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dragging him down to the same honor as the angels by means of creation. But let them hear the great voice of Paul. how he says that this one alone is called Son? because he is not of the nature of angels, but of a better nature. For to which of the angels did He ever say, You are my Son? And when again He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, And let all the angels 3.2.41 of God worship him. and to the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire; but to the Son, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom, and whatever other things the prophecy, discoursing on divine matters, relates along with these. and he also adds fitting words from another hymn, You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands, and all that follows until, But you are the same, and your years will not fail, by which he delineates the unchangeable and eternal character of his 3.2.42 nature. If, then, the divinity of the only-begotten so far surpasses the angelic nature as the master differs from the slaves, how do they put on a common level either the Lord of creation with the sensible creation, or the one worshipped by them with the nature of angels, by discoursing these things about the mode of his existence, which would properly be applied to each of the things observed in creation, just as we have already shown that the account about the Lord rendered by the heresy is fittingly and appropriately related to the structure of the earth? 3.2.43 But so that nothing doubtful might be left for those who read our labors, concerning things that offer some support to the heretical dogmas, it would be worthwhile for this also to be added from the divinely-inspired Scripture to what has been examined by us. For perhaps they will say, from the very apostolic words which we have mentioned, that how could he be named firstborn of creation, if he were not that which creation is? For every firstborn is not firstborn of a different nature, but of the same kind, as Reuben, being first in birth of those numbered after him, was a man, the firstborn of men, and many others of the brothers numbered together 3.2.44 are called firstborn. They say, therefore, that whatever substance we conceive for all of creation, its firstborn also we say is of the same. If then all creation is of the same substance with the Father of all, we will not deny that its firstborn is this also; but if the God of all differs in substance from creation, it is absolutely necessary to say that its firstborn also does not partake of the substance of God. So then the structure of the objection is of this kind, set forth by us against our argument, I think, in no less noble a fashion than it was likely to be advanced by those who contend with us. But what one must know in response to these things will now be clarified in our argument, as best we are able. 3.2.45 The name 'firstborn' is said four times by the apostle in all his writings, but he has made mention of this name in different ways and not in the same manner. For at one time he says 'firstborn of all creation,' again 'firstborn among many brethren,' then 'firstborn from the dead,' and in the epistle to the Hebrews the name of the 'firstborn' is mentioned absolutely by itself. For he says thus: But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, And let all his 3.2.46 angels worship him. These things being so distinguished, it would be well to discuss each of these separately by itself, how he is firstborn of creation, and how among many brethren, and how from the dead, and how, mentioned by himself apart from each of these, when he is again brought into the world, he is worshipped by all his angels. Therefore, let us begin our consideration of the proposed topics from the last one, if it seems good. 3.2.47 When He brings again, it says, the firstborn into the world. The addition of 'again' indicates, through the meaning of this word, that this is not happening for the first time; for upon the

