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his argument is skillfully brought to its 2.1.307 conclusion. Who could still hold to the argument 'according to concept,' when such a stench is poured forth from his mouth against those who attempt to say anything? Should we, then, on this account abstain from a joint examination of the argument with him, lest he should also stir up against us this trench 2.1.308 of abuse? Or is it the mark of the small-minded to be harsh in return for childish insanities? Therefore, let us permit the insolent one to use his manner as he sees fit. But his argument must be taken up again, so that from there also an alliance for the truth might be formed. 2.1.309 He mentioned 20analogy20 and understood the homonymy from it. From where did he learn these things and from whom these words? Moses did not say it, he did not hear it from prophets and apostles, the evangelists have been silent on such expressions; it is not possible to learn these things from any Scripture that teaches them. From where, then, did he get the idea to speak thus? Is not such an argument—the one that calls a certain significance of the thought 'analogy'—an invention of the mind of the one who said it? How then does he not understand that he uses as allies for the 2.1.310 war the very things he wars against? For he wars against the argument 'according to concept,' himself constructing through arguments of concept that one must not say anything 'according to concept.' But 20no one20, he says, 20of the saints taught this20. But to which of the ancients can you trace the term 20unbegottenness20 and that the name of God is predicated of its substance, 20or rather that the Unbegotten 2.1.311 is itself the substance20? Or is it permitted for you, in matters where something impious is about to be concluded, to innovate and contrive pleasing terms, but if something is said by another for the refutation of impiety, to deprive the objector of his authority? You would be possessed of a great tyranny if you were to secure this authority for yourself, so that what you forbid in others, you alone are permitted to do, and what you yourself dare to do by your authority, you 2.1.312 forbid to others. By a command you reject that these names are applied to Christ 'according to concept,' because none of the saints ordained that they should be so spoken of. How then do you legislate that the divine substance is characterized by the term 20unbegotten20, which no one of the saints is shown to have handed down? For if this is the rule for the correctness of terms, to utter only those that the divinely inspired word of scripture suggests, then 20unbegotten20 would have to be erased from your writings, since none of the saints 2.1.313 20legislated20 this term. But on account of the meaning inherent 2.1.313 in this appellation, you accept the word. And we likewise, on account of the inherent idea, have accepted the term of 'concept'. Therefore, we shall either remove both from use, or neither; but whichever of these happens, we shall be victorious through either course. For if 20unbegottenness20 is completely silenced, every voice of the opponents against the truth is extinguished with it, and the glory fitting for the only-begotten God will shine forth from all, there being no name which, by way of contrast, diminishes the majesty of the Lord. 2.1.314 But if both remain, even so the truth will prevail with us, when the name of 20unbegottenness20 has been transferred from the substance to the concept. But as long as he does not remove the term 'unbegotten' from his own arguments, let the Pharisee among us admonish himself not to look at the speck in our eye before he casts out the beam that is in his own eyes. 2.1.315 20But God20, he says, 20has imparted the most honorable names even to the weakest things on earth, without also imparting an equal share of the dignities, and to the most sovereign things the most worthless names, without the natural worthlessness being transferred by the names20. These things have been said in his own words; thus it is recorded by them as by us. If it has some meaning hidden in its depth that escapes us, let those who have grasped things far beyond our ken say, those initiated by him 2.1.316 into the inner and
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τεχνικῶς ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν 2.1.307 σκοπὸν συμπεραίνεται. τίς ἂν ἔτι συσταίη τῷ κατ' ἐπί νοιαν λόγῳ, τοσαύτης ὀσμῆς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐπιχειροῦσί τι λέγειν προχεομένης; ἆρ' οὖν ἀφεκτέον καὶ ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦτο τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν τοῦ λόγου συνεξετάσεως, ὡς ἂν μὴ καὶ καθ' ἡμῶν τὴν ἀμάραν ταύτην τῆς λοιδορίας 2.1.308 ὑποκινήσειεν; ἢ μικροψύχων ἐστὶ τὸ πρὸς τὰς νηπιώδεις παραφροσύνας ἀντιτραχύνεσθαι; οὐκοῦν συγχωρητέον τῷ ὑβριστῇ κεχρῆσθαι πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν τῷ τρόπῳ. ἐπανα ληπτέον δὲ τὸν ἐκείνου λόγον, ὡς ἂν κἀκεῖθεν γένοιτο συμμαχία πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. 2.1.309 20Ἀναλογίας20 ἐμνήσθη καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης ὁμω νυμίαν ἐνόησε. πόθεν ταῦτα μαθὼν καὶ παρὰ τίνος τὰ ῥήματα; Μωϋσῆς οὐκ εἶπε, προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων οὐκ ἤκουσεν, εὐαγγελισταὶ τὰς τοιαύτας φωνὰς σεσιγήκασιν· οὐδεμιᾶς ἔστι γραφῆς ταῦτα διδασκούσης μαθεῖν. πόθεν οὖν αὐτῷ τὸ οὕτως εἰπεῖν; ἆρ' οὐχὶ τῆς τοῦ εἰπόντος δια νοίας εὕρημα ὁ τοιοῦτος λόγος ἐστὶν ὁ τὴν ποιὰν τοῦ νοή ματος σημασίαν ἀναλογίαν προσαγορεύων; πῶς οὖν οὐ συνίησιν οἷς πολεμεῖ, τούτοις συμμάχοις πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον 2.1.310 χρώμενος; πολεμεῖ δὲ τῷ κατ' ἐπίνοιαν λόγῳ αὐτὸς διὰ τῶν τῆς ἐπινοίας λόγων τὸ μὴ δεῖν κατ' ἐπίνοιάν τι λέγειν κατασκευάζων. ἀλλ' 20οὐδείς20, φησί, 20τοῦτο τῶν ἁγίων ἐδίδαξεν20. σὺ δὲ εἰς τίνα τῶν ἀρχαίων ἀναφέρειν ἔχεις τὴν τῆς 20ἀγεννησίας20 φωνὴν καὶ ὅτι αὐτῆς κατηγορεῖται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς οὐσίας, 20μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτό ἐστι 2.1.311 τὸ ἀγέννητον ἡ οὐσία20; ἢ σοὶ μὲν ἔξεστιν ἐν οἷς ἂν μέλλῃ τι τῶν ἀσεβῶν συμπεραίνεσθαι καινοτομεῖν τε καὶ παρευρίσκειν τὰς ἀρεσκούσας φωνάς, εἰ δέ τι πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀσεβείας καθαίρεσιν παρ' ἑτέρου λέγοιτο, παραιρεῖσθαι τῆς ἐξουσίας τὸν ἀντιλέγοντα; μεγάλης τἂν εἴης τυραννίδος ἐπειλημμένος, εἰ ταύτην σεαυτῷ τὴν ἐξουσίαν κρατύνειας, ὡς ἅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων κωλύεις, σοὶ ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἐξεῖναι μόνῳ καὶ ἅπερ αὐτὸς κατ' ἐξουσίαν τολμᾷς, τούτων ἀπείρ 2.1.312 γειν τοὺς ἄλλους. διὰ προστάγματος ἀθετεῖς τὸ κατ' ἐπί νοιαν ἐπιλέγεσθαι ταῦτα τῷ Χριστῷ τὰ ὀνόματα, ὅτι μηδεὶς τῶν ἁγίων τὸ δεῖν οὕτω λέγεσθαι διετάξατο. πῶς οὖν τῇ τοῦ 20ἀγεννήτου20 φωνῇ νομοθετεῖς τὴν θείαν οὐσίαν χα ρακτηρίζεσθαι, ἣν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἁγίων παραδεδωκὼς ἐπιδεί κνυται; εἰ γὰρ οὗτος ὅρος τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων ὀρθότητος, τὸ μόνον ἐκεῖνα φθέγγεσθαι, ἅπερ ἂν ὁ θεόπνευστος λόγος τῆς γραφῆς ὑφηγήσηται, ἐξαλειπτέον ἂν εἴη τῶν συγγραμ μάτων σου τὸ 20ἀγέννητον20, μηδενὸς τῶν ἁγίων τὴν φωνὴν 2.1.313 ταύτην 20θεσμοθετήσαντος20. ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ἐγκείμενον 2.1.313 τῷ προσρήματι τούτῳ νοῦν παραδέχῃ τὴν λέξιν. καὶ ἡμεῖς ὡσαύτως διὰ τὴν ἐγκειμένην ἔννοιαν τὴν φωνὴν τῆς ἐπι νοίας παρεδεξάμεθα. οὐκοῦν ἢ τὰ δύο τῆς χρήσεως ἐξαι ρήσομεν ἢ οὐθέτερον, ὅ τι δ' ἂν γένηται τούτων, δι' ἑκα τέρων νικήσομεν. σιωπηθείσης μὲν γὰρ καθόλου τῆς 20ἀγεννησίας20, πᾶσα συγκατεσβέσθη τῶν ἐναντίων κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας φωνὴ καὶ <ἡ> πρέπουσα τῷ μονογενεῖ θεῷ δόξα παρὰ πάντων ἐκλάμψει, μηδενὸς ὄντος ὀνόματος τοῦ ἐξ ἀντιδιαιρέσεως τὸ μεγαλεῖον τοῦ κυρίου κατασμικρύνοντος. 2.1.314 εἰ δὲ μένοι ἀμφότερα, καὶ οὕτως ἐπικρατήσει μεθ' ἡμῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια, εἰς τὴν ἐπίνοιαν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας μετατεθέντος τοῦ τῆς 20ἀγεννησίας20 ὀνόματος. ἀλλ' ἕως οὐκ ἐξαιρεῖ τῶν ἰδίων λόγων τὴν τοῦ ἀγεννήτου φωνήν, νουθετησάτω ἑαυτὸν ὁ καθ' ἡμᾶς Φαρισαῖος μὴ πρότερον πρὸς τὸ ἡμέτερον διαβλέπειν κάρφος, πρὶν τὴν ἐγκειμένην αὐτῷ δοκὸν ἀπο βαλεῖν τῶν ὀμμάτων. 2.1.315 20Ἀλλ' ὁ θεός20, φησί, 20καὶ τοῖς ἀσθενεστάτοις τῶν περὶ γῆν τῶν τιμιωτάτων μεταδέδωκεν ὀνομάτων, μὴ συμμεταδοὺς τῆς τῶν ἀξιωμά των ἰσομοιρίας, καὶ τοῖς κυριωτάτοις τῶν εὐτελεστάτων, μὴ συμμεταφερομένης ὑπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων τῆς φυσικῆς εὐτελείας20. ταῦτα κατ' αὐτὴν εἴρηται τὴν λέξιν· οὕτω παρ' αὐτῶν ὡς παρ' ἡμῶν ἀναγέγραπται. εἰ μέν τινα κατὰ τὸ βάθος ἐγκεκρυμμένην ἔχει διάνοιαν τὴν ἡμᾶς διαφεύγουσαν, λεγόντων οἱ κατει ληφότες τὰ πόρρω τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπόψεως, οἱ μεμυημένοι 2.1.316 παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐσωτερικήν τε καὶ