72

and saying: Let us make man in our image and after our likeness. For to whom does He say, "Let us make," if not to the Word and only-begotten Son, through whom all things were made, according to the evangelist, and to the Spirit, concerning whom it is written, "The divine Spirit that made me"? And even if He does not say explicitly of whom or to whom He is speaking, nevertheless it is clear that He is not speaking of Himself alone, when He says: Behold, Adam has become as one of us; and again: Come, let us go down and confuse their tongues, so that you may understand those who are numbered together. 29.757 For neither will anyone dare to rank angels in equal honor with the Creator and Lord, nor again is it possible to conceive of God as one person, when it is said: As one of us; and, Come, let us go down and confuse. And clear also is what is said concerning the destruction of Sodom: both, The Lord rained sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and what is said similarly to these in the prophets from the person of God: I overthrew them, He says, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. And in another way, showing love for humanity, God says: I will save them in the Lord their God; which is not unlike the apostolic saying that states: May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And what of Zerubbabel and the wisdom of Zerubbabel? Does it seem to you to moderately and not clearly represent the substance and life of the truth, when he says: All the earth calls upon the truth, and heaven blesses it, and all works are shaken and tremble? And who is the truth, if not the Word and Son of God, through whom are all things? For "I am," He says, "the way, and the truth, and the life." But there is no truth, unless it is that which is naturally and eternally begotten from the true one out of Himself. Therefore he adds, saying: Blessed is the God of the truth, who is the Father of the truth, Christ. Christ is the truth, whom every breath worships and trembles before. Therefore, that the Word is living, and a perfect person, and the Spirit likewise, what has now been said is sufficient to teach. But there are many other human figures used for God, and not for this reason do we suppose God to be a man, as for instance if we should hear of a face, and eyes and ears and hands and feet. Nor does he wish to speak corporeally about God sitting in heaven as on a throne, and the earth being trodden as a footstool for his feet, but as being subject to the divine authority. So again, if you should hear of a womb in God, do not be alarmed as thinking of something corporeal; but conceiving something spiritual, you will say something better, the very generative power of God being clearly revealed to you from Himself. So again, hearing of God's hands, know clearly His creative power; and of His ear, His power of hearing; and of His eyes, His power of seeing; of wings, His protective power. And 29.760 all the other things likewise, each preserves its own most correct meaning concerning God, especially for those who rightly believe. Therefore names are a usage for men for the knowledge and distinction of substances, or also of things and of the concepts concerning substances. Therefore let not a womb in God seem strange to you; since neither does a hand, or the other things mentioned before. Therefore neither should generation in God seem strange to you, or to any of those who hear. But if anyone fears passion in God when He begets, it is also possible for one creating to fear movement, and toil, and the taking on of matter, and the need of instruments. For these things happen in the case of men who create. But if these things are not present in God, neither is there passion in His begetting. For it is impossible for the impassible nature to fall into passion. Why then does anyone fear a fear, where there is no fear? God, in begetting from Himself by nature, does not suffer; may it not be so; nor, in creating something from what is not, or the universe, does He grow weary; may it not be so, nor be said. But if you flee the one, you also flee the whole; if the whole likewise, then also the one; if the one is in a human manner, so is the whole; but if the whole is not in a human manner, neither is the one. For if God by His will makes things from non-being, the whole universe, without wearying, this is not incredible among us. But it would be more credible to all, that from Himself by a divine nature and in a manner befitting God He has impassibly begotten God the true Son, of equal honor, of equal glory, enthroned with Him, His counselor and co-worker, consubstantial with the

72

καὶ φάσκοντα· Ποιήσω μεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν. Τίνι γὰρ λέγει τὸ, Ποιήσωμεν, ἢ τῷ Λόγῳ καὶ μονογενεῖ Υἱῷ, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, κατὰ τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν, καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι, περὶ οὗ γέγρα πται, Πνεῦμα θεῖον τὸ ποιῆσάν με; Εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ ῥητῶς λέγει περὶ τίνων, ἢ πρὸς τίνας διαλέγεται, ὅμως ὅτι μὴ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ μόνου λέγει δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτε φησίν· Ἰδοὺ Ἀδὰμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν· καὶ πάλιν· ∆εῦτε, καταβάντες συγχέωμεν αὐτῶν τὰς γλώττας, ἵνα καὶ συναριθμουμένους νοήσῃς. Οὔτε 29.757 γὰρ εἰς ἰσοτιμίαν ἀγγέλους συντάξαι τολμήσει τις τῷ δημιουργῷ καὶ ∆εσπότῃ, οὔτε Θεῷ πάλιν ἓν πρόσωπον οἷόν τε νοεῖν, τῷ λέγεσθαι· Ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν· καὶ, ∆εῦτε, καταβάντες συγχέωμεν. Ἐναρ γὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ περὶ τῆς καταστροφῆς Σοδόμων λεγό μενον· τό τε, Ἔβρεξε Κύριος θεῖον καὶ πῦρ παρὰ Κυρίου ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· καὶ τὸ ἐν τοῖς προ φήταις παραπλησίως τούτοις εἰρημένον ἐκ προσ ώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ· Κατέστρεψα αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, ὡς κατ έστρεψεν ὁ Θεὸς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμοῤῥα. Καὶ ἑτέ ρως φιλανθρωπευόμενος λέγει ὁ Θεός· Σώσω αὐτοὺς ἐν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ αὐτῶν· ὅπερ οὐκ ἀπέοικε τῆς ἀποστολικῆς λέξεως τῆς λεγούσης· ∆ώῃ αὐτῷ ὁ Κύ ριος εὑρεῖν ἔλεος παρὰ Κυρίου ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. Τί δὲ ὁ Ζοροβάβελ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Ζοροβάβελ σο φία; Ἆρά σοι μετρίως καὶ οὐ σαφῶς παριστάναι δοκεῖ τὴν ὑπόστασιν καὶ ζωὴν τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅτε φησί· Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τὴν ἀλήθειαν καλεῖ, καὶ ὁ οὐρα νὸς αὐτὴν εὐλογεῖ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα σείεται καὶ τρέμει; Τίς δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἢ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ Υἱὸς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα; Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶν, ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ ἡ ζωή. Ἀλήθεια δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν, εἰ μὴ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φυσικῶς καὶ ἀϊδίως ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθεῖσα. ∆ιὸ ἐπιφέρει λέγων· Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅς ἐστι Πατὴρ τῆς ἀληθείας Χριστοῦ. Χριστὸς ἡ ἀλήθεια, ὃν πᾶσα πνοὴ σέβεται καὶ τρέμει. Ὥστε ὅτι μὲν ζῶν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ πρόσ ωπον τέλειον, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ὡσαύτως, ἱκανὰ καὶ τὰ νῦν εἰρημένα διδάξαι· τύποι δὲ ἀνθρώπινοι παρὰ Θεῷ πολλοὶ καὶ ἄλλοι, καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν Θεὸν ἄν θρωπον ὑπολαμβάνομεν, οἷον εἰ πρόσωπον ἀκούοιμεν, ὀφθαλμούς τε καὶ ὦτα καὶ χεῖρας καὶ πόδας. Οὐδὲ τὸ καθέζεσθαι ἐν οὐρανῷ καθάπερ ἐν θρόνῳ, καὶ τὴν γῆν ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ πατουμένην σωματικῶς θέλει λέγειν περὶ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὡς ὑποκει μένην τῇ θεϊκῇ ἐξουσίᾳ. Οὕτω δὲ πάλιν, ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς γαστέρα ἐπὶ Θεοῦ, μὴ πτυρῇς ὡς σωματικόν τι ἐν θυμούμενος· ἀλλὰ πνευματικόν τι ἐννοούμενος, λέξεις τι κρεῖττον, αὐτὸ τὸ γεννητικὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐμφα νῶς σοι ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαλυπτόμενον. Οὕτω πάλιν, χεῖρας ἀκούων Θεοῦ, τὸ ποιητικὸν αὐτοῦ γνώριζε σαφῶς· οὖς δὲ, τὸ ἀκουστικὸν αὐτοῦ· ὀφθαλμοὺς δὲ, τὸ διορατικόν· πτέρυγας, τὸ σκεπαστικόν. Καὶ 29.760 τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὡσαύτως, ἕκαστον ἰδίαν σώζει ἔννοιαν ὀρθοτάτην περὶ Θεοῦ, μάλιστα τοῖς ὀρθῶς πιστεύουσι. Τὰ οὖν ὀνόματα χρῆσίς ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις πρὸς γνῶσιν καὶ διάκρισιν οὐσιῶν, ἢ καὶ πραγμάτων καὶ τῶν περὶ τὰς οὐσίας ἐπινοηθέντων. Μὴ οὖν σε ξενιζέτω γαστὴρ ἐπὶ Θεοῦ· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ χεὶρ, ἢ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ προειρημένα. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ γέννησις ἐπὶ Θεοῦ ξενίσειέ σε, ἤ τινα τῶν ἀκουόντων. Εἰ δὲ πάθος ἐν Θεῷ γεννῶντι φοβεῖταί τις, ἔστι καὶ κτίζοντος φοβηθῆναι κίνησιν, καὶ κάματον, καὶ πρόσληψιν ὕλης, καὶ χρείαν ὀργάνων. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων δημιουργούντων. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὐ πρόσεστι Θεῷ, οὐδὲ πάθος ἐν τῷ γεννᾷν. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὴν ἀπαθῆ φύσιν πάθει περιπεσεῖν. Τί οὖν φο βεῖταί τις φόβον, οὗ οὐκ ἔστι φόβος; Θεὸς οὐδὲ γεννῶν ἐξ αὑτοῦ φύσει πάσχει· μὴ γένοιτο· οὔτε κτίζων ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος τι, ἢ τὸ πᾶν, κάμνει· μὴ γένοιτο, μηδὲ ῥηθείη. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἓν φεύγεις, καὶ τὸ πᾶν· εἰ τὸ πᾶν ὁμοίως, καὶ τὸ ἕν· εἰ τὸ ἐν ἀνθρωπίνως, καὶ τὸ πᾶν· εἰ δὲ τὸ πᾶν οὐκ ἀνθρω πίνως, οὐδὲ τὸ ἕν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ποιεῖ βουλήσει Θεὸς, τὸ πᾶν ἀκαμάτως· καὶ οὐκ ἄπιστον τοῦτο παρ' ἡμῖν. Πιστότερον δ' ἂν πᾶσι, τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ φύσει θείᾳ καὶ θεοπρεπῶς γεγεννηκέναι ἀπα θῶς τὸν Θεὸν Υἱὸν γνήσιον, ὁμότιμον, ὁμόδοξον, σύνθρονον, σύμβουλον καὶ συνεργὸν, ὁμοούσιον τῷ