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πρὸς τὴν ἀγγελικὴν ὁμοτιμίαν αὐτὸν κατα σπῶντες διὰ τῆς κτίσεως. ἀλλ' ἀκουσάτωσαν τῆς μεγάλης τοῦ Παύλου φωνῆς. πῶς μόνον τοῦτον υἱὸν κεκλῆσθαί φησι; διὰ τὸ εἶναι οὐχὶ τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀλλὰ τῆς κρείτ τονος φύσεως. Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων Υἱός μου εἶ σύ; καὶ ὅταν πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι 3.2.41 θεοῦ. καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα· πρὸς δὲ τὸν υἱὸν Ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασι λείας σου, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα μετὰ τούτων ἡ προφητεία θεολο γοῦσα διέξεισι. προστίθησι δὲ καὶ ἀφ' ἑτέρας ὑμνωδίας τὰ πρόσφορα τὸ Σὺ κατ' ἀρχὰς τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, κύριε, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου εἰσὶν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς πάντα ἕως τοῦ Σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι, δι' ὧν τὸ ἀναλλοίωτόν τε καὶ τὸ ἀΐδιον ὑπο 3.2.42 γράφει τῆς φύσεως. εἰ οὖν τοσοῦτον ὑπέρκειται τῆς ἀγγε λικῆς φύσεως τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἡ θεότης, ὅσον διαφέρει τῶν δούλων ὁ κεκτημένος, πῶς κοινοποιοῦσιν ἢ πρὸς τὴν αἰσθη τὴν κτίσιν τὸν τῆς κτίσεως κύριον ἢ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσιν τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν προσκυνούμενον, ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς ὑπάρξεως αὐτοῦ διεξιόντες, ἃ τοῖς καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει θεωρουμένων κυρίως ἐφαρμοσθήσεται, καθὼς ἤδη τὸν ἀποδοθέντα περὶ τοῦ κυρίου λόγον ὑπὸ τῆς αἱρέ σεως τῇ κατασκευῇ τῆς γῆς προσφυῶς ἔχοντα καὶ οἰκείως 3.2.43 ἐδείξαμεν; ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν μή τι τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι τοῖς πό νοις ἡμῶν ἀμφίβολον ὑπολείποιτο τῶν τινα συνηγορίαν τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς δόγμασι παρεχομένων, ἐκ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γρα φῆς ἄξιον ἂν εἴη καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἐξητασμένοις παρ' ἡμῶν προστεθῆναι. ἐροῦσι γὰρ ἴσως ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀποστολικῶν, ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐπεμνήσθημεν, ὅτι πῶς ἂν πρωτότοκος κτίσεως ὠνομάσθη, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν ὅπερ ἡ κτίσις ἐστί; πᾶς γὰρ πρωτότοκος οὐ τῶν ἑτεροφυῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἐστι πρωτότοκος, ὡς ὁ Ῥουβὶμ τῶν μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἀριθμουμένων προτερεύων κατὰ τὸν τόκον πρωτότοκος ἦν ἀνθρώπων ἄν θρωπος, καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν συναριθμουμένων ἀδελφῶν 3.2.44 πρωτότοκοι λέγονται. λέγουσι τοίνυν ὅτι 20ἥνπερ ἂν πάσης τῆς κτίσεως οὐσίαν νοήσωμεν, καὶ τὸν ταύτης πρωτότοκον τῆς αὐτῆς εἶναι λέγομεν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁμοούσιός ἐστι τῷ πατρὶ τῶν ὅλων ἡ πᾶσα κτίσις, τοῦτο καὶ τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτῆς εἶναι οὐκ ἀρνησό μεθα· εἰ δὲ διαφέρει κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς κτίσεως ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μηδὲ τὸν πρωτότοκον ταύτης κοινωνεῖν τῷ θεῷ τῆς οὐσίας λέγειν20. ἡ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἀντιθέσεως κατασκευὴ τοιαύτη, οὐδὲν ἀγενέστερον, οἶμαι, παρ' ἡμῶν ἀντιτεθεῖσα τῷ λόγῳ ἢ ὡς εἰκὸς ἦν ἀντεπενεχθῆναι παρὰ τῶν μαχομένων ἡμῖν. ἃ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα γινώσκειν χρή, νῦν ὡς ἂν οἷοί τε ὦμεν τῷ λόγῳ σαφηνισθή σεται. 3.2.45 Τετράκις εἴρηται παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα, διαφόρως δὲ καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου τὴν μνήμην πεποίηται. νῦν μὲν γάρ φησι πρωτότοκον πάσης τῆς κτί σεως, πάλιν δὲ πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, εἶτα πρω τότοκον ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολῇ ἀπόλυτόν ἐστιν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ μνημονευθὲν τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα. λέγει γὰρ οὕτως· Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτό τοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ 3.2.46 πάντες ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ. οὕτω δὲ τούτων διῃρημένων, κα λῶς ἂν ἔχοι ἕκαστον τούτων ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ διελέσθαι χωρίς, πῶς τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστι πρωτότοκος καὶ πῶς ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καὶ πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ πῶς ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ χωρὶς ἑκάστου τούτων μνημονευθείς, ὅταν πάλιν εἰσάγηται εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, προσκυνεῖται ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. οὐκοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν τελευταίων, εἰ δοκεῖ, τῆς τῶν προκειμένων θεωρίας ἀρξώμεθα. 3.2.47 Ὅταν πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ, φησί, τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην. ἡ τοῦ πάλιν προσθήκη τὸ μὴ πρώτως γίνεσθαι τοῦτο διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ταύτην σημασίας ἐνδείκνυται· ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς