§7. He then clearly and skilfully criticises the doctrine of the impossibility of comparison with the things made after the Son, and exposes the idolatry contrived by Eunomius, and concealed by the terminology of “Son” and “Only-begotten,” to deceive his readers.

In the remainder of the passage, however, he becomes conciliatory, and says that the essence “is not compared with any of the things that were made by it and after it604    Oehler’s proposal to read “vel invitis libris quod sententia flagitat τῶν δἰ ἀυτοῦ καὶ μετ᾽ αῦτὸν” does not seem necessary. αὐτῆς and αὐτὴν refer to οὐσία, the quotation being made (not verbally) from Eunomius, not from Theognostus, and following apparently the phrase about “preserving the relation,” etc. If the clause were a continuation of the quotation from Theognostus, we should have to follow Oehler’s proposal..” Such are the gifts which the enemies of the truth offer to the Lord605    Reading, according to Cotelerius’ suggestion, (mentioned with approval by Oehler, though not followed by him,) δωροφοροῦσιν for δορυφοροῦσιν, by which their blasphemy is made more manifest. Tell me what else is there of all things in creation that admits of comparison with a different thing, seeing that the characteristic nature that appears in each absolutely rejects community with things of a different kind606    That is to say, because there is no “common measure” of the distinct natures.? The heaven admits no comparison with the earth, nor this with the stars, nor the stars with the seas, nor water with stone, nor animals with trees, nor land animals with winged creatures, nor four-footed beasts with those that swim, nor irrational with rational creatures. Indeed, why should one take up time with individual instances, in showing that we may say of every single thing that we behold in the creation, precisely what was thrown to the Only-begotten, as if it were something special—that He admits of comparison with none of the things that have been produced after Him and by Him? For it is clear that everything which you conceive by itself is incapable of comparison with the universe, and with the individual things which compose it; and it is this, which may be truly said of any creature you please, which is allotted by the enemies of the truth, as adequate and sufficient for His honour and glory, to the Only-begotten God! And once more, putting together phrases of the same sort in the remainder of the passage, he dignifies Him with his empty honours, calling Him “Lord” and “Only-begotten”: but that no orthodox meaning may be conveyed to his readers by these names, he promptly mixes up blasphemy with the more notable of them. His phrase runs thus:—“Inasmuch,” he says, “as the generated essence leaves no room for community to anything else (for it is only-begotten607    Altering Oehler’s punctuation; it is the fact that the essence is μονογενὴς which excludes all other things from community with it.), nor is the operation of the Maker contemplated as common.” O marvellous insolence! as though he were addressing his harangue to brutes, or senseless beings “which have no understanding608    Ps. xxxii. 9.,” he twists his argument about in contrary ways, as he pleases; or rather he suffers as men do who are deprived of sight; for they too behave often in unseemly ways before the eyes of those who see, supposing, because they themselves cannot see, that they are also unseen. For what sort of man is it who does not see the contradiction in his words? Because it is “generated,” he says, the essence leaves other things no room for community, for it is only-begotten; and then when he has uttered these words, really as though he did not see or did not suppose himself to be seen, he tacks on, as if corresponding to what he has said, things that have nothing in common with them, coupling “the operation of the maker” with the essence of the Only-begotten. That which is generated is correlative to the generator, and the Only-begotten, surely, by consequence, to the Father; and he who looks to