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suppositions, he says that he is lesser with a bare utterance, but in the conception of the knowledge of divine things he secretly constructs what is greater in him, if indeed, having grasped the substance of the Father as more ready for comprehension, through that he attempts to trace out and deduce the nature of the Son. 1.1.461 He goes up, therefore, to the substance that begot and through that he examines the one that was begotten; 20because by the natural20, he says, 20dignity of the one who begot, the mode of begetting is shown20. Again, this being cast forth simply and indefinitely causes the understanding of the inquirer to be diffused over everything in a similar way. For such are the things universally dogmatized, so that they are applied by supposition to all things and nothing is exempted from the comprehensive assertion. 1.1.462 If therefore the mode of begetting is in every way known by the natural dignity of the one who begets, and the differences among those who give birth according to their dignities are many and are apprehended according to many conceptions (for a Jew, a Greek, a barbarian, a Scythian, a slave, a free man is begotten), what is constructed from these things? That as many as are the differences of those who beget according to their natural dignities, so many modes of begetting will likely be found; so that generation is not fulfilled for all in the same mode, but that natures are changed along with the dignities of those who beget and that for each of those who are born, according to the difference of their stations, some particular mode of begetting 1.1.463 must be innovated. For to all there are some connate dignities that are in every way observed in each individual, but differing from one another for the better or the worse, as it may befall each one: race, rank, religion, fatherland, power, servitude, wealth, poverty, free will, subjection, all things that produce differences in dignities according to life. If therefore 20by the natural dignity of the one who begets20, as Eunomius says, 20the mode of begetting is shown20, 1.1.464 and the differences according to dignities are many, many too will be the modes of begetting found, according to the dogmatist, and one will be brought forth in one way, another in another, the difference according to dignities legislating for nature the birth. 1.1.465 But if he should not accept that such dignities are natural, as being observed outside of nature, neither do we object. To that, however, he will in every way agree, that by some natural dignity the human life is separated from the irrational life. But the mode of birth has no variation in the difference according to natural dignity, nature producing in a similar mode both the rational and the irrational into 1.1.466 life through generation. But if he apprehends the connate dignity only upon that substance which, as he himself names it, is 20most sovereign and supreme20, let us see with what understanding he says this. For as our account has it, a connate dignity for God is deity itself, wisdom, power, to be good, a just judge, strong, long-suffering, true, creator, ruler, invisible, unending and if there is anything else of the things said for doxology by the God-inspired scripture, all of which we say are also properly and connately observed in the only-begotten Son, knowing the difference only in the concept of being unbegun, and this we do not cut off from the only-begotten according to 1.1.467 every supposition. Let no one tear apart the argument through slander, as if we are attempting to prove that the true Son is unbegotten; for we determine that those who say such things are no less impious than those who dogmatize the unlikeness. But since the word for "beginning" has many meanings and is applied to many things by supposition, there are cases in which we say that even for the only-begotten Son we do not refuse 1.1.468 the title of "without beginning." For when "without beginning" is understood from the term to mean not having hypostasis from some cause, we confess this to be proper to the Father alone, who is unbegottenly; but when the examination is according to the other things signified by "beginning," since a beginning of creation and of time and of order is also conceived, in these things also we bear witness for the only-begotten that he is higher than a beginning, as being above every beginning of creation and concept of time and

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ὑπο λήψεις, ἐλάττονα εἶναι λέγει γυμνῇ τῇ φωνῇ, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ τῆς γνώσεως τῶν θείων λανθάνει τὸ μεῖζον ἐπ' αὐτοῦ κατασκευάζων, εἴπερ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίαν ὡς ἑτοιμοτέραν εἰς κατανόησιν καταλαβὼν δι' ἐκείνης ἀνι χνεύειν πειρᾶται καὶ συλλογίζεσθαι τοῦ υἱοῦ τὴν φύσιν. 1.1.461 ἄνεισι γοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν γεννήσασαν οὐσίαν καὶ δι' ἐκείνης τὴν γεννηθεῖσαν ἐπισκοπεῖ· 20διὰ τὸ τῇ φυσικῇ20, φησί, 20τοῦ γεννήσαντος ἀξίᾳ δείκνυσθαι τὸν τῆς γεν νήσεως τρόπον20. πάλιν τοῦτο ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀδιορίστως παραρριφὲν ἐπὶ πάντα παραπλησίως διαχεῖσθαι παρασκευ άζει τοῦ ζητοῦντος τὴν ἔννοιαν. τοιαῦτα γάρ ἐστι καθο λικῶς τὰ δογματιζόμενα, ὡς ἐπὶ πάντα φέρεσθαι ταῖς ὑπο νοίαις καὶ μηδὲν ὑπεξαιρεῖσθαι τῆς περιληπτικῆς ἀποφά 1.1.462 σεως. εἰ οὖν πάντως ὁ τῆς γεννήσεως τρόπος τῇ φυσικῇ τοῦ γεννῶντος ἀξίᾳ γνωρίζεται, πολλαὶ δὲ τῶν τικτόντων αἱ κατὰ τὰς ἀξίας διαφοραὶ καὶ κατὰ πολλὰς ἐπινοίας καταλαμβάνονται (γεννᾶται γὰρ Ἰουδαῖος Ἕλλην βάρβαρος Σκύθης δοῦλος ἐλεύθερος), τί ἐκ τούτων κατασκευάζεται; ὅτι ὅσαι εἰσὶ τῶν γεννώντων κατὰ τὰς φυσικὰς ἀξίας δια φοραί, τοσοῦτοι καὶ τρόποι γεννήσεως κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς εὑρε θήσονται· ὡς μὴ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον πληροῦσθαι πᾶσι τὴν γέννησιν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς τῶν γεννώντων ἀξίαις τὰς φύσεις συμμεταβάλλεσθαι καὶ δεῖν ἑκάστῳ τῶν τικτομένων κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἀξιωμάτων διαφορὰν ἰδιάζοντά τινα γεννήσεως 1.1.463 τρόπον καινοτομεῖσθαι. πᾶσι γὰρ συμφυεῖς ἀξίαι τινές εἰσι πάντως ἐπιθεωρούμεναι τοῖς καθ' ἕκαστον, διαφέρουσαι δὲ ἀλλήλων πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἢ καταδεέστερον, ὅπως ἂν ἑκά στῳ συμπέσῃ γένος ἀξίωμα θρησκεία πατρὶς δυναστεία δουλεία πλοῦτος πενία τὸ αὐτεξούσιον τὸ ὑποχείριον, πάντα ὅσα τὰς κατὰ τὸν βίον διαφορὰς ἐν ταῖς ἀξίαις ἐργάζεται. εἰ οὖν 20τῇ φυσικῇ τοῦ γεννῶντος ἀξίᾳ20, καθώς φησιν ὁ Εὐνόμιος, 20ὁ τῆς γεννήσεως δείκνυται τρόπος20, 1.1.464 πολλαὶ δὲ αἱ κατὰ τὰς ἀξίας διαφοραί, πολλοὶ πάντως καὶ οἱ τῆς γεννήσεως τρόποι κατὰ τὸν δογματιστὴν εὑρεθήσονται καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλως ἀποτεχθήσονται, τῆς κατὰ τὰς ἀξίας διαφορᾶς νομοθετούσης τῇ φύσει τὸν τόκον. 1.1.465 Εἰ δὲ μὴ δέχοιτο φυσικὰς εἶναι τὰς τοιαύτας ἀξίας ὡς ἔξω τῆς φύσεως θεωρουμένας, οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀντιλέγομεν. ἐκείνῳ μέντοι πάντως συνθήσεται, ὅτι φυσικῇ τινι πάντως ἀξίᾳ τῆς ἀλόγου ζωῆς ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη κεχώρισται. ἀλλ' ὁ τοῦ τόκου τρόπος οὐδεμίαν ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὴν φυσικὴν ἀξίαν διαφορᾷ τὴν παραλλαγὴν ἔχει, ὁμοιοτρόπως τῆς φύσεως τά τε λογικὰ καὶ τὰ ἄλογα διὰ τῆς γεννήσεως εἰς τὴν 1.1.466 ζωὴν παραγούσης. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ μόνης ἐκείνης τῆς οὐσίας τῆς, ὡς αὐτὸς ὀνομάζει, 20κυριωτάτης καὶ ἀνωτάτης20 τὸ συμφυὲς ἀξίωμα καταλαμβάνει, ἴδωμεν ὅ τι καὶ νοῶν τοῦτο λέγει. ὡς μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος, συμφυές ἐστιν ἀξίωμα τῷ θεῷ αὐτὴ ἡ θεότης ἡ σοφία ἡ δύναμις τὸ ἀγαθὸν εἶναι κριτὴν δίκαιον ἰσχυρὸν μακρόθυμον ἀληθινὸν κτίστην ἐξουσιαστὴν ἀόρατον ἀτελεύτητον καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τῶν εἰς δοξολογίαν παρὰ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς εἰρη μένων ἐστίν, ἅπερ πάντα καὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ υἱῷ κυρίως καὶ συμφυῶς ἐνθεωρεῖσθαί φαμεν, ἐν μόνῃ τῇ κατὰ τὸ ἄναρ χον ἐννοίᾳ τὴν διαφορὰν ἐπιστάμενοι, καὶ ταύτην οὐ κατὰ 1.1.467 πᾶσαν ὑπόνοιαν τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀποτέμνομεν. μηδεὶς δια σπαρασσέτω διὰ συκοφαντίας τὸν λόγον, ὡς ἀγέννητον ἡμῶν ἀποδεικνύειν ἐπιχειρούντων τὸν ἀληθῶς υἱόν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔλαττον ἀσεβεῖν τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγοντας τῶν τὸ ἀνό μοιον δογματιζόντων διοριζόμεθα. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολύσημος ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς λόγος καὶ εἰς πολλὰ ταῖς ὑπονοίαις φερό μενος, ἔστιν ἐν οἷς φαμεν καὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ υἱῷ μὴ ἀπεμ 1.1.468 φαίνειν τὴν τοῦ ἀνάρχου προσηγορίαν. ὅταν μὲν γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἐξ αἰτίου τινὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔχειν ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ ἀνάρχου νοῆται, τοῦτο μόνου τοῦ πατρὸς ἴδιον ὁμολογοῦ μεν τοῦ ἀγεννήτως ὄντος· ὅταν δὲ κατὰ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς σημαινομένων ἡ ἐξέτασις ᾖ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ κτίσεώς τις ἐπινοεῖται ἀρχὴ καὶ χρόνου καὶ τάξεως, κἂν τούτοις καὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ προσμαρτυροῦμεν τὸ ὑψηλότερον ἀρχῆς εἶναι, ὡς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν καὶ κτίσεως ἀρχὴν καὶ χρόνου ἔν νοιαν καὶ