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For the choice is easily slandered in either direction by those who love to find fault, whether, leaping over the empty verbiage as if it were some chasm, we direct our argument to what is steep and exposed, contending through refutation with those things that seem to have some strength against the truth, or whether we extend the battle against vanities along with all the nonsense; for in this way our effort will be burdensome to the indolent and unprofitable, being prolonged through many thousands of words for no 2.1.341 useful purpose. But if we should take up only those things that seem to have some strength against the truth, we shall provide an occasion for accusation to our opponents, as if we have yielded on some points that do not admit of refutation. Since, therefore, two courses lie before us, both to go through the argument in all its parts and to touch only upon the more necessary points, the one being burdensome to the hearers, the other suspect to the slanderers, I say that it is well to turn to some middle course and escape, as far as possible, 2.1.342 the blame from either side. What, then, is the method? Of all the things he has labored upon in 2.1.342 vanity, we will, by condensing as much as possible the great mass of rubbish, run through the thoughts summarily in a few words, so as neither to delve needlessly into foolish things nor to overlook anything that has been said as unexamined. 2.1.343 His whole argument, therefore, is occupied with this endeavor, striving to show that the divine speaks in a human way and that the Creator of things Himself applies to existing things the words that signify them. And for this reason, fighting against the one who said that such names belong to the rational nature which we have received from God, he says that he both misses the truth and does not hold to his own hypothesis, and having brought this censure 2.1.344 against him, he uses such arguments for proof. 20Basil said20, he says, 20that after the first thought that arises in us about a matter, the more subtle and more precise examination of what was thought is called 'epinoia' (conception)20. And with such a construction he refutes the argument, as he thinks, because 20in things in which there is not a first and second thought, nor one more subtle and more precise than another, there would be no20, 2.1.345 he says, 20place for that which is by 'epinoia' (conception)20. For the time being, then, he will be caught having deceitfully stolen this also from those who have hearing. For our teacher did not make this the definition of all 'epinoia', but, having made a kind of specific subdivision of the things considered by 'epinoia', so as not to introduce a great crowd into the argument, having clarified this part, he left it to those with understanding to infer the 2.1.346 whole from the part. And just as one who said that 'animal' is predicated of many things differing in species would not be refuted as having missed the truth by adducing 'man' specifically as a description, nor would anyone hold him responsible as having failed of reality, if he did not give the same account for winged and four-footed and aquatic creatures that he declared for that which pertains to man, so, with the account of that which is considered by 'epinoia' being so manifold and varied, it would not be a refutation to say that that is not properly 'epinoia' because there is also another, so that even if some other form of 'epinoia' is considered, 2.1.347 that which was previously given is not in error. 20If, then, anyone20, he says, 20of the apostles or the prophets were shown to have used these names for Christ, the falsehood would have some consolation20. How much diligence in the scriptures of God these words testify for the speechwriter! Did no one of the prophets or the apostles call the Lord bread, or stone, or fountain, or axe, or light, 2.1.348 or shepherd? What then of David? About whom does he say, 'The Lord shepherds me,' and, 'Shepherd of Israel, give heed'? Does it make any difference to say 'shepherd' or 'shepherding,' and 'With you is the fountain of life'? Does he accept that the Lord is called a fountain, and 'The stone which the builders rejected'? And John, signifying the Lord's power that destroys wickedness by the name of the axe, in what he says, 'Already the axe is laid to the root of the trees,' does he not seem to this man a credible 2.1.349 witness of what has been said? But he

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εὐσυκοφάντητος γὰρ πρὸς ἑκάτερον παρὰ τοῖς φιλ αιτίοις ἡ αἵρεσις, εἴτε καθάπερ τινὰ φάραγγα διαπηδή σαντες τὴν κενοφωνίαν ἐπὶ τὰ πρανῆ καὶ ἐπίδρομα τὸν λόγον εὐθύνωμεν, τοῖς δοκοῦσί τινα κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας ἰσχὺν ἔχειν συσταθέντες διὰ τῆς ἀντιρρήσεως, εἴτε καὶ πάσῃ συμπαρατείνωμεν τῇ φλυαρίᾳ τὴν πρὸς τὰ μάταια μάχην· οὕτω μὲν γὰρ ἐπαχθὴς ἔσται τοῖς ἀφιλοπόνοις ἡ σπουδὴ καὶ ἀνόνητος ἐν πολλαῖς ἐπῶν χιλιάσιν ἐπ' οὐδενὶ 2.1.341 χρησίμῳ μηκυνομένη. εἰ δὲ τῶν δοκούντων ἔχειν τινὰ κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας ἰσχὺν μόνων ἀντιλαβοίμεθα, κατηγορίας ἀφορ μὴν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις παρέξομεν ὡς παρεικότες τινὰ τῶν οὐ δεχομένων ἀντίρρησιν. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν δύο προκειμένων ἡμῖν, τοῦ τε διὰ πάντων τὸν λόγον ἐλθεῖν καὶ τοῦ τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτέροις μόνοις ἐπιδραμεῖν, τὸ μὲν ἐπαχθὲς τοῖς ἀκούουσι, τὸ δὲ τοῖς διαβάλλουσιν ὕποπτον, καλῶς ἔχειν φημὶ μέσην τινὰ τραπόμενον ἐκφυγεῖν ἑκατέρωθεν ὡς οἷόν τε 2.1.342 τὸ ὑπαίτιον. τίς οὖν ἡ μέθοδος; πάντων τῶν κατὰ τὸ 2.1.342 μάταιον πεπονημένων αὐτῷ συντεμόντες ὡς οἷόν τε τὸν πολὺν συρφετὸν δι' ὀλίγων ἐπιδραμούμεθα κεφαλαιωδῶς τὰ νοήματα, ὡς μήτε τοῖς ἀνοήτοις ἐμβαθύνειν εἰκῆ μήτε τι τῶν εἰρημένων περιϊδεῖν ἀνεξέταστον. 2.1.343 Ἅπας τοίνυν ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ πρὸς ταύτην ἄσχολός ἐστι τὴν σπουδήν, δεῖξαι φιλονεικῶν ἀνθρωπικῶς τὸ θεῖον δια λεγόμενον καὶ τὰς σημαντικὰς τῶν πραγμάτων φωνὰς αὐτὸν τοῖς οὖσι τὸν τῶν πραγμάτων δημιουργὸν ἐφαρμόζοντα. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μαχόμενος πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα τῆς λογικῆς εἶναι φύσεως, ἣν θεόθεν εἰλήφαμεν, τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ὀνομάτων, καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας διαμαρτάνειν φησὶ καὶ τῆς ἰδίας αὐτὸν μὴ κρατεῖν ὑποθέσεως καὶ ταύτην ἐπαγαγὼν τὴν μέμψιν 2.1.344 αὐτῷ τοιούτοις κέχρηται λογισμοῖς πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν. 20εἶπε20, φησίν, 20ὁ Βασίλειος μετὰ τὸ πρῶτον ἐγγενόμενον ἡμῖν περὶ τοῦ πράγματος νόημα τὴν λεπτο τέραν καὶ ἀκριβεστέραν τοῦ νοηθέντος ἐξέ τασιν ἐπίνοιαν λέγεσθαι20. καὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ κατασκευῇ διελέγχει τὸν λόγον, ὡς οἴεται, ὅτι 20ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἔστι πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον νόημα οὔτε λεπτότερον ἕτερον ἑτέρου καὶ ἀκριβέστερον, οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι20, 2.1.345 φησί, 20χώραν τὸ κατ' ἐπίνοιαν20. τέως μὲν οὖν καὶ τοῦτο δολερῶς ὑφαρπάσας παρὰ τῶν ἐχόντων ἀκοὴν φωρα θήσεται. οὐ γὰρ πάσης ἐπινοίας τοῦτον πεποίηται τὸν ὁρισμὸν ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' οἷον ἰδικήν τινα τῶν κατ' ἐπίνοιαν θεωρουμένων ὑποδιαίρεσιν ποιησάμενος, ὡς ἂν μὴ πολὺν ὄχλον ἐπεισαγάγοι τῷ λόγῳ, τὸ μέρος τοῦτο διασαφήσας ἀφῆκε τοὺς νοῦν ἔχοντας ἐκ τοῦ μέρους τὸ 2.1.346 ὅλον ἐπιλογίζεσθαι. καὶ ὥσπερ κατὰ πλειόνων καὶ δια φερόντων τῷ εἴδει κατηγορεῖσθαί τις τὸ ζῷον εἰπὼν οὐκ ἂν ὡς διαμαρτὼν τῆς ἀληθείας διελεγχθείη ἰδίως τὸν ἄν θρωπον εἰς ὑπογραφὴν ἀγαγὼν οὐδ' ἄν τις αὐτὸν ὡς ἀπο σφαλέντα τοῦ ὄντος εὐθύνοιεν, εἰ μὴ κατὰ πτηνοῦ τε καὶ τετράποδος καὶ ἐνύδρου τὸν αὐτὸν ἀποδιδοίη λόγον, ὃν ἐπὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπεφήνατο, οὕτω πολυσχιδῶς καὶ ποικίλως τοῦ κατ' ἐπίνοιαν θεωρουμένου λόγου οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγχος εἴη τὸ μὴ εἶναι κυρίως ἐκείνην ἐπίνοιαν τῷ καὶ ἕτερον εἶναι εἰπεῖν, ὥστε κἂν ἄλλο τι ἐπινοίας εἶδος θεω 2.1.347 ρηθῇ, τὸ προαποδοθὲν οὐχ ἡμάρτηται. 20εἰ μὲν οὖν τις20, φησί, 20τῶν ἀποστόλων ἢ τῶν προφητῶν τούτοις χρησάμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῖς ὀνόμασιν ἀπεδείκνυτο, εἶχεν ἂν παραμυθίαν τὸ ψεῦδος20. ὅσην μαρτυρεῖ τῷ λογογράφῳ τὰ εἰρημένα τὴν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ φιλοπονίαν. οὐδεὶς εἶπε τῶν προφητῶν ἢ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἄρτον ἢ λίθον ἢ πηγὴν ἢ ἀξίνην ἢ φῶς 2.1.348 ἢ ποιμένα τὸν κύριον; τί οὖν ὁ ∆αβίδ; περὶ τίνος φησὶν ὅτι Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ Ὁ ποιμαίνων τὸν Ἰσραὴλ πρόσ-σχες; ἆρά τι διαφέρει ποιμένα εἰπεῖν ἢ ποιμαίνοντα καὶ Παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς; ἆρα δέχεται τὸ πηγὴν εἰρῆσθαι τὸν κύριον καὶ Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες; ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης τὴν ἀναιρετικὴν τῆς κακίας· δύναμιν τοῦ κυρίου τῷ τῆς ἀξίνης διασημαίνων ὀνόματι ἐν οἷς φησιν Ἤδη ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κείται, οὐκ ἀξιόπιστος 2.1.349 τούτῳ μάρτυς τῶν εἰρημένων δοκεῖ; ὁ δὲ