the truth beholds, in co-ordination with the Son, not “the operation of the maker,” but the nature of Him that begat Him. But he, as if he were talking about plants or seeds, or some other thing in the order of creation, sets “the operation of the maker” by the side of the existence609    ὑποστάσε. of the Only-begotten. Why, if a stone or a stick, or something of that sort, were the subject of consideration, it would be logical to pre-suppose “the operation of the maker”; but if the Only-begotten God is confessed, even by His adversaries, to be a Son, and to exist by way of generation, how do the same words befit Him that befit the lowest portions of the creation? how do they think it pious to say concerning the Lord the very thing which may be truly said of an ant or a gnat? For if any one understood the nature of an ant, and its peculiar ties in reference to other living things, he would not be beyond the truth in saying that “the operation of its maker is not contemplated as common” with reference to the other things. What, therefore, is affirmed of such things as these, this they predicate also of the Only-begotten, and as hunters are said to intercept the passage of their game with holes, and to conceal their design by covering over the mouths of the holes with some unsound and unsubstantial material, in order that the pit may seem level with the ground about it, so heresy contrives against men something of the same sort, covering over the hole of their impiety with these fine-sounding and pious names, as it were with a level thatch, so that those who are rather unintelligent, thinking that these men’s preaching is the same with the true faith, because of the agreement of their words, hasten towards the mere name of the Son and the Only-begotten, and step into emptiness in the hole, since the significance of these titles will not sustain the weight of their tread, but lets them down into the pitfall of the denial of Christ. This is why he speaks of the generated essence that leaves nothing room for community, and calls it “Only-begotten.” These are the coverings of the hole. But when any one stops before he is caught in the gulf, and puts forth the test of argument, like a hand, upon his discourse, he sees the dangerous downfall of idolatry lying beneath the doctrine. For when he draws near, as though to God and the Son of God, he finds a creature of God set forth for his worship. This is why they proclaim high and low the name of the Only-begotten, that the destruction may be readily accepted by the victims of their deceit, as though one were to mix up poison in bread, and give a deadly greeting to those who asked for food, who would not have been willing to take the poison by itself, had they not been enticed to what they saw. Thus he has a sharp eye to the object of his efforts, at least so far as his own opinion goes. For if he had entirely rejected from his teaching the name of the Son, his falsehood would not have been acceptable to men, when his denial was openly stated in a definite proclamation; but now leaving only the name, and changing the signification of it to express creation, he at once sets up his idolatry, and fraudulently hides its reproach. But since we are bidden not to honour God with our lips610    Cf. Is. xxix. 13, and piety is not tested by the sound of a word, but the Son must first be the object of belief in the heart unto righteousness, and then be confessed with the mouth unto salvation611    Cf. Rom. x. 10, and those who say in their hearts that He is not God, even though with their mouths they confess Him as Lord, are corrupt and became abominable612    Cf. Ps. xiii. 2, as the prophet says,—for this cause, I say, we must look to the mind of those who put forward, forsooth, the words of the faith, and not be enticed to follow their sound. If, then, one who speaks of the Son does not by that word refer to a creature, he is on our side and not on the enemy’s; but if any one applies the name of Son to the creation, he is to be ranked among idolaters. For they too gave the name of God to Dagon and Bel and the Dragon, but they did not on that account worship God. For the wood and the brass and the monster were not God.

