142

of souls to be tempted. Since therefore she is only-begotten to me. And in another way also: "God has made man upright," "in His own image" and "likeness" He created her. When she abides in this state in which she was created, she does not become outside of herself, she does not go outside of herself. Since therefore it is the person of the Savior who says this, the soul which Jesus had has become of no one else. But our souls become of those who have power over them; for by whomever one is overcome, to him he is enslaved. And it is possible to fall away from the true lord to other masters, and from others to others, when dissonant sins occur; for he who repents is restored from the wickedness of those who surround her into evil. Since therefore the soul of Jesus "was tempted in all things in like manner, without sin," she has never become of any other than of him who assumed her. For this reason He calls her His only-begotten. And it must be said also thus "my only-begotten"; all souls become the Savior's; "receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning which salvation, therefore, the inquiry and search of a prophet." Those therefore "receiving salvation, the end of their faith" are the Savior's. They are His members, indeed, they all happen to be His body. But this one alone is His in another way beyond those; for He chose to have this one as an instrument and a temple, so that through her He might perform His workings, through her salvation. So indeed, having been in Hades, she was not held there; for she was His only-begotten. And "3only-begotten"3 often signifies "3alone"3. Aetius therefore the Arian, the father of Eunomius, who cast him into the pit, used to say: "3As if it were a great thing,"3 he says, "3they are granting to Christ that He is the only-begotten of God."3 He says: "3And others are only-begotten, the world is only-begotten, the sun, the earth."3 I say to him: it is not the same thing to be called only-begotten, and an only-begotten offspring, and an only-begotten child. Jesus alone, therefore, is called "3only-begotten son"3; for it is said: "we have seen His glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father." And the "3only-begotten from the Father"3 is an only-begotten child. And always so: "For God so loved His world as His only-begotten son." He never simply called him only-begotten, but "3only-begotten son"3. And again: "because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten son of God." If therefore any single creation were, as you say, only-begotten, yet it is not an only-begotten work—for there are other works of God—, nor an only-begotten creation. Therefore when the holy one says: "Look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am only-begotten and poor," he means this: "3I am alone"3. And Elijah, saying: "And I am left alone, and they seek to take my life from me," could be called only-begotten, but not a son or a child. And so here he says: "my only-begotten from the lions," from the cruel-minded, from those who are enraged against me. Rescue and redeem my soul which is only-begotten to me; for this one alone knew no sin, this one alone "has been tempted in all things without sin." Question: How was she restored? - She was not in sin, but on account of the cruelty of those assailing her, she was afraid lest she suffer this. Now we speak from the person of the holy man. And the examples are clear, that of Susanna and of Joseph. And the devil himself has schemes, sophistical thoughts, which only he and every diligent person can know. Paul, at any rate, says: "we are not ignorant of his thoughts." his thoughts, his methods, his very craftiness, the sophistical thoughts, through which he wishes to outwit us. "Restore" us, therefore; for the cowardice itself was a preliminary passion. and he wishes to be outside of the preliminary passion; for he did not say "3from my own wickedness"3. Question: Into fearlessness? -Not now being terrified did he say: "3Restore me to fearlessness"3, to the state of no longer having even a preliminary passion.222 I have a feeling that I am troubled. "Restore," therefore, "my soul." "Why are you very sorrowful, O soul

