§3. Then, thus passing over what relates to the essence of the Son as having been already discussed, he treats of the sense involved in “generation,” saying that there are diverse generations, those effected by matter and art, and of buildings,—and that by succession of animals,—and those by efflux, as by the sun and its beam. The lamp and its radiance, scents and ointments and the quality diffused by them,—and the word produced by the mind; and cleverly discusses generation812    To make the grammar of the sentence exact τὴν should here be substituted for τὸν, the object of the verb being apparently γέννησιν not λόγον. The whole section of the analysis is rather confused, and does not clearly reproduce S. Gregory’s division of the subject. A large part of this section, and of that which follows it, is repeated with very slight alteration from Bk. II. §9 (see pp. 113–115 above). The resemblances are much closer in the Greek text than they appear in the present translation, in which different hands have been at work in the two books.    Cf. S. Basil adv. Eun. II. 12, quoted above, p. 207.    S. John x. 9from rotten wood; and from the condensation of fire, and countless other causes.

Now that we have thus thoroughly scrutinized our doctrine, it may perhaps be time to set forth and to consider the opposing statement, examining it side by side in comparison with our own opinion. He states it thus:—“For while there are,” he says, “two statements which we have made, the one, that the essence of the Only-begotten was not before its own generation, the other that, being generated, it was before all things, he813    i.e.S. Basil.    Reading ταὐτὰ for ταῦτα, which appears in the text of Oehler as well as in the earlier editions.    Reading εἴπωμεν, for which Oehler’s text substitutes εἴπομεν does not prove either of these statements to be untrue; for he did not venture to say that He was before that supreme814    ἀνωτάτω may be “supreme,” in the sense of “ultimate” or “most remote,” or in the more ordinary sense of “most exalted.”    Reading τι τῶν κατὰ γνωμὴν, for τι τῶν καταγνωμῶν, which is the reading of the editions, but introduces a word otherwise apparently unknown.    S. John i. 18 generation and formation, seeing that he is opposed at once by the Nature of the Father, and the judgment of sober-minded men. For what sober man could admit the Son to be and to be begotten before that supreme generation? and He Who is without generation needs not generation in order to His being what He is.” Well, whether he speaks truly, when he says that our master815    i.e.S. Basil.    So in Book I. πρῶτον μὲν τῆς Προυνίκου σοφίας γίνεται μαθητὴς, and Book XIII. p. 844 (Paris Edit.). It may be questioned whether the phrase in Books I. and XIII., and that here, refers to a supposed connection of Eunomius with Gnosticism. The Προύνικος Σοφία of the Gnostics was a “male-female,” and hence the masculine τὸν παιδεύτην might properly be applied to it. If this point were cleared up, we might be more certain of the meaning to be attached to the word ὀκτάδας, which is also possibly borrowed from the Gnostic phraseology, being akin to the form ὀγδοάδας. [On the Gnostic conception of “Prunicus,” see the note on the subject in Harvey’s Irenæus (vol. I. p. 225), and Smith and Wace’s Dict. Chr. Biogr. s.v. On the Gnostic Ogdoads, see Mansel’s Gnostic Heresies, pp. 152 sqq., 170 sqq., and the articles on Basilides and Valentinus in Dict. Chr. Biogr.]    1 Tim. vi. 16. opposed his antitheses to no purpose, all may surely be aware who have been conversant with that writer’s works. But for my own part (for I think that the refutation of his calumny on this matter is a small step towards the exposure of his malice), I will leave the task of showing that this point was not passed over by our master without discussion, and turn my argument to the discussion, as far as in me lies, of the points now advanced. He says that he has in his own discourse spoken of two matters,—one, that the essence of the Only-begotten was not before Its own generation, the other, that, being generated, It was before all things. Now I think that by what we have already said, the fact has been sufficiently shown that no new essence was begotten by the Father besides that which is contemplated in the Father Himself, and that there is no need for us to be entangled in a contest with blasphemy of this kind, as if the argument were now propounded to us for the first time; and further, that the real force of our argument must be directed to one point, I mean to his horrible and blasphemous utterance, which clearly states concerning God the Word that “He was not.” Moreover, as our argument in the foregoing discourse has already to some extent dealt with the question of his blasphemy, it would perhaps be superfluous again to establish by like considerations what we have proved already. For it was to this end that we made those former statements, that by the earlier impression upon our hearers of an orthodox mode of thought, the blasphemy of our adversaries, who assert that non-existence preceded existence in the case of the Only-begotten God, might be more manifest.

It seems at this point well to investigate in our argument, by a more careful examination, the actual significance of “generation.” That this name presents to us the fact of being as the result of some cause is clear to every one, and about this point there is, I suppose, no need to dispute. But since the account to be given of things which exist as the result of cause is various, I think it proper that this matter should be cleared up in our discourse by some sort of scientific division. Of things, then, which are the result of something, we understand the varieties to be as follows. Some are the result of matter and art, as the structure of buildings and of other works, coming into being by means of their respective matter, and these are directed by some art that accomplishes the thing proposed, with a view to the proper aim of the results produced. Others are the results of matter and nature; for the generations of animals are the building816    Or (reading as proposed above, p. 114, οἰκονομεῖ for οἰκοδομεῖ), “the ordering of nature.”    Cf. Exod. xxxiii. 20. of nature, who carries on her own operation by means of their material bodily subsistence. Others are the result of material efflux, in which cases the antecedent remains in its natural condition, while that which flows from it is conceived separately, as in the case of the sun and its beam, or the lamp and its brightness, or of scents and ointments and the quality they emit; for these, while they remain in themselves without diminution, have at the same time, each concurrently with itself, that natural property which they emit: as the sun its beam, the lamp its brightness, the scents the perfume produced by them in the air. There is also another species of “generation” besides these, in which the cause is immaterial and incorporeal, but the generation is an object of sense and takes place by corporeal means;—I speak of the word which is begotten by the mind: for the mind, being itself incorporeal, brings forth the word by means of the organs of sense. All these varieties of generation we mentally include, as it were, in one general view. For all the wonders that are wrought by nature, which changes the bodies of some animals to something of a different kind, or produces some animals from a change in liquids, or a corruption of seed, or the rotting of wood, or out of the condensed mass of fire transforms the cold vapour that issues from the firebrands, shut off in the heart of the fire, to produce an animal which they call the salamander,—these, even if they seem to be outside the limits we have laid down, are none the less included among the cases we have mentioned. For it is by means of bodies that nature fashions these varied forms of animals; for it is such and such a change of body, disposed by nature in this or that particular way, which produces this or that particular animal; and this is not a distinct species of generation besides that which is accomplished as the result of nature and matter.

Οὑτωσὶ δὲ τοῦ δόγματος ἡμῖν διευκρινηθέντος καιρὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸν ἐναντίον προθεῖναι καὶ θεωρῆσαι λόγον ἐκ παραλλήλου πρὸς τὰς ἡμετέρας ὑπολήψεις ἀντεξετάζοντα. λέγει δὲ οὕτως: « δύο γὰρ ὄντων », φησί, « τῶν ὑφ' ἡμῶν εἰρημένων, τοῦ τε πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας γεννήσεως μὴ εἶναι τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ μονογενοῦς καὶ τοῦ γεννηθεῖσαν πρὸ πάντων εἶναι, οὐθέτερον τῶν εἰρημένων ἐλέγχει ψεῦδος. οὔτε γὰρ ὡς πρὸ τῆς ἀνωτάτω γεννήσεως καὶ συστάσεως ἦν εἰπεῖν ἐτόλμησεν, ἀντιπιπτούσης τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς φύσεως καὶ τῆς τῶν σωφρονούντων κρίσεως. τίς γὰρ ἂν καὶ παραδέξαιτο σωφρονῶν υἱὸν ὄντα καὶ γεννητὸν πρὸ τῆς ἀνωτάτω γεννήσεως, μὴ δεομένου γεννήσεως πρὸς τὸ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι τοῦ χωρὶς γεννήσεως ὄντος ». εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀληθεύει τὸν διδάσκαλον ἡμῶν μηδὲν ἠγωνίσθαι λέγων πρὸς τὰς ἀντιθέσεις, εἰδεῖεν ἂν πάντες ὅσοι τοῖς λόγοις ἐκείνου καθωμιλήκασιν. ἐγὼ δέ (μικρὸν γὰρ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν κακίας τὸν ἔλεγχον τῆς περὶ ταῦτα συκοφαντίας εἶναι λογίζομαι) καταλιπὼν τὸ δεῖξαι μὴ ἀνεξέταστον παρεωρᾶσθαι τὸ μέρος τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου πρὸς τὴν ἐξέτασιν τῶν προτεθέντων, ὅπως ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, τρέψω τὸν λόγον. δύο φησὶν ἐν τῷ καθ' ἑαυτὸν εἰρηκέναι λόγῳ, ἓν μὲν τὸ πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας γεννήσεως μὴ εἶναι τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ μονογενοῦς, ἕτερον δὲ τὸ γεννηθεῖσαν πρὸ πάντων εἶναι. ἀλλ' ὅτι μὲν οὐ καινή τις οὐσία παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐγεννήθη ἔξω τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ πατρὶ θεωρουμένης, ἱκανῶς οἶμαι διὰ τῶν προειρημένων ἡμῖν ἀποδεδεῖχθαι καὶ μηδὲν χρῄζειν ἡμᾶς, ὡς πρώτως ἡμῖν προενεχθέντος τοῦ λόγου, πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην βλασφημίαν συμπλέκεσθαι, πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τὴν σπουδὴν γενέσθαι τῷ λόγῳ, πρὸς τὴν ἄθεον αὐτοῦ λέγω καὶ φρικώδη φωνὴν τὴν φανερῶς εἰποῦσαν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου ὅτι οὐκ ἦν. ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ταύτης τῆς βλασφημίας ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις μετρίως διαλαβόντος τοῦ λόγου τάχα περιττὸν ἂν εἴη πάλιν διὰ τῶν ὁμοίων θεωρημάτων τὰ προαποδεδειγμένα κατασκευάζειν. τούτου γὰρ ἕνεκεν καὶ προείρηται παρ' ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνα, ὡς τῆς εὐσεβοῦς διανοίας προεντυπωθείσης τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν καταφανεστέραν γενέσθαι τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν βλασφημίαν τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ τὸ μὴ εἶναι τοῦ εἶναι κατασκευαζόντων πρεσβύτερον.