Ἀλλὰ φιλανθρωπεύεται τοῖς ὑπολοίποις καί φησιν « οὐδενὶ τῶν δι' αὐτῆς καὶ μετ' αὐτὴν γενομένων συγκρίνεσθαι ». τοιαῦτα δωροφοροῦσιν οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὶ τῷ κυρίῳ, δι' ὧν περιφανέστερον ἡ βλασφημία κατασκευάζεται. τί γάρ, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν ὑπολοίπων, ὅσα κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν ἐστί, τὴν πρὸς ἑκάτερον σύγκρισιν ἔχει, καθόλου τῆς ἐν ἑκάστῳ φαινομένης ἰδιότητος οὐ προσιεμένης τὴν πρὸς τὰ ἑτερογενῆ κοινωνίαν; οὐκ οὐρανῷ πρὸς γῆν ἐστιν ἡ σύγκρισις, οὐ ταύτῃ πρὸς τοὺς ἀστέρας, οὐ πρὸς τὰ πελάγη τοῖς ἄστροις, οὐ πρὸς τὸν λίθον τῷ ὕδατι, οὐ πρὸς τὰ δένδρα τοῖς ζῴοις, οὐ πρὸς τὰ πτηνὰ τοῖς χερσαίοις, οὐ πρὸς τὰ νηκτὰ τοῖς τετράποσιν, οὐ πρὸς τὰ λογικὰ τοῖς ἀλόγοις. καὶ τί ἄν τις περὶ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον λέγων διατρίβοι, δεικνὺς ὅτι ταὐτὸν ἔστιν ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει θεωρουμένων εἰπεῖν, ὅπερ ὡς ἐξαίρετον τῷ μονογενεῖ προσερρίφη, τὸ πρὸς μηδὲν τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένων τὴν σύγκρισιν ἔχειν; φανερὸν γάρ ἐστιν ὅτι πᾶν, ὅπερ ἂν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ νοήσῃς, ἀσύγκριτόν ἐστι τῷ παντί τε καὶ τοῖς καθ' ἕκαστον: καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ τυχόντος κτίσματος ἀληθῶς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὡς ἱκανόν ἐστι, τοῦτο καὶ αὔταρκες εἰς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν τῷ μονογενεῖ θεῷ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποκληροῦται. καὶ τοιαῦτα κατασκευάσας πάλιν ἐν τοῖς ὑπολοίποις ταῖς διακένοις αὐτὸν ἀποσεμνύνει τιμαῖς, κύριον καὶ μονογενῆ προσειπών: ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν μή τις εὐσεβὴς διάνοια διὰ τῶν ὀνομάτων τούτων τοῖς ἀκηκοόσιν ἐγγένοιτο, εὐθὺς καταμίγνυσι τοῖς εὐσημοτέροις τὰ βλάσφημα. ἔχει δὲ οὕτως ἡ λέξις. « ἅτε δή », φησί, « μήτε τῆς γεννηθείσης οὐσίας ἑτέρῳ τινὶ χώραν εἰς κοινωνίαν καταλιπούσης: μονογενὴς γάρ: μήτε τῆς τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἐνεργείας κοινῆς θεωρουμένης ». ὢ τῆς ὕβρεως: ὡς ἐν ἀλόγοις ἢ ἀνοήτοις δημηγορῶν, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σύνεσις, κατ' ἐξουσίαν διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων περιάγει τὸν λόγον, μᾶλλον δὲ ταὐτὸν πάσχει τοῖς ἐστερημένοις τῶν ὄψεων, ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνοι πολλάκις ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν βλεπόντων ἀσχημονοῦσι, διὰ τὸ μὴ βλέπειν αὐτοὶ τὸ μηδὲ ὁρᾶσθαι ὑποτιθέμενοι. τίνος γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν συνιδεῖν τὴν ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐναντιότητα; διὰ τὸ γεννηθῆναι, φησίν, ἡ οὐσία χώραν εἰς κοινωνίαν ἑτέροις οὐ καταλείπει: μονογενὴς γάρ. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπών, ὡς κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἢ μὴ βλέπων αὐτὸς ἢ μὴ νομίζων ὁρᾶσθαι τὰ μηδεμίαν ἔχοντα κοινωνίαν ὡς συστοιχοῦντα τοῖς εἰρημένοις προστίθησι, τῇ τοῦ μονογενοῦς οὐσίᾳ τὴν τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐνέργειαν ἐφαρμόσας. ὁ γὰρ γεννηθεὶς πρὸς τὸν γεγεννηκότα καὶ ὁ μονογενὴς πρὸς τὸν πατέρα κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον πάντως τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἔχει, καὶ ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν βλέπων οὐ πεποιηκότος ἐνέργειαν, ἀλλὰ γεννήσαντος φύσιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ θεωρεῖ συστοιχίᾳ.