142

ψυχῶν πειρασθῆναι. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν μονογενής μοί ἐστιν. καὶ ἄλλως δέ· "ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον εὐθῆ πεποίηκεν", "κατ' εἰκόνα" ἑαυτοῦ "καὶ ὁμοίωσιν" ἔκτισεν αὐτήν. ὅταν καταμένῃ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ καταστάσει καθ' ἣν ἐκτίσθη, οὐ γίνεται ἐκτὸς ἑαυτοῦ, ἔξω ἑαυτοῦ οὐ γίνεται. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν πρόσωπόν ἐστιν τοῦ σωτῆρος το`̣ λέγον τοῦτο, ἣν ἔσχεν ψυχὴν Ἰησοῦς, οὐδενὸς ἄλλου γέγονεν. γίνονται δὲ αἱ ψυχαὶ ἡμῶν τῶν κρατούντων· ᾧ γάρ τις ἥττηται, τούτῳ καὶ δεδούλωται. καὶ ἔστιν γε ἐκ τοῦ ἀληθῶς κυρίου μεταπεσεῖν εἰς ἄλλους δεσπότας καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων εἰς ἑτέρους, ὅταν διάφωνα ἁμαρτήματα γίνηται· ὁ γὰρ μετανοήσας ἀποκαθίσταται ἀπὸ τῆς κακουργίας τῶν περιβαλόντων αὐτὴν εἰς κακίαν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ψυχὴ "πεπείρασται κατὰ πάντα καθ' ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας", οὐδέποτε ἄλλου τινὸς γέγονεν ἢ τοῦ ἀναλαβόντος αὐτήν. διὰ τοῦτο μονογενῆν αὐτὴν ἑαυτοῦ λέγει. ῥητέον δὲ καὶ οὕτως "τὴν μονογενῆν μου"· πᾶσαι αἱ ψυχαὶ γίνονται τοῦ σωτῆρος· "κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν. περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας οὖν ζήτησις καὶ ἐξερεύνησις προφήτου". οἱ "σωτηρίαν" οὖν "κομιζόμενοι τέλος τῆς πίστεως" τοῦ σωτῆρός εἰσιν. μέλη γοῦν αὐτοῦ εἰσιν, οἱ πάντες σῶμα αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσιν. μόνη δὲ αὕτη ἄλλως αὐτοῦ ἐστιν παρ' ἐκείνας· ταύτην γὰρ ὡς ὄργανον καὶ ναὸν εἵλατο ἔχειν, ἵνα δι' αὐτῆς ἀποδιδῷ τὰς ἐνεργείας, δι' αὐτῆς τὴν σωτηρίαν. οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ γεναμένη οὐ κεκράτηται ἐκεῖ· μονογενὴς γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῦ. σημαίνει δὲ πολλάκις τὸ "3μονογενὲς"3 τὸ "3μόνον"3. Ἀέτιος οὖν ὁ Ἀρειανός, ὁ πατὴρ Εὐνομίου, ὁ βαραθρώσας αὐτόν, ἔλεγεν· "3ὡς μέγα"3, λέγει, "3εἰσὶν χαριζόμενοι τῷ Χριστῷ ὅτι μονογενὴς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν"3. λέγει· "3καὶ ἄλλοι μονογενεῖς εἰσιν, ὁ κόσμος μονογενής ἐστιν, ὁ ἥλιος, ἡ γῆ"3. λέγω αὐτῷ· οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστιν μονογενὲς λεχθῆναι καὶ μονογενὲς γέννημα καὶ μονογενὲς τέκνον. μόνος οὖν Ἰησοῦς "3μονογενὴς υἱός"3 εἴρηται· εἴρηται γάρ· "ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός". τὸ δὲ "3παρὰ πατρὸς μονογενὲς"3 τέκνον μονογενές ἐστιν. καὶ διαπαντὸς οὕτως· "οὕτω γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον αὐτοῦ ὡς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ μονογενῆ". οὐδέποτε αὐτὸν ἁπλῶς εἶπεν μ̣ονογενῆ, ἀλλὰ "3μονογενῆ υἱόν"3. καὶ πάλιν· "ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ". ἐάν τι οὖν μόνον ᾖν κτίσμα, ὡς λέγεις, μονογενές, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἔργον μονογενές-καὶ ἄλλα γάρ ἐστιν ἔργα θεοῦ-, οὐ κτίσμα μονογενές. ὅταν οὖν ὁ ἅγιος λέγῃ ὅτι· "ἐπίβλεψον ε᾿̣π̣' ἐμὲ καὶ ἐλέησόν με, ὅτι μονογενὴς καὶ πτωχός εἰμι ἐγώ", τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι "3μόνος εἰμί"3. καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας λέγων ὅτι· "κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην μόνος καὶ ζητοῦσιν τὴν ψυχήν μου λαβεῖν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ", ῥηθείη ἂν μονογενής, οὐχ υἱὸς δὲ ἢ τέκνον. καὶ ὧδε οὖν λέγει· "τὴν μονογενῆν μου ἀπὸ λεόντων", τῶν ὠμοθύμων, τῶν ἐξηγριωμένων κατ' ἐμοῦ. ῥῦσαι καὶ λύτρωσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου μονογενῆ μοι οὖσαν· μόνη γὰρ αὕτη οὐκ ἔγνω ἁμαρτίαν, μόνη αὕτη "πεπείρασται κατὰ πάντα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας". ἐπερ · πῶς ἀπεκατέστη; -οὐ γέγονεν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ ὠμότητι τῶν ἐπικειμένων εὐλαβήθη μὴ πάθῃ τοῦτο. νῦν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ ἁγίου ἀνθρώπου λέγομεν. καὶ τὰ παραδείγματα φανερά ἐστιν τ̣ό τε τῆς Σωσάννης καὶ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. καὶ ὁ διάβολος αὐτὸς μηχανὰς ἔχει, νοήματα σοφιστικά, ἃ μόνος καὶ πᾶς ὁ σπουδαῖος δύναται εἰδέναι. Παῦλος γοῦν λέγει· "οὐκ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν". νοήματα αὐτοῦ τὰς μεθοδείας, αὐτὰς τὰς πανουργίας, τὰ νοήματα τὰ σοφιστικά, δι' ὧν καταστρατηγῆσαι ἡμῶν θέλει. "ἀποκατάστησον" οὖν ἡμᾶς· αὐτὸ ὅλως γὰρ τὸ δειλωθῆναι προπάθεια ἦν. θέλει δὲ καὶ τῆς προπαθείας ἔξω γενέσθαι· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν "3ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμῆς κακουργίας"3. ἐπερ · εἰς τὸ ἀδεές; -οὐ νῦν δεδιττόμενος εἶπεν· "3εἰς τὸ ἀδεές με ἀποκατάστησον"3, εἰς τὸ μηκέτι μηδὲ προπάθειαν ἔ222 χειν. αἴσθησιν ἔχω, ὅτι τετάραγμαι. "ἀποκατάστησον" οὖν "τὴν ψυχήν μου". "ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή