη παρ' ἑτέρου τὸ δύνασθαι; οὐκοῦν λῆρος μὲν τὰ ἐκείνων παντελῶς καὶ ὕθλος εἰκαῖος καὶ δαιμονιώδους δυστροπίας εὑρήματα. πεπερασμένην δὲ οὐδαμῶς τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ δύναμιν θεωρήσαι τις ἂν, οὐδὲ διήκουσαν μὲν ἐπί τι τῶν ὄντων, οὐκ ἀρκοῦσαν δὲ τοῖς ἔτι μείζοσιν, ἀλλ' ὅσαπερ ἂν βούλοιτο ταῦτά τε δρῶσαν εὐκόλως, καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις χαριζομένην τὸ τοῖς ἴσοις τυχὸν, ἤγουν καὶ ὑπερκειμένοις ἐναβρύνεσθαι θώκοις. καὶ μή τις οἰέσθω λέγειν ἡμᾶς ὅτι περιέσται ποτὲ τὸ δύνασθαί τινι τῶν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν τετιμηκότων δημιουργῆσαι μὲν οὐρανὸν, ἥλιον δὲ καὶ σελήνην, ἤγουν τὸν περιφανῆ τῶν ἀστέρων χορὸν ἀναδεῖξαι, καὶ κτίσαι τυχὸν ἀγγέλους ἢ γῆν ἢ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ. τέτραπται γὰρ οὐκ ἐν τούτοις ὁ τοῦ λόγου σκοπὸς, ἀλλ' ἐφ' οἷς ἦν εἰκὸς συντείνεται, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωποπρεποῦς λαμπρότητος ἐν δόξῃ φημὶ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ τὸ μέτρον οὐχ ὑπερτρέχει. διὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο περιστέλλων ὥσπερ τοῦ λόγου τὸν ἐφ' ὅπερ ἄν τις βούλοιτο δρόμον, καὶ μόνοις τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ παραδόξως τετελεσμένοις ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τῶν ἔτι μειζόνων ἀντιπαρεξάγων τὸ μέγεθος Ἃ ἐγὼ πεποίηκά φησι ποιήσει καὶ μείζονα τούτων: οὐ γὰρ ἀτονήσας περὶ τὰ μείζω, μέχρι τῶν τετελεσμένων τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπέστησε δύναμιν, ἐπιτελέσας δὲ ἅπερ ἐχρῆν καὶ ὅσα περ τυχὸν εἰς μέσον παρεκόμισεν ὁ καιρὸς, ὅτι μὴ μέχρις ἐκείνων ἀφικνεῖσθαι δύναται τῆς ἐνούσης ἐξουσίας αὐτῷ τὸ ἀπερινόητον μέγεθος, ἐκδιδάσκει χρησίμως διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων. ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν τάξιν τῶν προκειμένων τηρήσαντες τῇ τῆς λέξεως θεωρίᾳ τῶν ἀκροωμένων τὸν νοῦν ἐπιστήσωμεν Ἀμήν φησι λέγω ὑμῖν Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ κἀκεῖνος ποιήσει καὶ μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει ὅτι ἐγὼ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα πορεύομαι. Εἶτα τί τοῦτο, φήσειεν ἄν τις τῶν ἀκροωμένων ἐπιεικέστερον, τὸ πορεύεσθαί φημι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα τὸν Υἱὸν, πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι κατορθοῦν καὶ τὰ ἔτι μείζω τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ δεδειγμένων τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτόν; οὐκοῦν κεκρυμμένην τινὰ θεωρίαν εἰσφέρει τὸ εἰρημένον. τί οὖν ἐστιν, ὅ φησι, δέχου λέγοντα τυχόν Ὦ τῶν ἐμῶν ὑπηρέται λόγων καὶ γνήσιοι φοιτηταὶ, ἕως μὲν σὺν ὑμῖν τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιούμην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐπολιτευσάμην ὡς ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἄκρατον ὑμῖν τῆς θεότητος τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐπεδειξάμην: εἶπόν τε καὶ πέπραχα πρεπόντως πως καὶ τῷ τῆς ταπεινώσεως μέτρῳ καὶ τῷ σχήματι τῷ δουλοπρεπεῖ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐκεῖνα καθηκόντως τετέλεσται, καὶ πεπλήρωταί μοι τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸ μυστήριον: πείσομαι γὰρ ὅσον οὐδέπω τὸν θάνατον, καὶ ἐγερθήσομαι: χαριεῖσθαι δὲ ὑμῖν ἐπαγγέλλομαι καὶ τὰ ἔτι μείζονα τῶν δι' ἐμοῦ θαυμάτων δύνασθαι πληροῦν, παρόντος ἔτι τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις φιλοτιμίας. πορεύομαι γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα συνεδρεύσων αὐτῷ δηλονότι καὶ συμβασιλεύσων, ὡς Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ, ἀκατακαλύπτῳ δυνάμει καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ ...... τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ φύσεως τὸ διδόναι τοῖς γνησίοις τὰ ἀγαθά: ὅπερ ἂν αἰτήσητέ φησιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, τοῦτο ποιήσω, τετελεσμένου τοῦ καιροῦ καθ' ὃν ἔδει, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ τῆς ταπεινώσεως φαίνεσθαι σχήματι. τετήρηκα τὸ πρέπον διὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν: νυνὶ δὲ λοιπὸν ἀκατακαλύπτως ὡς Θεὸς ἐνεργήσειν ἐπαγγέλλομαι τὰ Θεοῦ, οὐ τὸν Πατέρα τῆς οὕτω θεοπρεποῦς δόξης ἐξωθούμενος, ἀλλ' ἵνα δοξασθῇ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. δοξαζομένου γὰρ τοῦ γεννήματος, δοξασθήσεται πάντως ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ γεννήσας αὐτόν. Θεὸς γὰρ ἂν κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ διὰ πολλῶν μὲν ἑτέρων καταπέφανται: οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ διὰ τοῦ δέχεσθαι μὲν τὰς τῶν ἁγίων εὐχὰς, χορηγεῖν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἅπερ ἂν αἰτοῖεν καὶ βούλοιντο. πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἂν ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν αὐτῷ δοξάζοιτο; ὥσπερ γὰρ καὶ εἰκότως ἂν κατεψέχθη, Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν οὐκ ὄντος τοῦ προελθόντος ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννήματος: οὕτως ἔσται πολὺ λίαν εὐκλεὴς, Θεὸν ἔχων ἀληθινὸν, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἰσχύοντα δρᾶν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἑτέροις χαρίζεσθαι, τὸν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ προελθόντα καρπόν. Εἰ δὲ εἰς δόξαν συντείνει τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ ἐν τοῖς θεοπρεπέσιν ἀξιώμασιν ὁρᾶσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, ποῖος τοῦ κολάζεσθαι λόγος ἐξελεῖται τὸν αἱρετικὸν, ἀναισχύντοις δυσφημίαις κατασμικρύνειν αὐτὸν πολυτρόπως οὐ καταδείσαντα; ἐρῶ δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἕτερον, ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀπαιδευσίαις οὐ μετρίως, ὡς ἐγῷμαι, μαχόμενον. εἰ γὰρ εὐχόμεθα τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ ζητοῦμεν τὰ αἰτήματα, καὶ αὐτὸς διδόναι κατεπαγγέλλεται, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη φύσει Θεὸς καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν γεγεννημένος; εἰ γὰρ μὴ οὕτως ἔχειν ὑπολαμβάνουσιν αὐτὸν, γενητὸν δὲ εἶναι λέγουσι, κατὰ τί διοίσομεν ἔτι τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τὸν ἥλιον ἢ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἤγουν ἕτερόν τι τῶν κτισμάτων; εἰ γὰρ καὶ σφόδρα κακούργως τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀλογίας τὸ ἀκαλλὲς δυσωπούμενοι, κτίσμα μὲν λέγουσιν αὐτὸν ἐν ἴσῳ τοῖς ἄλλοις κτίσμασιν, ἀσύγκριτον δέ τινα τὴν κατὰ πάντων ἔχειν ὑπεροχήν: ἀλλ' ἴστωσαν ὅτι οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑβριοῦσι τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς δόξαν, τουτέστι, τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔστ' ἂν αὐτὸν ἐναρίθμιον λέγωσιν εἶναι τοῖς πεποιημένοις. τὸ γὰρ ζητούμενόν ἐστιν, οὐκ εἰ μέγα τυχόν ἐστιν ἢ μικρὸν ποίημα, ἀλλ' εἰ ὅλως γενητὸς, καὶ μᾶλλον οὐχὶ Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ καὶ ἀληθές.
« Ἐάν τι αἰτήσητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, τοῦτο ποιήσω. » Ἀπημφιεσμένως ἤδη φησὶν ὅτι, Θεὸς ὑπάρχων ἀληθινὸς, προσδέξεται μὲν καὶ λίαν εὐπετῶς τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἰδίων εὐχὰς, χορηγήσει δὲ καὶ σφόδρα προθύμως ἅπερ ἂν βούλωνται λαβεῖν, χαρίσματα δὲ δηλονότι πνευματικὰ καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν φιλοτιμίας ἄξια. καὶ οὐχ ὡς τῆς ἑτέρου φιλανθρωπίας διάκονος, οὔτε μὴν ὡς ἀλλοτρίας ἡμερότητος ὑπουργὸς τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχων ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τὰ πάντα μετὰ Πατρὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων ὁ δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα, παρά τε ἡμῶν εἰς Θεὸν, καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς παρ' αὐτοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἀεὶ συνεζευγμένας τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγίας τοῖς ἀξίοις ἐπεύχεται λέγων ” Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ “Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.” καὶ οὐ δή τις νοῦν ἔχων οἰήσεται πάλιν, ὡς ἰδίᾳ μέν τινα χάριν δίδωσιν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἰδίᾳ δὲ ὥσπερ καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος αὖ πάλιν ὁ Υἱός: ἀλλ' ἔστι μὲν ἡ αὐτὴ καὶ μία, εἰ καὶ δι' ἀμφοῖν λέγεται. ποιεῖται γοῦν ὅμως τὰ πάντα παρὰ Πατρὸς δι' Υἱοῦ τοῖς ἀξίοις τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ἡ τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων διανομὴ, οὐκ ἐν ὑπουργίας τάξει παραληφθέντος, καθάπερ εἰρήκαμεν, ἀλλ' ὡς συνδοτῆρός τε καὶ συγχορηγοῦ νοουμένου τε καὶ ὑπάρχοντος ἀληθῶς. μία γὰρ ἡ τῆς θεότητος φύσις ἐστί τε καὶ οὕτω πιστεύεται. κἂν γὰρ εἰς Πατέρα πλατύνηται καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔχει τὸν εἰσάπαν καὶ ὁλοκλήρως διασπασμὸν, τὸν εἰς ἕκαστον τῶν σημαινομένων φημί. διακεισόμεθα γὰρ φρονοῦντες ὀρθῶς, ὡς ἐκ Πατρός τε ἐστὶ καὶ ἐν Πατρὶ φυσικῶς ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸ ἴδιον αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ Πνεῦμα, τουτέστι, τὸ Ἅγιον. μιᾶς τοιγαροῦν οὔσης τε καὶ νοουμένης τῆς κατὰ φύσιν θεότητος, δι' Υἱοῦ παρὰ Πατρὸς ἐν Πνεύματι τοῖς ἀξίοις τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς χορηγηθήσεται, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν εἰς Θεὸν ἀπενεχθήσεται, μεσιτεύοντος δηλονότι τοῦ Υἱοῦ: “Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ δι'” αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ ἀμέλει διωμολόγησε καὶ αὐτός: θύρα τοιγαροῦν καὶ ὁδὸς τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα φιλίας τε ὁμοῦ καὶ προόδου, γέγονέ τε καὶ ἔστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ δωρεᾶς συνδοτήρ τε ὁμοῦ καὶ διανομεὺς, ὡς ἐκ μιᾶς τε ἅμα καὶ κοινῆς φιλοτιμίας. μία γὰρ ἡ τῆς θεότητος φύσις, ἐν προσώπῳ τε καὶ ὑποστάσει Πατρός τε καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀσύνηθές πως τοῖς ἀρχαιοτέροις καὶ ἀνεπιτήδευτον ἦν ἔτι τὸ δι' Υἱοῦ προσέρχεσθαι τῷ Πατρὶ, διδάσκει καὶ τοῦτο χρησίμως, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ κρηπῖδα τοῦ πράγματος ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς προκαταβάλλων καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτῳ πίστιν τε καὶ μάθησιν, καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς παραπέμπει καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς τὸν τρόπον καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος τὴν δήλωσιν. ἐπιδώσειν γὰρ αὐτὸς τὰ ἐν εὐχαῖς ἡμῖν ἐπαγγέλλεται, δεῖγμα τῆς κατὰ φύσιν θεότητος καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ βασιλικῆς ἐξουσίας, καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἄλλοις προστιθείς.
« Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσατε. » Χρῆναι μὲν αἰτεῖν εὐχομένους ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ διατεταχὼς, χορηγήσειν δὲ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτὸς ὅπερ ἂν βούλωνται λαβεῖν ὑπισχνούμενος, φροντίδα ποιεῖται πολλὴν τοῦ μὴ διαψεύδεσθαι δοκεῖν διὰ τὰς τῶν εἰωθότων φιλοψογεῖν καταλαλιὰς ἀνοσίους. ἔστι γὰρ ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν μάλιστα τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων, ὡς προσίασι μὲν καὶ ἐξαιτοῦνταί τινες ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, δέχονται γεμὴν οὐδαμῶς, τὸ ἑκάστῳ πρέπον καὶ τοῖς αἰτοῦσι λυσιτελὲς οὐκ ἠγνοηκότος Θεοῦ. ἵνα τοίνυν ἐπιδείξῃ σαφῶς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, πρὸς τίνας αὐτῷ γέγονέ τε καὶ ἔστιν ὁ λόγος, καὶ τίσιν ἡ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ὀφείλεται χάρις, ἐφ' ᾧ ἔσται καὶ ἀληθῶς, παρεκόμισεν εὐθὺς τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ τὸν ἀκριβῆ νομοφύλακα παραζεύγνυσι τῷ λόγῳ, δεικνὺς ὅτι πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐχ ἑτέρους ἡ τῆς ἡμερότητος ἐπαγγελία καὶ ἡ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπίδοσις δι' αὐτοῦ κρατήσει καὶ γενήσεται. ὅτι γὰρ ὄκνῳ πολλάκις ἡ χορηγὸς συστέλλεται χεὶρ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῖς οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἐθέλουσιν αἰτεῖν τὸ τῶν ἐλπισθέντων ἀποκλείουσα πέρας, συνήσεις εὐκόλως ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς ἀποτείνεται γράφων ὡδί “Αἰτεῖτε καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετε, διότι κακῶς αἰτεῖτε, ” ἵνα ἐν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς ὑμῶν δαπανήσετε.“ διὸ καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῶν διψυχεῖν εἰωθότων φησί ” Μὴ γὰρ οἰέσθω ὁ ἄνθρωπος “ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι λήψεταί τι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου: ἀνὴρ γὰρ ” δίψυχος, ἀκατάστατος ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ.“ τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐρωτῶσιν οὐκ εἰς κατόρθωσιν ἀρετῆς τὴν ἄνωθεν χάριν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν σαρκικῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ κοσμικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, μονονουχὶ καὶ ἀποφράττει τὸ οὖς ὁ Θεὸς, χορηγεῖ δὲ παντελῶς οὐδέν: ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἀποφάσκῃ καὶ ἀπόβλητα ποιῆται διὰ τὴν ἐνοῦσαν αὐτοῖς βδελυρίαν, πῶς ἂν χορηγήσαι τισίν; ἡ δὲ ἁπάσης γλυκύτητος πηγὴ πῶς ἂν αὐτὴ πικρὸν ἀναβλύσαι νᾶμα; ὅτι δὲ τοῖς τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων ἐρασταῖς πλουσίᾳ τε καὶ προθυμοτάτῃ χειρὶ διανέμει τὰ ἀγαθὰ, κατόψει ῥᾳδίως, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς λέγοντος διὰ μὲν Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου πρὸς αὐτούς ” Ἔτι σοῦ “λαλοῦντος ἐρῶ Τί ἐστί;” διὰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ ψάλλοντος φωνῆς ὅτι “ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους, καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς ” δέησιν αὐτῶν.“ Ὁρισάμενος τοίνυν καὶ διαῤῥήδην εἰπὼν ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ὀφείλεταί τε καὶ ὑπάρξει δὴ πάντως τὸ τοῖς ἄνωθεν ἐντρυφᾶν ἀγαθοῖς, δι' αὐτοῦ δηλονότι χορηγουμένοις παρὰ Πατρὸς, καταγράφει παραχρῆμα καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τὴν δύναμιν καὶ, ὅπως ἂν αὐτὴν ἐπιτηδεύσαιμεν, ἄριστά τε καὶ ἀνεγκλήτως διδάσκει διὰ τὸ χρήσιμον. οὐ γὰρ εἴ τις λέγοι τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπᾶν, πάντως δὴ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀληθῶς ἀγαπᾶν ἀποίσεται δόξαν, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐν λόγῳ ψιλῷ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ δύναμις, μήτε μὴν ἐν γυμνοῖς μορφοῦται ῥήμασι τῆς εἰς Θεὸν εὐσεβείας τὸ κάλλος, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐξ ἀγαθῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων καὶ φιληκόου γνώμης εὖ μάλα διαγινώσκεται, καὶ τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν ἡ τήρησις τὴν εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἀγάπην ἄριστα ζωγραφεῖ, καὶ ζῶσαν ὅλως καὶ ἀληθῆ παρίστησιν ἀρετὴν, οὐκ ἐν μόναις σκιαγραφουμένην ταῖς ἀπὸ γλώττης φωναῖς, καθάπερ εἰρήκαμεν, φαιδροῖς δὲ ὥσπερ διαπρέπουσαν χρώμασι ταῖς τῶν ἔργων ἰδέαις καὶ ὁλοκλήρως ἐκλάμπουσαν. καὶ γοῦν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς σαφῶς ἡμῖν τοῦτο παραδεικνύς ” Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι Κύριε Κύριε, φησὶν, εἰσελεύ“σεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιῶν τὸ ” θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.“ οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀργαῖς ῥημάτων κολακείαις ἡ πίστις, ἀλλ' ἐν ταῖς τῶν δρωμένων ποιότησι δοκιμάζεται: καὶ γοῦν νεκρὰν εἶναι ταύτην οὐ παρεπομένων τῶν ἔργων ἡ θεία λέγει γραφή. τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰδέναι, φησὶν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς εἷς ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐν διανοίαις ἀνθρωπίναις εὑρήσομεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις δαίμοσιν, ἃ καὶ φρίττει καὶ οὐχ ἑκόντα τὴν τοῦ ποιήσαντος δύναμιν. τὸ γεμὴν σύνδρομον ποιεῖσθαι τῇ πίστει τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν δρωμένων φαιδρότητα, μόνοις ἂν πρέπον καὶ ἐλλάμπον ὁρῷτο τοῖς ἀληθῶς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν Θεόν. οὐκοῦν ἀπόδειξις τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τελεώτατος τῆς πίστεως ὅρος, τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν δογμάτων ἡ τήρησις καὶ τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν ἡ φυλακή. καὶ χαλεπὸν μὲν ἴσως οὐδὲν ἕτερα πρὸς τούτοις εἰπεῖν συγγενῆ πως ἔχοντα τὴν διάνοιαν, πλὴν οὐ τοῦ παρόντος οἶμαι καιροῦ. διὸ δὴ πάλιν ἰτέον ἐπὶ τὰ τοῖς προκειμένοις ἡμῖν πρεπωδέστερα Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με φησὶ, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσετε. σύνες γὰρ δὴ πάλιν καὶ διαμέμνησο καλῶς ὅτι πολλάκις τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς προσδιαλεγόμενος, ἢ καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἔφασκε ” Τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ “λαλῶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὰ ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με:” καὶ πάλιν “Ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ λαλῶ, ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με Πατὴρ αὐτός ” μοι ἐντολὴν δέδωκε τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω:“ καὶ πάλιν ” Ἃ οὖν ἐγὼ λαλῶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὰ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με.“ νυνὶ δὲ δὴ πάλιν καίτοι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω τοὺς λόγους εἶναι διωμολογηκὼς, οὓς ἐποιήσατο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἰδίας ἐντολὰς εἶναί φησιν, ἅπερ ἡμῖν λελάληκε. καὶ οὐ δή τις αὐτὸν νοῦν ἔχων οἰήσεται ψευδομυθεῖν: μὴ γὰρ εἰσέλθοι τοῦτο Χριστιανόν: ἀληθεύσει δὲ πάλιν, ἅτε δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων ἡ ἀλήθεια. οὐ γὰρ καθ' ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν, ὡς ἐν διακόνου τάξει καὶ ὑπηρέτου, τὸν παρὰ Πατρὸς ἡμῖν διεπόρθμευσε λόγον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχων πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν ἐμφέρειαν, ὡς μηδὲ λόγῳ τυχὸν ὁρᾶσθαι διάφορον, ἀλλ' οὕτω πεφυκέναι λαλεῖν, ὥσπερ ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ τυχὸν διαλέγοιτο. τὸ γὰρ ἀπαράλλακτον τῆς οὐσίας καὶ ταυτολογεῖν ἀναπείθει τῷ γεννήσαντι τὸν Υἱόν: ὡς δὲ Λόγος ὢν αὐτὸς καὶ σοφία καὶ βούλησις τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, δεδέχθαι φησὶν ἐντολὴν τί εἴπῃ καὶ τί λαλήσει. ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἕκαστοι νοῦν, τῷ κατὰ προφορὰν τὴν διὰ ῥημάτων λόγῳ μονονουχὶ καὶ ἐντελλόμενον βλέπομεν πρὸς τὸ ἔξω βαδίζοντι διερμηνεῦσαι τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ. καὶ μικρὰ μὲν ὡς πρὸς Θεὸν ἡ τοῦ παραδείγματος δύναμις, εἰκόνα δὲ ὅμως τὴν ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς, εἰς τὴν τῶν ὑπὲρ ταῦτα πληροφορίαν δεχόμενοι, καθάπερ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι τὰ θεῖα νοοῦμεν μυστήρια.
« Κἀγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ᾖ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὐ θεωρεῖ αὐτὸ οὐδὲ γινώσκει αὐτό: ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε αὐτὸ, ὅτι παρ' ὑμῖν μένει καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσται. » Ἀναμίσγει πάλιν τῷ θεοπρεπεῖ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ οὔτε πρὸς ἄκρατον ἀναφοιτᾷ τῆς θεότητος δόξαν, οὔτε μὴν ὁλοκλήρως τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ, ἔρχεται δὲ δι' ἀμφοῖν παραδόξως τε ἅμα καὶ κεκραμένως, ἐπείπερ ἐστὶν ἐν ταὐτῷ Θεός τε καὶ ἄνθρωπος. Θεὸς μὲν γὰρ ἦν τῇ φύσει, καθόπερ ἐκ Πατρὸς καρπὸς καὶ ἀπαύγασμα τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ: ἄνθρωπος δὲ πάλιν, καθὸ γέγονε σάρξ. λαλεῖ τοιγαροῦν ὡς Θεός τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπος, οὕτω γὰρ ἦν τηρῆσαι καλῶς τῇ μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίᾳ τοὺς πρέποντας λόγους. πλὴν ἐκεῖνό φαμεν τὴν τοῦ προκειμένου διερευνῶντες δύναμιν: ὅτι καὶ νῦν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἀναγκαίως τὴν περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς εἰσκεκόμικε μνήμην, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως καὶ εἰς τὸ σφόδρα λυσιτελὲς τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις, καθάπερ οὖν ἀποδείξει προϊὼν ὁ λόγος. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αἰτεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐκέλευσεν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἀσυνήθη τρόπον τῆς προσευχῆς μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθέσπισε, δώσειν κατεπαγγειλάμενος καὶ μάλα προθύμως, ἅπερ ἂν ἐθέλωμεν λαβεῖν: ἵνα μὴ δοκοίη διὰ τούτων τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς παρωθεῖσθαι πρόσωπον, ἤγουν παραιρεῖσθαι τὴν τοῦ τεκόντος αὐτὸν ἐξουσίαν, τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων φιλοτιμίαις φημὶ, χρήσιμον αὐτὸν συγχορηγὸν ἔσεσθαι καὶ συνεπιδώσειν ἡμῖν τὸν παράκλητον ἔφη: τό Ἐρωτήσω πάλιν ἐπιὼν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἰδικῶς τε ἀνατιθεὶς ὅλῃ τῇ θείᾳ τε καὶ ἀῤῥήτῳ φύσει τὸ αὐτῇ μάλιστα πρέπον, ὡς ἐν προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. τοῦτο γὰρ ἔθος αὐτῷ, καθὰ καὶ πολλάκις ἤδη προλαβόντες εἰρήκαμεν. Ἄλλον γεμὴν Παράκλητον τὸ Πνεῦμα καλεῖ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐσίας, ἤτοι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ. εἷς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν τῆς οὐσίας ὁ λόγος, οὐκ ἔξω τιθεὶς αὐτὸ, τὸν δὲ τῆς ἑτερότητος λόγον ἐν μόνῳ νοεῖσθαι διδοὺς τῷ εἶναι καὶ ὑπάρχειν ἰδιοσυστάτως αὐτό. οὐ γὰρ Υἱὸς τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὄντως, ἰδίως τε ὂν καὶ ὑπάρχον τοῦθ' ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν πίστει παραδεξόμεθα: Πνεῦμα γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. εἰδὼς δὲ ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς παράκλητός ἐστί τε κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ὠνόμασται γράμμασι, παράκλητον ἄλλον τὸ Πνεῦμα καλεῖ, οὐχ ὡς ἕτερόν τι τυχὸν ἐνεργεῖν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις εἰδὸς ἢ ὅπερ ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς, οὗ καὶ ἔστι καὶ λέγεται Πνεῦμα. ὅτι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς παράκλητος ὠνομάσθη τε καὶ ἔστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐν ἰδίαις συγγραφαῖς ” Ταῦτα “λέγω, φησὶν, ὑμῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε. καὶ ἐάν τις δὲ ” ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, Ἰησοῦν “Χριστὸν δίκαιον, καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρ” τιῶν ἡμῶν.“ ἄλλον τοίνυν παράκλητον τὸ Πνεῦμα καλεῖ, ἐν ἰδίαις μὲν ὑποστάσεσι νοεῖσθαι θέλων αὐτὸ, τοσαύτην γεμὴν ἔχον τὴν ἐμφέρειαν ὡς πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπαραλλάκτως οὕτως ἐνεργεῖν ἰσχύον ἅπερ ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνεργοίη τυχὸν, ὡς αὐτὸν εἶναι δοκεῖν τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ ἕτερον οὐδέν: Πνεῦμα γάρ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ. καὶ γοῦν τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτὸ κατωνόμασε Πνεῦμα, καὶ διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν λέγων. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις εἰκότως τοῖς ἀλλότριον εἶναι νομίζουσι τὸν Υἱὸν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐσίας Καὶ πῶς, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας Πνεῦμα, τουτέστι τὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, δίδωσιν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὐχ ὡς ξένον ἢ ἀλλότριον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἴδιον Πνεῦμα, καίτοι καθ' ὑμᾶς διωρισμένον ἔχων τῆς οὐσίας τὸν λόγον πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ Υἱοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν, οὐ γὰρ ὅτι ἀμφίλογον: πῶς δὲ αὖ πάλιν, εἴπερ ἐστὶν ἑτεροούσιος ὁ Υἱὸς, τὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς Πνεῦμα δίδωσιν, ὡς ἑαυτοῦ; γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι ” ἐνεφύσησε τοῖς μαθηταῖς λέγων Λάβετε Πνεῦμα “Ἅγιον.” ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ οἰήσεταί τις, καὶ μάλα δικαίως, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀραρότως διακείσεται, ὅτι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς φυσικῶν ἀγαθῶν οὐσιωδῶς ὑπάρχων κοινωνὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔχει τὸ Πνεῦμα κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον καθ' ὅν περ ἂν νοοῖτο καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ, οὐκ ἐπακτὸν οὐδὲ ἔξωθεν: εὔηθες γὰρ, μᾶλλον δὲ μανικὸν τὸ οὕτω φρονεῖν: ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἡμῶν ἕκαστος τὸ ἴδιον ἐν ἑαυτῷ πνεῦμα συνέχει, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐνδοτάτων σπλάγχνων εἰς τὸ ἔξω προχέει. διὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο καὶ σωματικῶς ἐνεφύσησεν ὁ Χριστὸς, δεικνὺς ὅτι καθάπερ ἐκ στόματος τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου πρόεισι τὸ πνεῦμα σωματικῶς, οὕτω καὶ ἐκ τῆς θείας οὐσίας θεοπρεπῶς προχεῖται τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ. ὅτε τοίνυν αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ τε Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός ἐστι καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, πῶς οὐχὶ πάντως μίαν ἕξουσι τὴν ἐξουσίαν διῃρημένως τε ἅμα καὶ συνημμένως; Πατὴρ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ οὐχ Υἱὸς, καὶ Υἱὸς ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ οὐχὶ Πατήρ: πλὴν ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν Υἱῷ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν Πατρί: δίδωσι γεμὴν τὸν παράκλητον, ἤτοι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, οὐκ ἰδίᾳ μὲν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἰδίᾳ δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς, χορηγεῖται δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἁγίοις παρὰ Πατρὸς δι' Υἱοῦ. διὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο διδόναι λεγομένου τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὁ δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα δίδωσιν ὁ Υἱός: καὶ διδόναι λεγομένου τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὁ ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα δίδωσιν ὁ Πατήρ. Ὅτι δὲ θεῖόν τε τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ οὐχ ἑτεροούσιον, ὡς πρὸς αὐτόν τε φημὶ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐδενὶ μὲν οἶμαι τῶν εὖ φρονούντων ὑπάρχειν ἀμφίβολον, καὶ ἀναγκαῖος δὲ ἡμᾶς ἀναπείσει λόγος. εἰ γὰρ οὐκ εἶναί τις αὐτό φησιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, πῶς ἂν εἴη Θεοῦ μέτοχος ἡ κτίσις ἔτι λαβοῦσα τὸ Πνεῦμα; κατὰ τίνα δὲ τρόπον ναοὶ Θεοῦ χρηματιοῦμεν καὶ ἐσόμεθα, κτιστὸν ἢ ἀλλογενὲς κομιζόμενοι πνεῦμα, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον τὸ ἐκ Θεοῦ; πῶς δὲ θείας φύσεως κοινωνοὶ, κατὰ τὰς τῶν ἁγίων φωνὰς, οἱ Πνεύματος μέτοχοι, εἰ τοῖς γενητοῖς ἐναρίθμιόν ἐστι, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐξ αὐτῆς ἡμῖν τῆς θείας φύσεως πρόεισιν, οὐ διικνούμενον δι' αὐτῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀλλότριον ἀλλ', ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ποιότης ὥσπερ τις τῆς θεότητος ἐν ἡμῖν γινόμενον, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις κατοικοῦν, καὶ ἀπομένον διὰ παντὸς, εἰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν διὰ πάσης ἐπιεικείας ἀποκαθαίροντες καὶ διὰ τῆς εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν ἀνενδότου σπουδῆς, συντηροῖεν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν χάριν. ἀχώρητον μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἀθεώρητον αὐτὸ τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, τουτέστι, τοῖς τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ φρονοῦσι καὶ ἀγαπᾶν ἑλομένοις τὰ ἐπίγεια, χωρητὸν γεμὴν καὶ εὐκάτοπτον τοῖς ἁγίοις. διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν; οἱ μὲν γὰρ δυσέκπλυτον ἔχοντες τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν, καὶ λήμης ὥσπερ τινὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀναπλήσαντες νοῦν, τὸ τῆς θείας φύσεως οὐ περιαθροῦσι κάλλος, οὔτε μὴν τὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος καταδέχονται νόμον, ὁλοτρόπως τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς τυραννούμενοι πάθεσιν: οἱ δὲ ἀγαθοὶ καὶ νηφαλέοι, σχολάζουσαν τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ κακῶν ἔχοντες τὴν καρδίαν, εἰσοικίζουσι μὲν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἐθελοντὶ τὸν Παράκλητον, διασώζουσι δὲ λαβόντες, καὶ καθόσον ἀνθρώποις ἐφικτὸν, νοητῶς θεωροῦσι, πολύ τι καὶ μέγα καὶ ἀξιοζήλωτον ἐντεῦθεν ἀποκομιζόμενοι τὸ γέρας. ἁγιάσει γὰρ αὐτοὺς, καὶ πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀποτελεστὰς ἀποδείξει, καὶ τὸ μὲν τῆς ἀνθρωποπρεποῦς δουλείας αἶσχος ἀφιεῖ, τῷ δὲ τῆς υἱοθεσίας ἀξιώματι περιβαλεῖ. καὶ μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ Παῦλος “Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοὶ, ἐξαπέστειλεν ” ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, “κράζον Ἀββᾶ ὁ πατήρ.”
« Οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανοὺς, ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. » Ἀναγκαίως καὶ νῦν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁγίας τε καὶ ὁμοουσίου Τριάδος ἐξυφαίνει λόγον. δέδειχε μὲν γὰρ ἤδη πρότερον, παραθεὶς εἰς πληροφορίαν λόγους τε καὶ πράγματα τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, ὅτι τε καὶ ὑπάρχοι κατὰ φύσιν Θεὸς, καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται Πατρὸς, ἰσοσθενής τε ἐστὶ καὶ ἰσογνώμων αὐτῷ. διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἔφασκέ ποτε μὲν, ὅτι “ἐγὼ ὃ λαλῶ, ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ ” λαλῶ,“ ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν ” Εἰ οὐ ποιῶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Πατρός “μου, μὴ πιστεύετέ μοι: εἰ δὲ ποιῶ, κἂν ἐμοὶ μὴ πιστεύητε, ” τοῖς ἔργοις μου πιστεύετε.“ ἀλλ' ἦν ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐ μετρίως ἀναγκαῖον τὸ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι τὴν ὀρθῶς τε καὶ ἀνεγκλήτως ἔχουσαν δέχεσθαι δόξαν. οὕτω γὰρ ἦν ὁλοκλήρως εἰς ὀρθότητα πίστεως τὸν τῶν ἀκροωμένων ἀπευθύνεσθαι νοῦν. τί τοίνυν ἡμᾶς διὰ τῶν προκειμένων διδάσκει Χριστὸς, ὡς ἐν ὀλίγοις ἐκθήσομαι. ἕτερον ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς πεμφθήσεσθαι λέγων, ἀσφαλίζεται πάλιν οἰκονομικῶς τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει λόγον. ἦν γὰρ δή τινας εἰκὸς οὐκ ὀρθῶς νοοῦντας τὸ εἰρημένον, οἰήσεσθαι λέγειν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, καθάπερ οὖν ἔδοξε τῶν ἀσυνέτων τισὶν, ἀλλ' ἕτερόν τι κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχειν αὐτό: τὸ γάρ Ἄλλον εἰπεῖν, παρά γε τοῖς ἀμαθεστέροις, τοιαύτης τινὸς αἰτίας ἔμφασιν εἰσκομίσειεν ἄν. ἵνα τοίνυν ἐπιδείξῃ σαφῶς, ὅτι τὸν τῆς ἑτερότητος λόγον οὐ καθ' ἕτερόν τινα νοεῖσθαι βούλεται τρόπον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μόνον τὸ ἰδίως ὑπάρχειν αὐτό: Πνεῦμα γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ οὐχ Υἱὸς, ὥσπερ οὖν Υἱὸς ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ οὐ Πατήρ: ἀποσταλήσεσθαι τὸν Παράκλητον εἰπὼν, αὐτὸς ἥξειν ἐπαγγέλλεται, οὐχ ἕτερόν τι τὸ Πνεῦμα δεικνὺς ἢ ὅπερ ἐστὶν αὐτὸς, ἐπείπερ ἐστὶν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἴδιον Πνεῦμα καὶ αὐτοῦ νοεῖται: καὶ νοῦς αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὠνόμασται: καὶ γοῦν ὁ Παῦλός φησιν αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο σημαίνων ” Ἡμεῖς δὲ “νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν.” συνιέντες τοίνυν ὀρθῶς τε καὶ ἀπλανῶς, καὶ τὸ ἐκτρέπεσθαί ποι παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ὡς ἀκαλλὲς διωθούμενοι, καὶ τοῖς τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς ἑπόμενοι λόγοις, φαμὲν ὅτι οὐχ ἕτερόν τι παρ' αὐτὸν, ὅσον ἧκεν εἰπεῖν εἰς ταυτότητα φυσικὴν, διῃρημένως τε καὶ ἰδιοσυστάτως: τοῦτο γὰρ οἶμαι συνεὶς καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος παραμίσγει πολλάκις, καὶ ὡς ταὐτὸν ὂν ἑκάτερον εἰσφέρει, τὸν Παράκλητόν φημι καὶ τὸν Υἱόν. εὑρήσεις γὰρ λέγοντα “Εἰ δέ ” τις Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ,“ καὶ πάλιν εὐθύς ” Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, τὸ μὲν σῶμα “νεκρὸν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ζωὴ διὰ δικαιο” σύνην.“ ἀκούεις πῶς Χριστὸν ἔχειν διαῤῥήδην ὁμολογεῖ τοὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα λαβόντας αὐτοῦ; φησὶ δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις ” Δοκῶ γὰρ κἀγὼ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχειν.“ ὁ δὲ τοῦτο πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰπών ” Εἰ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε, φησὶ, τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λα“λοῦντος Χριστοῦ,” καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν ἐνοικῆσαι Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως πολλάκις ἐπεύχεται, καίτοι τὸ Πνεῦμα δεχόμενος τὸ Ἅγιον. καὶ μή τις οἰέσθω λέγειν ἡμᾶς, ὅτι τῶν ὀνομάτων, ἤτοι τῶν προσώπων ἀναιρεῖ τὴν εἰς ἑκάτερον στάσιν, ἢ ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν οὐχ Υἱὸν εἶναί φησιν ἀλλὰ Πνεῦμα, ἤγουν τὸ Πνεῦμα Πνεῦμα μὲν οὐκ οἶδεν, Υἱὸν δὲ εἶναί φησιν: οὐ γὰρ οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἐκείνῳ σκοπὸς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως πιστεύομεν. οἶδε γὰρ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ὁμοουσίου Τριάδος τὴν ἀπαρίθμησιν, καὶ ἰδίᾳ μὲν ἕκαστον τῶν σημαινομένων ὑφεστάναι διδάσκει: τὸ γεμὴν ἐν ἀπαραλλάκτῳ κεῖσθαι ταυτότητι τὴν ἁγίαν Τριάδα διακηρύττει σαφῶς. ἐπεὶ πῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα Θεός ἐστι καὶ ὀνομάζεται; “Οὐκ οἴ” δατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ “Θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν οἰκεῖ;” εἰ δὲ ἐπείπερ ἐν ἡμῖν οἰκεῖ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ναοὶ γεγόναμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἐκ Θεοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα, τουτέστιν, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, Θεὸν ἐν ἡμῖν οἰκίζον δι' ἑαυτοῦ; οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἀλλότριον τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως δεικνὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα ὁ Μονογενὴς, παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπέμπεσθαι τοῖς ἁγίοις εἰπὼν τὸν Παράκλητον, αὐτὸς ἥξειν ἐπαγγέλλεται καὶ τὴν Πατρὸς τάξιν αὐτοῖς ἀποπληροῦν, ἵνα μὴ καθάπερ τινὲς ὀρφανοὶ τῆς τοῦ προεστηκότος ἐπικουρίας ἔρημοι, διά τε τοῦτο λοιπὸν ταῖς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίσιν εὐάλωτοι καὶ τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ σκανδάλοις εὐεπιχείρητοι λίαν εὑρίσκωνται, καίτοι πολλοῖς οὖσι καὶ ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐρχομένοις διὰ τὴν ἀκάθεκτον τῶν ἐπαγόντων μανίαν. ὅπλον οὖν ἄρα καὶ ἀσφάλειαν ἀῤῥαγῆ ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς δέδωκεν ὁ Πατὴρ τὸ Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ, τὴν αὐτοῦ χάριν τε καὶ παρουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀποπληροῦν. ἀμήχανον γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν κατορθῶσαί τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἤγουν τῶν οἰκείων κρατῆσαι παθῶν, ἢ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος ὀξείας διαδρᾶναι τὸ μέγεθος, μὴ τῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος τετειχισμένην χάριτι, καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχουσαν ἐν ἑαυτῇ διὰ τοῦτο Χριστόν. καὶ γοῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος ἡμῖν μελῳδὸς τὰ ὑπὲρ τούτου χαριστήρια διὰ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ σοφίας συντιθεὶς ἀνεφώνει πρὸς τὸν Θεόν “Κύριε, ὡς ὅπλῳ ” εὐδοκίας ἐστεφάνωσας ἡμᾶς:“ ὅπλον εὐδοκίας οὐδὲν ἕτερον εἶναι λέγων, ἢ τὸ προασπίζον ἡμῶν Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀδοκήτῳ συνέχον ἰσχύϊ πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν τῷ Θεῷ. οὐκοῦν ὅτι παρέσται καὶ βοηθήσει διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτὸν, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπαγγέλλεται, κἂν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀναβαίνῃ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν, ” νῦν “ἐμφανισθήσεσθαι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν,” κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου φωνήν.
« Ἔτι μικρὸν καὶ ὁ κόσμος με οὐκέτι θεωρεῖ, ὑμεῖς δὲ θεωρεῖτέ με, ὅτι ἐγὼ ζῶ, καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσεσθε. » Ἐπὶ θύραις ὄντος τοῦ πάθους, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἀναλήψεως καιρὸν συνεισάγοντος, ἄποπτος ἔσεσθαι τῷ κόσμῳ φησὶ, τουτέστι, τοῖς τῶν θείων προτιμήσασιν ἀγαθῶν τὴν τῶν προσκαίρων ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ τῶν οὐρανίων τὰ ἐπίγεια ποιουμένοις ἐν ἀμείνοσι. καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἤδη προειρημένοις ἀδελφήν τε καὶ σύνδρομον τὴν διάνοιαν ἐξυφαίνοντες, ἐροῦμεν εὐλόγως, ὅτι τὸν μὲν παράκλητον, τουτέστι, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, δέδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, δι' Υἱοῦ δηλονότι: πάντα γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ παρὰ Πατρός. ἐλήλυθε γεμὴν, οὐκ ἐπὶ πάντας ἀδιακρίτως, πονηρούς τε καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, ἀλλ' ἐφ' οὓς ἦν αὐτῷ βαδιεῖσθαι πρέπον. ὅσον μὲν γὰρ ἧκεν εἰς τὴν τοῦ διδόντος πλουσιωτάτην τε καὶ ἄφθονον χάριν, οὐδεὶς ἔμεινεν ἀμέτοχος τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς: “Ἐκχεῶ γὰρ, φησὶν ἐν προφήταις, ἀπὸ ” τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα:“ ἕκαστος γεμὴν ἑαυτῷ παραίτιος γίνεται τοῦ κεκτῆσθαι τὸ θεόσδοτον ἀγαθὸν, ἢ καὶ μηδόλως ἑλεῖν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ διὰ πάσης ἐπιεικείας τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀποκαθαίροντες νοῦν οὐδαμῶς, ἐμφιλοχωροῦντες δὲ λίαν τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ κακοῖς, ἀμέτοχοι τῆς θείας ἀπομενοῦσι χάριτος, οὐκ ὄψονται Χριστὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ἐρήμην τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔχοντες τὴν καρδίαν. διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τάξει γεγονότες τῷ προστάτῃ τῶν ὀρφανῶν, ὑπὸ παντὸς, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, διαρπάζονται τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν ἰσχύοντος, ἢ πάθους, ἢ δαίμονος, ἤγουν ἑτέρας τινὸς ἐπιθυμίας κοσμικῆς, καὶ παντὸς πράγματος καθέλκοντος ὥσπερ καὶ βιαζομένου πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν. τοῖς γεμὴν ὁσίοις καὶ ἐπιτηδείως ἔχουσιν εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν αὐτὸν εἰκότως ἔφασκεν, ἐπειδὴ τούτων ἔμελλον ὑπομένειν οὐδέν ” Οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανοὺς, ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς.“ οὐκοῦν ἄποπτος μὲν καὶ ἀθέατος κομιδῆ τοῖς τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ φρονοῦσι χρηματίσαι φησὶ, μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν, φημὶ δὴ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναφοίτησιν: ὁρατὸς δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις εὑρεθήσεσθαι λέγει, θείαν τε τινὰ καὶ νοητὴν ἐντιθέντος μαρμαρυγὴν τοῖς τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καὶ πᾶσαν εἴδησιν ἐνσπείροντος ἀγαθήν. Ἢ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτὸν οἰησόμεθα λέγειν τό Ἔτι μικρὸν καὶ ὁ κόσμος με οὐκέτι θεωρεῖ, ὑμεῖς δὲ θεωρεῖτέ με, ἤγουν ἐφ' ἑτέραν τινὰ παρακλίνοντες θεωρίαν, μάλισθ' ὅτι προσπλέκεται τοῖς εἰρημένοις παρ' αὐτοῦ τό Ὅτι ἐγὼ ζῶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσεσθε, λογιζόμεθά τι τοιοῦτον. μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν, κατορθώσας τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ φύσει τὴν εἰς ὅπερ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπαναδρομὴν, καὶ ἀποδείξας τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἄφθαρτον, ὡς ἐν ἀπαρχῇ καὶ πρώτῳ τῷ ἰδίῳ ναῷ, ἀνέβη πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καὶ Θεόν: ἀλλ' ὀλίγον μεταξὺ διατελέσας χρόνον, καταβήσεται πάλιν, καθάπερ πιστεύομεν, καὶ ἐπανήξει πάλιν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ” ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ “τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων,” καὶ προθήσει μὲν ἅπασι τὸ φρικωδέστατον βῆμα πονηροῖς τε καὶ ἀγαθοῖς. σύμπαν γὰρ ἥξει τὸ ποιηθὲν εἰς κρίσιν: ἀναλόγως δὲ τοῖς ἑκάστῳ βεβιωμένοις ἀποδιδοὺς τὰ πρέποντα, τοῖς μὲν ἐξ εὐωνύμων ἐρεῖ, τουτέστι, τοῖς τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ πεφρονηκόσι ποτέ “Πορεύεσθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ” κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ “διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ:” τοῖς γεμὴν ἐκ δεξιῶν, τουτέστι, τοῖς ὁσίοις καὶ ἀγαθοῖς “Δεῦτε οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ ” Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασι“λείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.” συνέσονται γὰρ καὶ συμβασιλεύσουσι τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ τοῖς οὐρανίοις ἐντρυφήσουσιν ἀγαθοῖς, σύμμορφοι γεγονότες τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς μὲν ἀρχαίας φθορᾶς διαδράντες τοὺς βρόχους, μακρᾷ δὲ καὶ ἀμυθήτῳ περιβληθέντες ζωῇ, καὶ ἀτελευτήτως τῷ ἀεὶ ζῶντι συζῶντες Δεσπότῃ. ὅτι γὰρ οἱ θεοφιλῆ καὶ ἐξαίρετον ἀσκήσαντες βίον, ἀδιαλείπτως συνέσονται τῷ Χριστῷ, θεωροῦντες δηλονότι τὸ θεῖον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄῤῥητον κάλλος, σαφηνιεῖ λέγων ὁ Παῦλος “Ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ” ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται “ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται ” πρῶτον, ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι σὺν “αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ ” Κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα, καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν Κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα:“ καὶ πάλιν πρὸς τοὺς νεκροῦν ἑλομένους τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ πάθη ” Ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ “Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ ἡ ζωὴ ” ὑμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς φανερωθήσεσθε σὺν αὐτῷ ἐν δόξῃ.“ οὐκοῦν: ἀνακεφαλαιώσομαι γὰρ τοῦ λόγου τὴν δύναμιν: οἱ μὲν τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ κακῶν ἐρασταὶ κατοιχήσονται πρὸς τὸν ᾅδην, καὶ ἐκ προσώπου γενήσονται Χριστοῦ: συνέσονται γεμὴν αὐτῷ καὶ συνδιαιτήσονται διὰ παντὸς οἱ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐρασταὶ, καὶ τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀσινῆ τηρήσαντες, συνόντες δὲ δηλονότι, καὶ τὸ θεοπρεπὲς αὐτοῦ κατόψονται κάλλος ἀδιακωλύτως: ” Ἔσται γάρ σοι, φησὶ, “Κύριος φῶς αἰώνιον, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δόξα σου:” καὶ εἰκὸς δὲ τοῦτο βούλεσθαι δηλοῦν τὸν Κύριον, ὅταν ἀκούωμεν λέγοντος Ἔτι μικρὸν καὶ ὁ κόσμος με οὐκέτι θεωρεῖ, ὑμεῖς δὲ θεωρεῖτέ με, ὅτι ἐγὼ ζῶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσεσθε. διαψεύσεται γεμὴν οὐδαμῶς, μικρὸν εἶναι λέγων τὸν μεταξὺ χρόνον τῆς οἱονεὶ ἀποκαλύψεως αὐτοῦ. Θεῷ γὰρ τῷ ἀεὶ ὄντι καὶ ὁ μακρὸς καθ' ἡμᾶς χρόνος ἐν τῷ μηδενὶ τέθειται παντελῶς: καὶ μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ μελῳδός “Ὅτι χίλια ἔτη ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ” σου, Κύριε, ὡς ἡμέρα ἡ χθὲς ἥτις διῆλθε, καὶ φυλακὴ ἐν “νυκτί.”
« Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὑμεῖς γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρί μου καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. » Δυσέφικτον μέν πως ἐστὶ τὸ ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις θεώρημα, καὶ δριμεῖαν ὥσπερ ἐξαιτοῦν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ τὴν βάσανον, ὄκνον τε τῷ λόγῳ περιποιοῦν ἱκανώτατον, κατευθύνῃ γεμὴν ὅτι πάλιν ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀλήθειαν ὁ Χριστὸς, πιστεύομεν. τινὲς μὲν οὖν, καίτοι τῶν προὔχειν ὑποληφθέντων ποτὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἀνοσίοις αἱρετικοῖς, παραιτούμενοι πονηρῶς τὸ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὁμολογεῖν τὸν Υἱὸν, διά τε τοῦτο ὑπάρχειν ἐν αὐτῷ σχετικήν τινα καὶ οὐ φυσικὴν ὑπονοοῦσι τὴν ἕνωσιν, καὶ δὴ καὶ γεγραφήκασι, τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας ἐρευγόμενοι γνώμης, οὐ τὰ ἐξ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ὡς ἐπείπερ ἀγαπᾶται μὲν ὁ Υἱὸς παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀγαπᾷ δὲ αὖ πάλιν αὐτὸς τὸν Πατέρα, κατὰ τοῦτόν ἐστι τὸν τρόπον ἐν αὐτῷ. καὶ ἀπόδειξιν ὥσπερ τινὰ δυσανάτρεπτον εἰσκομίζουσιν οἱ παράφρονες τό τε τῷ προκειμένῳ παρεζευγμένον ῥητῷ, περί τε ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ: καὶ δὴ καί φασι καλαμίνην ὥσπερ τινὰ ῥάβδον ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ὑποστήσαντες δυσφημίαις, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι λεγόμεθα, ἔχομέν τε αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῆς οὐσίας λόγον ἑνούμεθα, τρόπος δὲ τῆς ἑνώσεως, καθὰ πεφύκαμεν ἀγαπᾶν τε καὶ ἀνταγαπᾶσθαι: οὕτω, φησὶ, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐκ ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ πάντως ἐστὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, διακεκριμένος δὲ παντελῶς κατά γε τὸν τῆς φύσεως λόγον, καὶ ἑτεροίως ἔχων κομιδῇ, κατὰ μόνον τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης θεσμὸν νοεῖται, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ Πατρί. σκοπὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς, καθάπερ ἔφαμεν ἀρτίως, ποίημα καὶ κτίσμα καὶ γενητὸν καὶ μόναις μὲν ταῖς κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων κτισμάτων ὑπεροχαῖς τιμώμενον, ἔξω γεμὴν τῆς οὐσίας ὑπάρχοντα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἀποφῆναι τὸν Μονογενῆ. Μακροῦ δὲ ἡμῖν ἤδη περὶ τούτου γεγονότος λόγου, δι' οὗ κατά γε τὴν ἐνοῦσαν ἡμῖν ἐδεικνύομεν δύναμιν, ὅτι κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ οὐσιώδη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχει τὴν ἕνωσιν, παρήσομεν ἔτι τὸ περὶ τούτου τέως εἰς τὸ παρὸν διατείνεσθαι. πλὴν οὐχ ὁλοκλήρως ἐπιτρέψομεν ἐρήμην ὥσπερ καταδραμεῖν τοῦ λόγου τοὺς δι' ἐναντίας, ἀντιπαραταξόμεθα δὲ δι' ὀλίγων, ὡς οἷόν τε κεκακουργημένον ἅμα καὶ ἀμαθὲς ἀποφαίνοντες τῆς πονηρίας αὐτῶν τὸ μυσαρὸν φιλοτέχνημα, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐροῦμεν Εἰ διὰ μόνον τὸ ἀγαπᾶσθαι καὶ ἀγαπᾶν ὁ Υἱὸς ἔνεστι τῷ Πατρὶ, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον λόγον ἡμεῖς τε ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ δεσμὸς μὲν οὐδεὶς συνάπτων ὁρᾶται ἕτερος, ἢ τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, ἤγουν ἡμᾶς αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτὸν ἡμῖν: πῶς ἢ διὰ τίνα τρόπον, εἰπέ μοι, φησὶν, ὡς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνωσόμεθα τὸ περὶ τούτου μυστήριον; οὔπω γὰρ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐγνώκαμεν, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ μὲν τὸν Υἱὸν ἀγαπᾷ, ἀγαπᾷ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν Πατέρα: ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἴσμεν πω τάχα τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς, λογισμὸς δὲ ἡμᾶς διαπαίζει κενὸς οἰομένους ὅτι ἠγάπησε μὲν ἡμᾶς ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῷ Πατρὶ κατεκτήσατο, ἠγαπήσαμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτόν. λέγων γὰρ τό Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε, οὔπω παρόντα δεικνύει τὸν τῆς εἰδήσεως χρόνον: εἶτα τί μάτην ἡμᾶς κατεκτύπει λέγων ὁ Κύριος “Ὁ Πατὴρ ” ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Υἱόν;“ ὅτι γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Πατέρα, τίς οὐκ ἐρεῖ; πῶς δὲ εἰπέ μοι καὶ τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγαπήσεως ἀπόδειξιν ἐποιεῖτο σαφῆ τὸ ἑλέσθαι παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν; ” Μείζω γὰρ, φησὶ, ταύτης τῆς ἀγαπῆς οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις “τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.” τί δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν τὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀγάπην ἐζήτει σαφῶς, διά τε τοῦτο πληροῦν ἐπείγεσθαι τὰ δοκοῦντα αὐτῷ; ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν με, φησὶ, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσει. πότε γὰρ τὴν θείαν ἐντολὴν τηρήσομεν, εἰς τὸ παρὸν ἀλογήσαντες; ὅτε τοίνυν πιστεῦσαι μὲν ἄξιον, ὅτι φιλεῖ ὁ Υἱὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ἀγαπᾷ δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀγαπᾶται, πῶς οὐκ ἀκόλουθον ἐννοεῖν, ἕτερόν τι βεβουλεῦσθαι κατασημῆναι τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἑνώσεως τρόπον οὐ τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης ὁρίζεσθαι νόμῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ καθ' ἕτερόν τινα τρόπον εἰσκεκομικέναι σαφῶς, ὅταν λέγῃ πρὸς ἡμᾶς Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρί μου καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν; Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ πρὸς τοῦτο τυχὸν ὁ δι' ἐναντίας, ὅτι πρὸ μὲν τοῦ πάθους τὰ τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἡμᾶς λελάληκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὡς ἀγαπᾷ μὲν αὐτὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ ἀνταγαπᾶται παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀγαπᾷ δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτόν: μετὰ δέ γε τὸ πάθος καὶ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν, ἐπείπερ εἴδομεν διαῤῥήξαντα τὰ τοῦ θανάτου δεσμὰ, ἐγνώκαμεν ὅτι ἐν Πατρί ἐστιν, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἀγαπώμενος, διά τε τοῦτο καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τῆς ἀγάπης λόγον. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς τοῦτό φαμεν Μάλιστα μὲν ληρώδης ὑμῖν καὶ ἀσύνετος παντελῶς καὶ διὰ σαθρῶν εἶσι λόγων ἡ ἀντίθεσις. πλὴν, ὦ γενναῖοι, διασκέψασθε πάλιν ὅτι πρὸ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως ὅπερ ἔγνωμεν ἀληθῶς, οὐκ ἔδει μαθεῖν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀτελῶς ἐπιστεύομεν τὸν Υἱὸν ἀγαπᾶσθαι μὲν παρὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Πατρὸς, ἀγαπᾶν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Πατέρα, περιμένειν ὄντως ἐχρῆν τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ἵνα τῆς γνώσεως ἔχωμεν ἐκεῖθεν τὴν τελειότητα. εἰ δὲ ἀξιόπιστος ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λέγων “Αὐτός ” ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς,“ ἀληθεύει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ λέγων ” Ὁ Πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Υἱόν:“ ὁ δὲ τῆς ἀγάπης λόγος ἐν τῇ κατὰ πᾶν τελειότητι νοεῖται πρεπόντως, τί φληνάφως ἡμᾶς κατακροτεῖτε λόγοις; τί δὲ τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας παρωθούμενοι κάλλος, τὸ δυσειδὲς ἡμῖν ἀναπλάττετε ψεῦδος, ἐξέλκοντες μὲν τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν, σαθροὺς δὲ λίαν ἐπινοούμενοι λόγους, καὶ στροφὰς ἀτόπων ἐπινοοῦντες συλλογισμῶν; ὅτι γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς μὲν ὁ Μονογενὴς, ἠγαπήσαμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτὸν, παντί τῳ προκείσεται καὶ λίαν ἑτοίμως ἰδεῖν, αὐτὴν ἐπαθρεῖν ἐθέλοντι τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν φύσιν. ἐν μορφῇ γὰρ ὑπάρχων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ” οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο “τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου ” λαβών.“ εἶτα τίς, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν τοιούτων ἡ πρόφασις; ἆρ' οὐ τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπης ὁ λόγος; καὶ πῶς ἐστιν ἀμφιβαλεῖν; τὸ δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐθέλειν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ καὶ αὐτὴν ἑτοίμως ἔχειν καταπροέσθαι τοῖς διώκουσι τὴν ψυχὴν, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἀρνησώμεθα Κύριον, ἆρ' οὐκ ἂν εἰσκομίσαι σαφῆ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης; ἀλλ' ἢ πάντως ἀληθὲς ἐρεῖ τις καὶ τοῦτο, ἢ τῶν ἁγίων καταψηφιεῖται μαρτύρων, ὡς ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τῶν χρησίμων διηθληκότων διὰ Χριστὸν, καὶ ἀμισθὶ τοσοῦτον ἀνατλησάντων κίνδυνον. ἀποδεδειγμένου τοιγαροῦν, καὶ μάλα σαφῶς, ὡς τελείαν μὲν ὁ Πατὴρ εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει τὴν ἀγάπην, ἰσοτρόπως δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν αὐτὸν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἡμᾶς, ποῖον ἂν ἔχοι λόγον τὸ εἰς ἑτέρους οἴεσθαι χρόνους ἀνάπτεσθαι τυχὸν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷδε διάγνωσιν, ὅταν λέγῃ ὁ Κύριος Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐῤῥέτω μὲν τὰ ἐκείνων ληρήματα καὶ τῶν μισοθέων λογισμῶν ἡ παρεύρεσις: ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος δᾳδουχίᾳ θαρσήσαντες, εἰπεῖν οὐκ ὀκνήσομεν ἅπερ ἔδοξεν ἔχειν ὀρθῶς ὑπὲρ σαφηνείας τῶν ζητουμένων. προειρηκὼς τοιγαροῦν ” Ὅτι ἐγὼ καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσεσθε,“ παραχρῆμα τούτοις ἐπενεγκὼν εὑρίσκεται Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρί μου καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. εἶτα τίνι τῶν ὄντων καὶ φρονεῖν εἰωθότων ὀρθῶς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο καὶ μάλα σαφὲς, ὡς ἡμέραν ὁρίζει τῆς ἐπὶ τούτῳ γνώσεως τὸν καιρὸν, καθ' ὃν ἂν καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναμορφούμενοι, πρὸς ζωὴν ἀναβησόμεθα τὴν αἰώνιον, τὴν τοῦ θανάτου διαδράντες ἀράν; καί μοι δοκεῖ τοιοῦτόν τι σημαίνειν ὁ Χριστός φησι: φημὶ δὲ τὸν Παῦλον: ὅταν τὸ θεῖον ἡμῖν ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήριον ἐπιστέλλῃ πρός τινας ” Ἀπεθάνετε “γὰρ, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ ” Θεῷ: ὅταν οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν, τότε “καὶ ὑμεῖς φανερωθήσεσθε σὺν αὐτῷ ἐν δόξῃ.” μετασχηματίσει γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, τοῦτο δὴ πάντως, καὶ οὐχ ἕτερον, σύμμορφον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ μεταπλάσει πρὸς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀῤῥήτῳ δυνάμει τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν, πάντα μετατιθεὶς εὐκόλως πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν βούλοιτο, διακωλύοντος οὐδενός: Θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθινὸς, “ποιῶν πάντα ” καὶ μετασκευάζων,“ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. κατ' ἐκείνην οὖν ἄρα τὴν ἡμέραν, ἤτοι τὸν καιρὸν, καθ' ὃν καὶ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ ζήσεσθε: ζῶ γὰρ ἐγὼ, καίτοι καθ' ὑμᾶς ἄνθρωπος γεγονὼς, καὶ τὸ ὑποπίπτον τῇ φθορᾷ κατά γε τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν ἐνδυσάμενος σῶμα: σαφῶς ἐπιγνώσεσθε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐγὼ μὲν ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. διακεισόμεθα δὲ ταυτὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τὸν Κύριον εἰπεῖν, οὐχ ἵνα νομίζωμεν ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν ἐν Πατρὶ, κατά γε τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης λόγον, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐδόκει τοῖς δι' ἐναντίας φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν μυστηρίου βαθέος, ὃ καὶ νοῆσαι μὲν ἐκεῖνο χαλεπὸν, φράσαι δὲ οὐ ῥᾴδιον: πλὴν ὅπως ἂν οἷός τε ὦ διηγεῖσθαι πειράσομαι. Τῆς μὲν οὖν ἀκριβοῦς ἐκθέσεως πολὺ λίαν ἡττῆσθαι πάντα νοῦν ὑπολαμβάνω τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, τῷ γεμὴν θερμῷ τῆς ἀγάπης, κἂν γοῦν μετρίως ἰδεῖν τε καὶ φράσαι παραθηγόμενος, νῦν ἴδωμεν τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τὸν σκοπόν: φέρε δοκιμάσωμεν τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἣν ἐν μορφῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὑπάρχων ὡς Θεὸς, ” οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο “τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου ” λαβὼν, καὶ ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας.“ ἔσται γὰρ οὕτω καὶ μόλις εὐσύνοπτον, κατά γε τὸ ἐγχωροῦν, τῶν προκειμένων τὸ βάθος. γνωσόμεθα δὲ πῶς μέν ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν Πατρὶ, φυσικῶς δηλονότι καὶ οὐ κατά γε τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι καὶ ἀγαπᾶν ἐπινοηθεῖσαν σχέσιν παρὰ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας: ἡμεῖς δὲ αὖ πάλιν ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸν ἴσον τρόπον καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. οὐκοῦν μίαν μὲν ὥσπερ ἀληθῆ τε καὶ γενικωτάτην αἰτίαν τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ὁ σοφὸς ἡμῖν ἐξηγούμενος Παῦλος ἔφασκεν: εὐδόκησε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ” ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ “Χριστῷ,” καὶ ὅτι τὸ τῆς ἀνακεφαλαιώσεως ὄνομά τε καὶ πρᾶγμα δηλοῖ τὸ ἀνακομίσαι πάλιν καὶ ἀναλαβεῖν εἰς ὅπερ ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ τὰ πρὸς ἀνόμοιον ἐκπεπτωκότα τέλος: εἶτα τοὺς τῆς ἀνακεφαλαιώσεως τρόπους ἀνὰ μέρος ἡμῖν ἀπολευκαίνειν ἐθέλων, ποτὲ μὲν ἔφασκε “Τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ” ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν πέμψας “ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε ” τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, ἵνα τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου “πληρωθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ ” κατὰ πνεῦμα:“ ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν ” Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ παιδία “κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ” παραπλησίως μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου “καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, τουτέστι ” τὸν διάβολον, καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τούτους ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου “διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας.” καὶ δύο μὲν τούτους ἡμῖν τῆς ἀνακεφαλαιώσεως τρόπους ἀναγκαίως ἔχοντα τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὸν λόγον, ὁ Παῦλος ἐξηγήσατο: τρόπον δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις τῶν ἑτέρων περιεκτικὸν, ὁ σοφὸς εὐαγγελιστὴς Ἰωάννης. γράφει γὰρ οὕτω περὶ Χριστοῦ “Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ ” παρέλαβον: ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν “τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ” οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, οὐδὲ ἐκ “θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν.” πρόδηλον οὖν ἄρα καὶ πᾶσιν οἶμαι διαφανὲς, ὅτι τούτων ἕνεκα δὴ μάλιστα τῶν αἰτιῶν Θεὸς καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων, ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν ὁ Μονογενὴς, ἵνα δηλονότι κατακρίνῃ μὲν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, νεκρώσῃ δὲ τῷ ἰδίῳ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, καὶ υἱοὺς ἡμᾶς ἀποδείξῃ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὸ ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἀξίωμα τοὺς ὄντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀναγεννήσας ἐν Πνεύματι. ἦν γὰρ δήπου καὶ μάλα καλῶς, κατὰ τουτονὶ τὸν τρόπον ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι πάλιν καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀναλαβεῖν τὸ διολισθῆσαν γένος, τουτέστι, τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. Πάλιν ἑκάστην τῷ λόγῳ παραθέντες τῶν ἀρτίως ἡμῖν εἰρημένων αἰτιῶν, ἐπ' αὐτῇ τὰ εἰκότα λέγωμεν. πῶς γὰρ ἂν καὶ πρέποι νοεῖν ζητητέον, ὅτι κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, πέμψας τὸν ἴδιον Υἱὸν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας. Θεὸν γὰρ ὄντα κατὰ φύσιν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ πεφηνότα καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτον ἔχοντα φυσικῶς τῆς ἰδιότητος αὐτοῦ, διά τε τοῦτο μὴ εἰδότα παντελῶς τὸ διολισθεῖν εἰς ἁμαρτίαν, ἤγουν παρατρέπεσθαί ποι πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἔχον ὀρθῶς, εἰς τὴν ὑποπίπτουσαν τῇ σαρκὶ ἁμαρτίαν καταβῆναι παρεσκεύασεν ἐθελοντὶ, ἵνα ἰδίαν αὐτὴν ποιησάμενος σάρκα, πρὸς τὸ ἴδιον αὐτοῦ καὶ φυσικὸν μεταστήσῃ, τουτέστι, τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν. οὐ γὰρ δήπου διακεισόμεθα φρονοῦντες ὀρθῶς, ὅτι δὴ μόνῳ τῷ οἰκείῳ ναῷ τοῦτο κατορθώσων γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος ὁ Μονογενής: ποῦ γὰρ ἂν ὅλως ὁρῷτο τῆς ὡς ἡμᾶς ἀφίξεως τὸ μεγαλοπρεπὲς καὶ ὠφέλιμον, εἰ μόνον τὸ ἑαυτοῦ διεσώσατο σῶμα; πιστεύσομεν δὲ μᾶλλον, ὡς ὅλῃ τῇ φύσει δι' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ πρώτῳ καθάπερ ἐν ἀπαρχῇ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος περιποιήσων τὰ ἀγαθὰ, γέγονε καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Μονογενής. ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐχὶ τῷ θανάτῳ μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅλοις ἠκολουθήσαμεν τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς σαρκὸς, ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ τοῦτο παθόντες ἀνθρώπῳ, διά τε τὴν παράβασιν καὶ τὴν θείαν ἀράν: κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν οἶμαι τρόπον ἑψόμεθα σύμπαντες τῷ Χριστῷ διασώζοντι πολυτρόπως, καὶ ἁγιάζοντι τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς φύσιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. διὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔφασκε “Καὶ καθὼς ἐφορέσαμεν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ” χοϊκοῦ, φορέσομεν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου.“ εἰκὼν γὰρ τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, τουτέστιν Ἀδὰμ, τὸ ἐν πάθεσι γενέσθαι καὶ φθορᾷ: εἰκὼν δὲ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, τουτέστι Χριστοῦ, τὸ ἐν ἀπαθείᾳ γενέσθαι καὶ ἀφθαρσίᾳ. κατέκρινε τοίνυν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ σαρκὶ Θεὸς ὑπάρχων κατὰ φύσιν ὁ Λόγος, ἀργεῖν ἐπιτάξας αὐτῇ, καὶ μεταῤῥυθμίσας μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ κινεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μὴ πρὸς τὸ ἴδιον ἔτι θέλημα: οὕτω τε ψυχικὸν ὑπάρχον τὸ σῶμα κατεσκεύασε πνευματικόν. εἷς μὲν οὖν τῆς ἀνακεφαλαιώσεως οὑτοσὶ τρόπος, ὁ δὲ καὶ μάλιστα πρέπων καὶ τῇ τῶν προκειμένων θεωρίᾳ χρεωστούμενος μετ' ἐκεῖνον εἰσβήσεται: προκείσεται δὲ εἰπεῖν περὶ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, καὶ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου νεκρώσεως, ὅπως τε τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως τὴν ἐκ τῆς παραβάσεως φθορὰν ἀπέστησεν ὁ Μονογενής. οὐκοῦν ” ἐπείπερ τὰ “παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς παρα” πλησίως μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν,“ ἵνα νεκρώσῃ τὸν θάνατον, καὶ ὁ κτίσας εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν τὰ πάντα, καὶ σωτηρίους ἀποδείξας τὰς γενέσεις τοῦ κόσμου, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, μεταπλάσῃ πάλιν τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ σχῆμα πρὸς τὸ ἀρχαῖον. Καί μοι πάλιν ὁ λόγος περιεργότερον μὲν ἤπερ ἐχρῆν, ἀναγκαίως δ' οὖν ὅμως προβλήσεται, τὴν τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀρχαιότητα παραδεικνύς. τὸ γὰρ οἶμαι περιδράττεσθαι τῶν θεωρημάτων ἐθέλειν ὀρθῶς, τῶν ἐξ ὄκνου πταισμάτων ἀμοιρήσει παντελῶς. πεποίηται τοίνυν τουτὶ τὸ λογικὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ζῷον, φημὶ δὴ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐξ ἀρχῆς ” κατ' εἰκόνα “τοῦ κτίσαντος” κατὰ τὰς γραφάς: καὶ διάφορος μὲν τῆς εἰκόνος ὁ λόγος. εἰκὼν γὰρ οὐ καθ' ἕνα τρόπον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πολλούς: μέρος γεμὴν τὸ τῶν ἄλλων μάλιστα διαφανέστατον τῆς πρὸς τὸν ποιήσαντα Θεὸν ἐμφερείας, τὸ ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἀνώλεθρον. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν οἶμαί ποτε πρὸς τὸ οὕτως ἔχειν δύνασθαι τὸ ζῷον ἐξήρκεσεν ἑαυτῷ, κατά γε τὸν τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως λόγον: πῶς γὰρ ἂν ὁ ἀπὸ γῆς ἐν ἰδίᾳ φύσει τὸ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἐδείχθη ἔχων καύχημα, μὴ οὐχὶ παρὰ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἀφθάρτου τε καὶ ἀνωλέθρου Θεοῦ καὶ ὡσαύτως ὄντως ἀεὶ, καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθῶν καὶ τοῦτο πεπλουτηκώς; “Τί γὰρ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες;” εἰκότως γε σφόδρα καὶ ἀληθῶς πρὸς ἡμᾶς που φησὶν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος. ἵνα τοίνυν τὸ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος παροισθὲν εἰς γένεσιν μὴ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ὑπονοστῆσαν ἀρχὴν, πάλιν οἴχηται πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν, σώζηται δὲ μᾶλλον διηνεκῶς: οὗτος γὰρ ἦν ὁ τοῦ κτίσαντος σκοπός: μέτοχον αὐτὸν τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως ἀποτελεῖ Θεός. “ἐνεφύσησε γὰρ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον ” αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς,“ τουτέστι, τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ γάρ ἐστιν αὐτὸς ἡ ζωὴ μετὰ Πατρὸς, συνέχων εἰς τὸ εἶναι τὰ πάντα. κινεῖται γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ τε καὶ ζῇ τὰ ζωῆς δεκτικὰ, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου φωνήν. Καὶ μή τις ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ψευδῆ κατηχείτω λόγον, οἰηθεὶς εἰπεῖν τὸ θεῖον ἐμφύσημα γεγονέναι τῷ ζῴῳ ψυχήν: τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ φαμὲν, λογισμῷ τοσῷδε πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ἀλήθειαν διακυβερνώμενοι. εἰ γὰρ οἴονταί τινες τὸ θεῖον ἐμφύσημα γενέσθαι ψυχὴν, λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν, πότερόν ποτε παρετράπη τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως καὶ γέγονεν εἰς ψυχὴν, ἢ μεμένηκεν ἐν ταυτότητι τῇ ἑαυτοῦ. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐροῦσι μετατετράφθαι ποι καὶ τὸν τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως παρελάσαι θεσμὸν, δυσφημοῦντες ἁλώσονται: τρεπτὴν γὰρ εἶναι πάντως ἐροῦσι τὴν ἄτρεπτον καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχουσαν ἀεὶ φύσιν: εἰ δὲ παρετράπη οὐδαμῶς, διαμεμένηκε δὲ τοῦθ' ὅπερ ἦν ἀεὶ προελθὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐμφύσημα αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἐξέστη πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ τοσαύτης παθὼν διαφορᾶς γέγονε δεκτικόν; οὐ γὰρ δήπου φαῖεν ἂν, ὡς ἔνεστιν ὅλως τῇ θείᾳ φύσει τὸ δύνασθαι πλημμελεῖν. ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ μακραῖς ἀποδείξεσιν ἐπὶ τούτῳ χρώμενοι τὸν τοῖς προκειμένοις χρεωστούμενον παρελάσωμεν λόγον, φημὶ δεῖν ἐκεῖνο πάλιν ἀναλαβόντας εἰπεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἂν οἶμαί τις εὖ φρονῶν τὸ ἐκ τῆς θείας οὐσίας προελθὸν ἐμφύσημα, ψυχὴν οἴοιτο γενέσθαι τῷ ζῴῳ, ψυχωθέντι δὲ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸς ἰδιότητα τῆς τελείας φύσεως δι' ἀμφοῖν ἀφιγμένῳ, ψυχῆς δὴ λέγω καὶ σώματος, καθάπερ τινὰ σφραγῖδα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φύσεως ἐνέπηξεν ὁ Δημιουργὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τουτέστι, τὴν πνοὴν τῆς ζωῆς, δι' ἧς πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον διεπλάττετο κάλλος, ἀπετελεῖτο δὲ κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος, πρὸς πᾶσαν ἰδέαν ἀρετῆς δυνάμει τοῦ ἐνοικισθέντος αὐτῷ διακρατούμενος Πνεύματος. ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτοπροαίρετος ὢν, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἰδίων θελημάτων πεπιστευμένος ἡνίας: μοῖρα γὰρ τῆς εἰκόνος καὶ αὐτὴ, κατεξουσιάζει γὰρ τῶν οἰκείων θελημάτων Θεός: ἐτράπη, καὶ πέπτωκε: τὸ δὲ ὅπως, ἡ θεία γραφὴ διδασκέτω, σαφὴς γὰρ ὁ περὶ τούτου παρ' αὐτῇ λόγος: ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι πάλιν τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐβουλεύσατό τε καὶ ἐπικεχείρηκεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ἐν Χριστῷ, καὶ θελήσας ἐξήνυσε. πῶς οὖν ἄρα γέγονεν, ἀκόλουθον κατιδεῖν: οὐκ ἦν ἑτέρως διαδρᾶναι τὸν θάνατον φύσεως ὄντα τῆς φθειρομένης τὸν ἄνθρωπον, εἰ μὴ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐκείνην ἀνεκομίσατο χάριν, καὶ μετέσχε πάλιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα πρὸς τὸ εἶναι συνέχοντος Θεοῦ καὶ ζωογονοῦντος δι' Υἱοῦ ἐν Πνεύματι. κεκοινώνηκε τοίνυν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς, τουτέστι, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ζωὴ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων, καὶ ἐκ ζωῆς τῆς κατὰ φύσιν γεγεννημένος, τουτέστι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ὁ Μονογενὴς αὐτοῦ Λόγος, ἵνα τῇ φθειρομένῃ σαρκὶ κατά γε τὸν λόγον τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως, ἀῤῥήτως τε καὶ ἀφράστως καὶ ὡς αὐτὸς ἔγνωκε μόνος, ἑαυτὸν ἑνώσας πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτοῦ ἀνακομίσῃ ζωὴν, καὶ μέτοχον ἀποδείξῃ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. μεσίτης γάρ ἐστι Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, τῷ μὲν Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ φυσικῶς ὡς Θεὸς καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ συναπτόμενος, ἀνθρώποις δὲ πάλιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἔχων μὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ ὢν αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρί: χαρακτὴρ γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἀπαύγασμα τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, οὐ διωρισμένος τῆς οὐσίας, ἧς ἐστι χαρακτὴρ καὶ ἐξ ἧς πρόεισιν, ὡς ἀπαύγασμα, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῇ τε ὢν αὐτὸς, καὶ ἔχων αὐτὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ: ἡμᾶς δὲ πάλιν ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ, καθὸ τὴν ἡμετέραν πεφόρηκε φύσιν, καὶ σῶμα τοῦ Λόγου κεχρημάτικε τὸ ἡμέτερον σῶμα. σὰρξ γὰρ ὁ Λόγος ἐγένετο, κατὰ τὴν Ἰωάννου φωνήν. πεφόρηκε δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν, πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτὴν ἀναπλάττων ζωήν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν: μέτοχοι γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντες γεγόναμεν, καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχομεν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος: διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ θείας φύσεως γεγόναμεν κοινωνοὶ καὶ υἱοὶ χρηματίζομεν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Πατέρα διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. καὶ μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ Παῦλος ” Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοὶ, ἐξαπέ“στειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρ” δίας ὑμῶν κράζον Ἀββᾶ ὁ πατήρ.“ οὐ γὰρ ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τὸν Υἱὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, κατά γε τὸν ἐν ταυτότητι λόγον, φημὶ δὴ τῇ φυσικῇ. Οὕτω δὲ ἡμῖν τοῦ περὶ τούτων προκεχωρηκότος λόγου, φέρε τὴν τῶν προκειμένων παραθέντες διάνοιαν, ταῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωναῖς αὐτὴν ἐφαρμόσωμεν Ἐν ἐκείνῃ γὰρ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθέ φησιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ζῶ, φησὶ, ζωὴ γάρ εἰμι κατὰ φύσιν, καὶ ζῶντα τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ δέδειχα ναόν: ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ καίτοι φθαρτῆς ὄντες φύσεως, ζῶντας ἑαυτοὺς θεωρήσητε καθ' ὁμοιότητα τὴν πρὸς μέ: τότε δὴ γνώσεσθε, καὶ μάλα σαφῶς, ὅτι ζωὴ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων, ὑπάρχοντι καὶ αὐτῷ ζωῇ κατὰ φύσιν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ συνῆψα δι' ἐμαυτοῦ, κοινωνοὺς ὥσπερ καὶ μετόχους ἀποτελῶν τῆς ἀφθαρσίας αὐτοῦ. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ φυσικῶς ἐν Πατρὶ, καρπὸς γάρ εἰμι τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ καὶ γνήσιον γέννημα, ἐνυπάρχων τε καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς πεφηνὼς ζωὴ ἐκ ζωῆς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν, καθὸ πέφηνα μὲν ἄνθρωπος ἐγὼ, κοινωνοὺς δὲ θείας φύσεως ἀπέδειξα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμὸν ἐνοικίσας ὑμῖν. ἐν ἡμῖν γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, μετατρέπων εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν τὸ φθείρεσθαι πεφυκὸς, καὶ μετατιθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ καταθνήσκειν πρὸς τὸ μὴ οὕτως ἔχον. διὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, ὅτι ” ὁ ἐγείρας Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ζωοποι“ήσει καὶ τὰ θνητὰ σώματα ὑμῶν, διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος ” αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν ὑμῖν.“ εἰ γὰρ καὶ πρόεισιν ἐκ Πατρὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, ἀλλ' ἔρχεται δι' Υἱοῦ, καὶ ἴδιόν ἐστιν αὐτοῦ: πάντα γὰρ δι' Υἱοῦ παρὰ Πατρός. ὅτι γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰς ζωὴν ἀνεπλάσθημεν τὴν αἰώνιον, ὁ θεῖος ἡμῖν μελῳδὸς ἐπιμαρτυρήσει, βοῶν ὡς πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν ” Ἀνοίξαντος δέ σου τὴν χεῖρα τὰ σύμπαντα πλησθήσεται “χρηστότητος: ἀποστρέψαντος δέ σου τὸ πρόσωπον ταρα” χθήσονται: ἀντανελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκλείψουσι, “καὶ εἰς τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέψουσιν. ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ ” Πνεῦμά σου καὶ κτισθήσονται, καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον “τῆς γῆς.” ἀκούεις ὅπως συνέταξεν ἡμῖν τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν ἡ παράβασις ἡ ἐν Ἀδὰμ καὶ οἱονεὶ τῶν θείων ἐνταλμάτων ἡ ἀποστροφὴ, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν γῆν ὑπονοστῆσαι παρεσκεύασεν; ὅτε δὲ ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετόχους ἡμᾶς ἀπέδειξε τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἀνεκαινίσθη τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, μετεμορφώθημεν εἰς καινότητα ζωῆς, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀποβαλόντες φθορὰν, καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς εἰσαῦθις ἐπιδραξάμενοι, διὰ τῆς χάριτος καὶ φιλανθρωπίας τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, Ἀμήν.
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