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the iron for the need, but not because this precedes the others, is there already some difference in matter between the instrument that impresses the form and the iron being shaped according to the instrument (for both this and that are iron), but the one shape is prior to the other; such is the theology of the heresy concerning the Son, to think that the Lord himself and the things made by him do not differ at all in substance except for the difference in order. 3.2.34 Who then of those who in any way are counted among Christians will agree that the parts of the world and the one who made the world have the same definition of substance? For I shudder at the blasphemy, knowing that of things which have the same definition, the nature is in no way different. For just as Peter and John and the rest of men have a common definition of substance and a single nature, in the same way if the Lord were in like manner by nature with the parts of the world, whatever they perceive in them, to these things 3.2.35 they will of necessity confess that he too is subject. But the world will not last forever; therefore, according to them, the Lord also will pass away with the heaven and the earth, if he were of the same kind as the world. But if he himself is confessed to be eternal, it is altogether necessary to think that the world also is not without a share in the divine nature, if this should happen to the Only-Begotten with respect to his creation. Do you see to what the argument is carried by this fine consequence, like a stone broken off a mountain peak and driven downhill by its own weight? For it is necessary either that the elements of the world seem worthy of worship, according to the vanity of the Greeks, or that the Son not even 3.2.36 be worshipped. But let us consider it thus. We say that creation, both the intelligible and as much as is of a sensible nature, came to be from non-existence; this they also preach concerning the Lord. We say that all things that have come to be were established by the will of God; this they also relate concerning the Only-begotten. We have believed that neither the angelic creation nor the creation in the world is from the substance of the maker; and they likewise alienate him from the Father's substance. We confess that all things serve the will of the maker; they have this 3.2.37 thought also concerning the Only-begotten. Therefore of necessity also all other things, whatever they may think of this creation, these they will also apply to the Only-begotten, and whatever they believe in him, this they will also suppose of creation; so that if they confess the Lord to be God, they will also deify the rest of creation, but if they determine that these things have no share in the divine nature, they will not deny the same supposition also concerning the Only-begotten. But surely no one of sound mind attests divinity to creation; therefore not—and I am silent on what is left, so that I may not defile my tongue with the blasphemy of the enemies; let them say what is brought on by the consequence, whose mouth has been trained for blas 3.2.38 phemy. But the argument is clear even when we are silent. For one of two things will of necessity be: either they will openly reject the Only-begotten as God, so that this no longer exists or is said among them; or if they attest divinity to him, they will also attest the same to all of creation; or the remaining option, fleeing the impiety that appears on either side, they will take refuge in the pious argument and will surely agree that he is not a creature, so that they may confess that he is truly God. 3.2.39 Why is it necessary, speaking of other things, to linger on how many blasphemies are necessarily contained in the argument from this principle? For he who looks to what follows will understand through what has been said, that even the father of lies, the creator of death, the inventor of evil, being a creature in an intelligible and immortal and bodiless nature, was not prevented by his nature from becoming through change what he is. For the changeable aspect of the substance, being moved towards either side according to its power, has the power of its nature following the inclination of its choice, so as to become that towards which its choice might lead 3.2.40 it. Therefore they will determine that the Lord is also receptive of opposites, as

