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of him and of the begetting Father an insertion of time, and the Son is no longer the Son of will, but of the begetting Father.

And let these things, he says, be said from examples according to us, but the things of God are also beyond all these things, for whom begetting is perhaps the will to beget. And he cast doubt on this through the adverb "Perhaps" because the generation of the Son from the Father is also beyond will. For the Son is not mediated from the Father by will, nor is the will of the Father in any way preconceived before the Son, because the Father did not pre-exist the Son, just as mind does not pre-exist the word from it, nor light the radiance. For having their being at the same time, both the Father and the Son, begotten from him without beginning, have one will, simple and indivisible, just as also one substance and nature.

PD (84). ..».... “SINCE WHAT PREVENTS ME TOO FROM MAKING THIS PROPOSITION..”

From the same discourse, on the text: "Since what prevents me too from making this proposition, that the Father is greater by nature, (14∆_362> then adding that, By nature is not in every way greater, nor Father, to conclude, The greater is not in every way greater, or, The Father is not in every way Father."

Since the teacher wisely [defined] the Father as greater than the Son in cause, as

the Son being of the Father, but the Father not existing from the Son, he defined, the Arians, taking up the proposition "the cause by nature," maliciously concluded for him "greater by nature." First, he nobly resolves what was fallaciously concluded by them, saying: "I do not know whether they deceive themselves, or those to whom the argument is addressed." For not simply whatever is said of something, will this also be said of its underlying subject; but it is clear of what and what this is. For not whatever is said of the cause as cause, he says, will this also be said of that which is by nature. For it is not logical for the things said of someone, let us say a wise man or a king, as wise or as king, to be said also of their underlying subject, as men, and to unlawfully include in the definition of the substance of the subjects the things said of wisdom as wisdom, and the things said of kingship as kingship, which have no communication at all with the definition of substance, to be included as its constitutive and complementary differentiae 1265 of its definition.

Then, more wisely weaving for them a syllogism from their own proposition, he turns them against themselves. And it is as follows: Since what prevents me too from making this proposition, that the Father is greater by nature, then adding that, By nature is not in every way greater nor Father, to conclude from this, The greater is not in every way greater, or, The Father is not in every way Father. And in order that it may become clearer and more concise for us, let us set out, if you please, what is said in a diagram, beginning from the argument of the opponents (14∆_364>, and concluding with the teaching of the Father.

Proposition of the Arians, that is, of the Eunomians: “If the Father is by nature the cause of the Son, and the Father is greater than the Son, therefore greater

by nature is the Father than the Son.” Refutation of our holy Father Gregory through reduction to absurdity

turning back the opponents: “If according to you the Father is greater than the Son by nature, but that which is by nature is not in every way greater

or Father, therefore the greater is not greater, or the Father is not in every way Father.” Thus are overturned, caught by their own devices, those who the truth

deny, being vainly shaken from piety as vain men. For in such arguments the conclusions are constitutive of the propositions, and of the conclusions the

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αὐτοῦ καί τοῦ γεννῶντος Πατρός παρενθήκην χρόνου, καί οὐκ ἔτι θελήσεως ἐστιν Υἱός ὁ Υἱός, ἀλλά τοῦ γεννῶντος Πατρός.

Καί ταῦτα, φησίν, ἐκ τῶν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς παραδειγμάτων εἰρήσθω, τά δέ τοῦ Θεοῦ καί ὑπέρ πάντα ταῦτα, ᾧ γέννησις ἴσως ἐστίν ἡ τοῦ γεννᾷν θέλησις. Ἀμφέβαλε δέ τοῦτο διά τοῦ " Ἴσως" ἐπιῤῥήματος διά τό καί ὑπέρ θέλησιν εἶναι τήν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός τοῦ Υἱοῦ γέννησιν. Οὐ γάρ μεσάζεται θελήσει ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός ὁ Υἱός, οὐδέ προεπινοεῖται τοῦ Υἱοῦ καθ᾿ ὁτιοῦν ἡ τοῦ Πατρός θέλησις, ὅτι μηδέ προϋπῆν ὁ Πατήρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὥσπερ οὐδέ νοῦς λόγου τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, οὔτε φῶς τοῦ ἀπαυγάσματος. Ἅμα γάρ τό εἶναι ἔχοντες καί θέλησιν μίαν ἔχουσιν ὅ τι Πατήρ καί ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀνάρχως γεννηθείς Υἱός, ἁπλῆν τε καί ἀδιαίρετον, ὥσπερ οὖν καί οὐσίαν μίαν καί φύσιν.

Π∆ (84). ..».... «ΕΠΕΙ ΤΙ ΚΩΛΥΕΙ ΚΑΜΕ ΤΑΥΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΤΑΣΙΝ ΠΟΙΗΣΑΜΕΝΟΝ..».

Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου, εἰς τό· "Ἐπεί τί κωλύει κἀμέ ταύτην πρότασιν ποιησάμενον τήν ὅτι, Ὁ Πατήρ μείζων τῇ φύσει, (14∆_362> ἔπειτα προσλαβόντα τό, Φύσει δέ οὐ πάντως μεῖζον, οὐδέ Πατήρ, συναγαγεῖν, Τό μεῖζον οὐ πάντως μεῖζον, ἤ, Ὁ Πατήρ οὐ πάντως Πατήρ».

Ἐπειδήπερ μείζονα τῷ αἰτίῳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τόν Πατέρα σοφῶς ὁ διδάσκαλος, ὡς

τοῦ Πατρός ὄντος τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Πατρός ὑπάρχοντος, διωρίζετο, προσλαβόντες οἱ Ἀρειανοί τήν τό αἴτιον φύσει πρότασιν συνῆγον αὐτῷ κακούργως τό φύσει μεῖζον. Πρῶτον μέν ἐπιλύεται γενναίως τό παραλελογισμένως ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν συναχθέν εἰπών· " Οὐκ οἶδα πότερον ἑαυτούς παραλογίζονται, ἤ τούς πρός οὕς ὁ λόγος». Οὐ γάρ ἁπλῶς ὅσα κατά τινος λέγεται, ταῦτα καί κατά τοῦ ἀποκειμένου τούτῳ ῥηθήσεται· ἀλλά δῆλον κατά τίνος καί τίνα τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν. Οὐ γάρ ὅσα κατά τοῦ αἰτίου ὡς αἰτίου, φησί, λέγεται, ταῦτα καί κατά τοῦ φύσει ῥηθήσεται. Οὐκ ἔστι γάρ λόγου τά κατά τινος φέρε εἰπεῖν σοφοῦ ἤ βασιλέως ὡς σοφοῦ ἤ ὡς βασιλέως λεγόμενα καί κατά τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τούτοις ῥηθῆναι, ὡς ἀνθρώπων, καί συμπαραλαμβάνειν ἀθέσμως τῷ τῆς οὐσίας ὅρῳ τῶν ὑποκειμένων τά κατά τῆς σοφίας ὡς σοφίας, καί τά κατά τῆς βασιλείας ὡς βασιλείας λεγόμενα, τά μηδέν καθόλου τῷ λόγῳ τῆς οὐσίας ἐπικοινωνοῦντα ὡς συστατικάς διαφοράς αὐτῆς καί συμπληρωτικάς 1265 τοῦ κατ᾿ αὐτήν ὅρου παραλαμβάνειν.

Ἔπειτα σοφώτερον συμπλέξας αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῆς αὐτῶν προτάσεως συλλογισμόν περιτρέπει αὐτούς ἑαυτοῖς. Ἔχει δέ οὕτως· Ἐπεί τί κωλύει κἀμέ ταύτην πρότασιν ποιησάμενον τήν ὅτι, Ὁ Πατήρ μείζων τῇ φύσει, ἔπειτα προσλαβόντα τό, Φύσει δέ οὐ πάντως μεῖζον οὐδέ Πατήρ, ἐντεῦθεν συναγαγεῖν, Τό μεῖζον οὐ πάντως μεῖζον, ἤ, Ὁ Πατήρ οὐ πάντως Πατήρ. Πρός δέ τό σαφέστερον ἡμῖν γενέσθαι καί συνεκτικώτερον διαγράψωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ, σχήματι τό λεγόμενον, ἐκ μέν τῆς τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπιχειρήσεως (14∆_364> ἀρχόμενοι, εἰς δέ τήν τοῦ Πατρός καταπαύοντες διδασκαλίαν.

Πρότασις Ἀρειανῶν, ἤγουν Εὐνομιανῶν· «Εἰ φύσει αἴτιος ὁ Πατήρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, μείζων δέ ὁ Πατήρ του Υἱοῦ, μείζων ἄρα

τῇ φύσει ὁ Πατήρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ». Ἐπίλυσις τοῦ ἁγίου Πατρός ἡμῶν Γρηγορίου διά τῆς εἰς ἄτοπον ἀπαγωγῆς

περιτρέποντος τούς ἐναντίου· «Εἰ φύσει μείζων καθ' ὑμᾶς ὁ Πατήρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τό δέ φύσει οὐ πάντως μείζων

ἤ Πατήρ. τό μεῖζον ἄρα οὐ μεῖζον, ἤ ὁ Πατήρ οὐ πάντως Πατήρ». Οὕτω περιτρέπονται τοῖς οἰκείοις ἑαλακότες μηχανήμασιν οἱ τήν ἀλήθειαν

ἀπαναινόμενοι, κενοί κενῶς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐκτιναχθέντες. Ἐπί γάρ τῶν τοιούτων λόγων τά συμπεράσματα τῶν προτάσεών εἰσι συστατικά, τῶν δέ συμπερασμάτων αἱ