Δοκεῖ δέ μοι καλῶς ἔχειν αὐτὸ τῆς γεννήσεως τὸ σημαινόμενον δι' ἐπιμελεστέρας ἐξετάσεως διασκοπῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ. ὅτι μὲν οὖν τὸ ἐξ αἰτίας εἶναί τινος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο παρίστησι, παντὶ δῆλόν ἐστι καὶ οὐδὲν οἶμαι χρῆναι περὶ τούτου διαγωνίζεσθαι. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ διάφορος τῶν ἐξ αἰτίας ὑφεστηκότων ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος, τοῦτ' οἶμαι προσήκειν διά τινος τεχνικῆς διαιρέσεως σαφηνισθῆναι τῷ λόγῳ. τῶν τοίνυν ἔκ τινος γινομένων ταύτας τὰς διαφορὰς κατειλήφαμεν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ὕλης ἐστὶ καὶ τέχνης, ὡς αἱ τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἔργων κατασκευαὶ διὰ τῆς καταλλήλου ὕλης γινόμεναι, ὧν καθηγεῖταί τις τέχνη πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον σκοπὸν τῶν γινομένων τὸ προτεθὲν συμπεραίνουσα, τὰ δὲ ἐξ ὕλης καὶ φύσεως: τὰς γὰρ ἐξ ἀλλήλων γενέσεις τῶν ζῴων ἡ φύσις οἰκοδομεῖ διὰ τῆς ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ὑλικῆς ὑποστάσεως τὸ ἑαυτῆς ἐνεργοῦσα τὸ δὲ ἐξ ὑλικῆς ἀπορροίας, ἐφ' ὧν καὶ τὸ προηγούμενον μένει οἷόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ ἀπ' ἐκείνου ῥέον ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ νοεῖται, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ τῆς ἀκτῖνος ἢ ἐπὶ τῆς λαμπάδος καὶ τῆς αὐγῆς ἢ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρωμάτων τε καὶ μύρων καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἐκδιδομένης ποιότητος. ταῦτα γὰρ ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν ἀμείωτα μένοντα εὐθὺς ἔχει συμπαρομαρτοῦσαν ἕκαστον τὴν ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐκδιδομένην φυσικὴν ἰδιότητα, οἷον ὁ μὲν ἥλιος τὴν ἀκτῖνα, ἡ δὲ λαμπὰς τὴν αὐγήν, τὰ δὲ ἀρώματα τὴν τῷ ἀέρι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐντικτομένην εὐωδίαν. ἔστι καὶ ἕτερον εἶδος παρὰ ταῦτα γεννήσεως, οὗ ἡ μὲν αἰτία ἄϋλός ἐστι καὶ ἀσώματος, ἡ δὲ γέννησις αἰσθητή τε καὶ διὰ σώματος, λέγω δὲ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ νοῦ γεννώμενον λόγον: ἀσώματος γὰρ ὢν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὁ νοῦς διὰ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ὀργάνων τίκτει τὸν λόγον. τοσαύτας γεννήσεων διαφορὰς οἷον ἐν γενικῇ τινι θεωρίᾳ κατενοήσαμεν. τὰ γὰρ ὅσα θαυματουργεῖται παρὰ τῆς φύσεως τῆς σώματα ζῴων τινῶν εἰς ἑτεροφυῆ τινα μεταβαλλούσης ἢ ἀπό τινος τῶν ὑγρῶν ἀλλοιώσεως ἢ σπερμάτων φθορᾶς ἢ ξύλων σηπεδόνος ζῷά τινα δημιουργούσης ἢ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ πυρὸς συμπιλήσεως τὸν ψυχρὸν ἐκ τῶν δαλῶν ἀτμὸν ἐναποληφθέντα τῷ βάθει πρὸς ζῴου γένεσιν μεταποιούσης, ὃ σαλαμάνδραν προσαγορεύουσιν, κἂν ἔξω τῶν διορισθέντων εἶναι δοκῇ, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐστί. διὰ γὰρ σωμάτων ἡ φύσις τὰ ποικίλα ταῦτα τῶν ζῴων εἴδη τεχνάζεται: ἡ γὰρ ποιὰ τοῦ σώματος τροπὴ τοιῶσδε παρὰ τῆς φύσεως διατεθεῖσα τόδε τι τοῦ ζῴου τὸ εἶδος ἐδημιούργησεν: ὅπερ οὐκ ἄλλο τί ἐστιν εἶδος γεννήσεως παρὰ τὸ ἐκ φύσεως καὶ ὕλης ἀποτελούμενον.