Ὁ δὲ καθάπερ φυτῶν ἢ σπερμάτων ἤ τινος ἄλλου τῶν κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν ἐπιμνησθεὶς τὴν τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἐνέργειαν τῇ ὑποστάσει τοῦ μονογενοῦς παρατίθησιν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ λίθος ἢ ξύλον ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον τῇ θεωρίᾳ προέκειτο, ἀκόλουθον ἦν προεπινοεῖν τὴν τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐνέργειαν: εἰ δὲ ὁμολογεῖται καὶ παρὰ τῶν ὑπεναντίων ὁ μονογενὴς θεὸς υἱός τε εἶναι καὶ γεννητῶς ὑποστῆναι, πῶς ἁρμόζουσιν αἱ αὐταὶ φωναὶ τούτῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τῶν μορίων τῆς κτίσεως, καὶ ὅπερ περὶ τοῦ μύρμηκος ἢ τοῦ κώνωπος ἀληθῶς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο καὶ περὶ τοῦ κυρίου λέγειν εὐσεβὲς εἶναι νομίζουσιν; εἰ γάρ τις καταμάθοι τὴν τοῦ μύρμηκος φύσιν οἷς ἰδιάζει πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ζῴων, οὐκ ἂν ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας εἴποι τὴν τοῦ πεποιηκότος αὐτὸν ἐνέργειαν κοινὴν πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα μὴ θεωρεῖσθαι. ἃ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων λέγεται, ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀποφαίνονται: καὶ καθάπερ οἱ θηρεύοντες λέγονται βόθροις τισὶν ὑπολαμβάνειν τῶν θηρίων τὴν πάροδον, κρύπτειν δὲ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διὰ σαθρῶν τινῶν καὶ ἀνυποστάτων τὰ στόμια τῶν βόθρων ἐπικαλύπτοντες, ὡς ἂν ἰσόπεδον φαίνοιτο τῷ παρακειμένῳ τὸ βάραθρον, τοιοῦτόν τι μηχανᾶται κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ αἵρεσις, τὸν βόθρον τῆς ἀσεβείας διὰ τῶν εὐφήμων τούτων καὶ εὐσεβῶν ὀνομάτων οἷον διά τινος ἐπιπολαίου στέγης ἐπικαλύπτουσα, ὥστε τοὺς ἀλογωτέρους, ταὐτὸν εἶναι τῇ ἀληθινῇ πίστει τὸ τούτων κήρυγμα διὰ τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων ὁμολογίας νομίζοντας, πρὸς ψιλὸν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἐπιδραμόντας, κενεμβατῆσαι τῷ βόθρῳ, τῆς τῶν προσηγοριῶν σημασίας οὐχ ὑπερειδούσης αὐτῶν τὴν βάσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀρνήσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ βάραθρον καταφερούσης. διὰ τοῦτο γεννηθείσης οὐσίας μέμνηται μηδενὶ χώραν εἰς κοινωνίαν καταλιπούσης καὶ μονογενῆ ὀνομάζει: ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ τοῦ βόθρου καλύμματα. ἐπειδὰν δέ τις παραστάς, πρὶν ὑποληφθῆναι τῷ χάσματι, καθάπερ τινὰ χεῖρα τὴν διὰ τοῦ λόγου πεῖραν ἐπαγάγῃ τῷ λόγῳ, βλέπει τὸν τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ὄλεθρον ὑπορωρυγμένον τῷ δόγματι. ὡς γὰρ θεῷ καὶ υἱῷ θεοῦ προσερχόμενος κτίσμα θεοῦ εὑρίσκει τῇ λατρεία προκείμενον. διὰ τοῦτο ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς περιφέρουσιν, ἵν' εὐπαράδεκτος γένηται τοῖς ἀπατωμένοις ὁ ὄλεθρος, ὡς εἴ τις ἄρτῳ τὸ δηλητήριον καταμίξας θανάτῳ τοὺς δεομένους τῆς τροφῆς δεξιώσαιτο, οὐκ ἂν δεξαμένους γυμνὸν προσέσθαι τὸ φθοροποιὸν δηλητήριον, μὴ δελεασθέντας πρὸς τὸ φαινόμενον. σοφῶς τοίνυν κατά γε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν πρὸς τὸ σπουδαζόμενον βλέπει. εἰ γὰρ παντελῶς ἐξέβαλε τοῦ καθ' ἑαυτὸν δόγματος τοῦ υἱοῦ τὴν φωνήν, ἀπαράδεκτος ἡ ἀπάτη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐγίνετο, φανερῶς διαβοωμένης τῆς ἀρνήσεως ἐν προδήλῳ κηρύγματι: νυνὶ δὲ καταλιπὼν μόνον τὸ ὄνομα, τὸ δὲ σημαινόμενον πρὸς τὴν τῆς κτίσεως ἔννοιαν μεταγαγὼν καὶ κατορθοῖ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν καὶ ὑποκλέπτει τὸν ἔλεγχον. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐ χείλεσι τιμᾶν τὸν θεὸν προσετάχθημεν οὐδὲ ἐν ἤχῳ φωνῆς ἡ εὐσέβεια κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ χρὴ πρῶτον τῇ καρδίᾳ πιστευθῆναι τὸν υἱὸν εἰς δικαιοσύνην καὶ τότε ὁμολογηθῆναι τῷ στόματι εἰς σωτηρίαν, καὶ οἱ ἐν καρδίᾳ λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι θεόν, κἂν τῷ στόματι κύριον ὁμολογῶσι, διεφθάρησαν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν, καθὼς ἡ προφητεία φησί, διὰ τοῦτό φημι χρῆναι πρὸς τὸν νοῦν βλέπειν τῶν προβαλλομένων δῆθεν τὰ τῆς πίστεως ῥήματα, μὴ πρὸς τὰς φωνὰς δελεάζεσθαι. εἰ οὖν υἱὸν λέγων οὐ πρὸς κτίσμα βλέπει διὰ τῆς λέξεως, ἡμέτερος καὶ οὐχὶ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστί: εἰ δέ τις υἱοῦ ὄνομα τῇ κτίσει τίθεται, ἐν τοῖς εἰδωλολάτραις τετάξεται. καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ τὸν Δαγὼν καὶ τὸν Βὴλ καὶ τὸν δράκοντα θεὸν ὠνόμαζον, ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν θεὸν προσεκύνουν. οὐ γὰρ θεὸς τὸ ξύλον καὶ ὁ χαλκὸς καὶ τὸ θηρίον.