[ Probole ]

 WHAT the Valentinian [ probole ] was, is described in Epiph. Hær. 31, 13. The Æons, wishing to show thankfulness to God, contributed together ([ eranisamenous ]) whatever was most beautiful of each of them, and moulding these several excellences into one, formed this Issue, [ proballesthai problema ], to the honour and glory of the Profound, [ buthos ], and they called this star and flower of the Pleroma, Jesus, etc. And so Tertullian, "a joint contribution, ex ære collatitio, to the honour and glory of the Father, ex omnium defloratione constructum," contr. Valent. 12. Accordingly Origen protests against the notion of [ probole ], Periarch. iv. 28, p. 190, and Athanasius Expos. § 1. The Arian Asterius too considers [ probole ] to introduce the notion of [ teknogonia ], Euseb. contr. Marc. i. 4, p. 20. vid. also Epiph. Hær. 72, 7. Yet Eusebius uses the word [ proballesthai ], Eccles. Theol. i. 8. On the other hand, Tertullian uses it with a protest against the Valentinian sense. Justin has [ problethen gennema ], Tryph. 62. And Nazianzen calls the Almighty Father [ proboleus ] of the Holy Spirit. Orat. 29. 2. Arius introduces the word into his creed, Syn. § 14, as an argumentum ad invidiam . Hil. de Trin. vi. 9.