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πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ὁ σίδηρος, οὐ μὴν ἐπειδὴ προτερεύει τοῦτο τῶν ἄλλων, ἤδη τις καὶ διαφορὰ κατὰ τὴν ὕλην ἐστὶ τοῦ τε ἐκτυποῦντος ὀργάνου καὶ τοῦ σχηματιζομένου σιδήρου κατὰ τὸ ὄργανον (σίδηρος γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο), τὸ δὲ σχῆμα προγενέστερον τοῦ ἑτέρου τὸ ἕτερον· τοιαύτη τῆς αἱρέσεως ἡ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ θεολογία, τὸ μηδὲν οἴεσθαι διαφέρειν κατ' οὐσίαν αὐτόν τε τὸν κύριον καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγονότα πλὴν τῆς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν διαφορᾶς. 3.2.34 Τίς τοίνυν τῶν καὶ ὁπωσοῦν εἰς Χριστιανοὺς συντελούν των τῶν τε μορίων τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τοῦ πεποιηκότος τὸν κόσμον τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τῆς οὐσίας λόγον συνθήσεται; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ φρίττω τὴν βλασφημίαν, εἰδὼς ὅτι ὧν ὁ λόγος ὁ αὐτός, τούτων πάντως οὐδὲ ἡ φύσις διάφορος. ὡς γὰρ Πέτρου καὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅ τε λόγος τῆς οὐσίας κοινὸς καὶ ἡ φύσις μία, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον εἰ ὡσαύτως ἔχοι κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ὁ κύριος τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου μέρεσιν, ἅπερ ἂν ἐν ἐκείνοις κατανοήσωσι, τούτοις ὑπο 3.2.35 κεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦτον κατ' ἀνάγκην ὁμολογήσουσιν. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὁ κόσμος οὐκ εἰσαεὶ διαμενεῖ· ἄρα κατ' αὐτοὺς καὶ ὁ κύριος μετὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς παρελεύσεται, εἴπερ ὁμογενῶς ἔχοι τῷ κόσμῳ. εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς ἀΐδιος ὁμολο γεῖται, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μηδὲ τὸν κόσμον τῆς θείας φύσεως ἄμοιρον οἴεσθαι, εἴπερ τῷ μονογενεῖ κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν συμ βαίνοι. ὁρᾷς πρὸς ὅ τι φέρεται διὰ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης ἀκολουθίας ὁ λόγος, οἷόν τις λίθος ἀπορραγεὶς ἀκρωρείας καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πρανὲς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου βάρους συνελαυνόμενος. ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἢ καὶ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου στοιχεῖα κατὰ τὴν Ἑλ ληνικὴν ματαιότητα σεβάσμια φαίνεσθαι ἢ μηδὲ τὸν υἱὸν 3.2.36 προσκυνεῖσθαι. οὑτωσὶ δὲ σκοπήσωμεν. ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γεγενῆσθαι τὴν κτίσιν φαμὲν τήν τε νοητὴν καὶ ὅση τῆς αἰσθητῆς ἐστι φύσεως· ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τοῦ κυρίου κηρύσ σουσι. θελήματι θεοῦ πάντα συστῆναι τὰ γεγονότα λέ γομεν· ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς διεξέρχονται. οὐκ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας εἶναι τοῦ πεποιηκότος οὔτε τὴν ἀγγελικὴν κτίσιν οὔτε τὴν ἐγκόσμιον πεπιστεύκαμεν· κἀκεῖνον ὁμοίως τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίας ἀλλοτριοῦσι. δουλεύειν τὰ σύμπαντα τῷ θελήματι τοῦ πεποιηκότος ὁμολογοῦμεν· ταύτην ἔχουσι 3.2.37 καὶ περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς τὴν διάνοιαν. οὐκοῦν ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ὅσαπερ ἂν ἐπὶ ταύτης νοήσωσι, ταῦτα καὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ ἐφαρμόσουσι, καὶ ὅπερ ἂν ἐν ἐκείνῳ πι στεύσωσι, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κτίσεως ὑπολήψονται· ὥστε εἰ θεὸν ὁμολογοῦσι τὸν κύριον, καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν κτίσιν θεοποιή σουσιν, εἰ δὲ ταῦτα τῆς θείας φύσεως ἀμοιρεῖν διορίζονται, τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόληψιν καὶ περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς οὐκ ἀρνή σονται. ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδεὶς τῶν σωφρονούντων τῇ κτίσει προσμαρτυρεῖ τὴν θεότητα· οὐκ ἄρα-καὶ σιωπῶ τὸ λειπόμενον, ὡς ἂν μὴ χρίσαιμι τῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν βλα σφημίᾳ τὴν γλῶσσαν· ἐκεῖνοι λεγέτωσαν τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀκο λουθίας ἐπιφερόμενον, οἷς τὸ στόμα πρὸς τὴν βλα 3.2.38 σφημίαν καταγεγύμνασται. ὁ δὲ λόγος καὶ σιωπώντων δῆλός ἐστι. τῶν δύο γὰρ τὸ ἕτερον ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔσται· ἢ φανερῶς ἀποχειροτονήσουσι τὸν μονογενῆ θεόν, ὥστε μη κέτι παρ' ἐκείνοις καὶ εἶναι τοῦτο καὶ λέγεσθαι· ἢ εἰ προσ μαρτυροῦσιν αὐτῷ τὴν θεότητα, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τὸ ἴσον προσμαρτυρήσουσιν· ἢ τὸ λειπόμενον, φεύγοντες τὴν ἐφ' ἑκάτερα προφαινομένην ἀσέβειαν ἐπὶ τὸν εὐσεβῆ κατα φεύξονται λόγον καὶ τὸ μὴ κτιστὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι πάντως συγκαταθήσονται, ἵνα θεὸν αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς εἶναι ὁμολο γήσωσι. 3.2.39 Τί δεῖ τὰ ἄλλα λέγοντα διατρίβειν ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης ὅσα κατ' ἀνάγκην ὕπεστι τῷ λόγῳ τὰ βλάσφημα; συνήσει γὰρ διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων ὁ πρὸς τὸ ἀκόλουθον βλέ πων, ὅτι καὶ ὁ τοῦ ψεύδους πατήρ, ὁ τοῦ θανάτου δη μιουργός, ὁ τῆς κακίας εὑρετής, κτιστὸς ὢν ἐν νοερᾷ τε καὶ ἀθανάτῳ καὶ ἀσωμάτῳ τῇ φύσει, οὐκ ἐκωλύθη ὑπὸ τῆς φύ σεως διὰ μεταβολῆς γενέσθαι ὅπερ ἐστί. τὸ γὰρ τρεπτὸν τῆς οὐσίας ἐφ' ἑκάτερον κατ' ἐξουσίαν κινούμενον ἀκολουθοῦσαν ἔχει τῇ τῆς προαιρέσεως ῥοπῇ τὴν τῆς φύσεως δύναμιν, ὥστε ἐκεῖνο γενέσθαι πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν ἡ προαίρεσις αὐτῆς ἀφηγή 3.2.40 σηται. οὐκοῦν δεκτικὸν καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων τὸν κύριον διο ρίσονται, ὡς