209
in naming, there is every necessity for him to say each of these things in no other way than as it is said, I mean, according to the combinations of syllables, of which some are formed by the lips, some by the tongue, and 2.1.203 some by both. If, therefore, the name could not be pronounced otherwise, unless the vocal organs, through a certain kind of movement, produce the syllables and the word, then he certainly adds these things to God, and for the sake of the word, he will give form to the divine. For the particular formation of the organs that produce the voice is certainly a shape; and shape is the limit of a body; and every 2.1.204 body has not escaped being composite. And where composition is observed, there too the dissolution of the composite is certainly apprehended; and dissolution is the same in meaning as corruption. Therefore, this is the limit of the victory against us for the speechwriter: to show his own God, whom he fashioned through the name of 20unbegottenness20, as speaking, so that he might not be without the invention of names; being formed with vocal organs, so that he might utter names; and not without a bodily nature, due to the necessity of forms (for no form could be observed in itself, unless it is impressed on a body), and proceeding little by little toward the passions connatural to a body, through being composite toward dissolution, and through this ending in corruption. 2.1.205 Such a nature of this recent god has been revealed through the logical consequence of the things said by the new god-maker. But he takes hold of the scriptures and says, 20that Moses explicitly cries out these things, that God said, and he adds the words, 'Let there be light,' and 'Let there be a firmament,' and 'Let the waters be gathered,' and 'Let the dry land appear,' and 'Let the earth sprout,' and 'Let the waters bring forth,' and all the things that have been written in succession20. Let us therefore examine 2.1.206 the meaning of what was said. Who does not know, even among mere infants, that hearing and speech have a natural relationship to one another, and just as it is not possible for hearing to be active if no one is speaking, so too it is not possible for speech to be active if it is not directed toward hearing. If, therefore, he says that God has spoken, let him show us also the hearing to which he has spoken. Or will he say that he says these things to himself? Therefore, he commands these things to himself, giving orders. And who will accept this, that God sits down arranging for himself what must be done and using himself as a minister and servant of the commands? 2.1.207 But even if one should grant that it is pious to say this, who, when by himself, has needed verbs and words, even if he is a human? For to each person the movement of the mind is sufficient to produce the impulse of the will. But he will surely say that he is speaking to the Son. And what need was there of a voice for this? For it is characteristic of corporeal nature to announce the thoughts of the heart through words; whence also declaration through the invention of letters has been devised, being equivalent in use to the voice; 2.1.208 for speaking and writing, we equally announce what is thought, but in the case of those not very far away we reach their hearing with the voice, while to those far off we declare our mind with letters; and in the case of those present, in proportion to the distance, we either raise the pitch of our voice or lower it, and there are times when, by only nodding, we have made clear to our neighbors what is to be done, and the will in the soul and an eye disposed in a certain way has indicated, and a certain movement of the hand has either forbidden or accepted something being done. 2.1.209 If, therefore, those who are encompassed by a body often make known to their neighbors the hidden movements of the mind even without voice or word or discourse in letters, and silence has brought no harm to the matter at hand, is there on the part of the immaterial and intangible and, as Eunomius says, 20the highest and first substance20 a need for words to clarify the thought of the Father and make known his will to the Only-Begotten? Words that, as he himself says, 20are by nature dissolved together with the voice20? I do not know if anyone with sense will accept these things as true, especially since every utterance is certainly poured out into the air (for it is not possible for a voice to be produced unless it is formed in the air), it is necessary
209
ὀνο μάζων, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μὴ ἄλλως τούτων ἕκαστον εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν ἢ ὡς λέγεται, κατὰ τὰς τῶν συλλαβῶν φημι συμ πλοκάς, ὧν αἱ μὲν διὰ χειλῶν αἱ δὲ διὰ γλώσσης αἱ 2.1.203 δὲ δι' ἑκατέρων ἀποτυποῦνται. εἰ οὖν οὐκ ἂν ἑτέρως ἐκφωνηθείη τὸ ὄνομα, μὴ τῶν φωνητικῶν μορίων διὰ τῆς ποιᾶς κινήσεως ἀπογεννώντων τὰς συλλαβὰς καὶ τὸν λόγον, πάντως ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα προστίθησι τῷ θεῷ καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ λόγου χρείαν διασχηματίσει τὸ θεῖον. ἡ γὰρ ποιὰ τῶν τὴν φωνὴν ἐκτελούντων μορίων διάπλασις ἐν σχήματι πάντως ἐστί· σχῆμα δὲ σώματος πέρας· πᾶν δὲ 2.1.204 σῶμα τὸ σύνθετον εἶναι οὐ διαπέφευγεν. ὅπου δὲ θεω ρεῖται σύνθεσις, ἐκεῖ καταλαμβάνεται πάντως καὶ ἡ τοῦ συνθέτου διάλυσις· ἡ δὲ διάλυσις ταὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἔννοιάν ἐστι τῇ φθορᾷ. οὐκοῦν τοῦτο τῆς καθ' ἡμῶν νίκης τῷ λογογράφῳ τὸ πέρας, τὸ δεῖξαι τὸν ἴδιον ἑαυτοῦ θεόν, ὃν διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τῆς 20ἀγεννησίας20 ἀνέπλασε, φθεγγό μενον μὲν ἵνα μὴ ἀμοιρήσῃ τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων εὑρέσεως, σχηματιζόμενον δὲ τοῖς φωνητικοῖς μέλεσιν ἵνα τὰ ὀνόματα φθέγξηται, τῆς δὲ τοῦ σώματος φύσεως διὰ τὴν τῶν σχη μάτων ἀνάγκην οὐκ ἄμοιρον (οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ τι θεωρηθείη σχῆμα, μὴ ἐν σώματι πάντως τυπούμενον), κατ' ὀλίγον δὲ προϊόντα πρὸς τὰ συμφυῆ τοῦ σώματος πάθη διὰ μὲν τοῦ συνθέτου πρὸς τὴν διάλυσιν, διὰ δὲ ταύτης εἰς φθορὰν καταλήγοντα. 2.1.205 Τοιαύτη τοῦ προσφάτου θεοῦ ἡ φύσις διὰ τῆς ἀκολουθίας τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπὸ τοῦ νέου θεοποιοῦ ἀναπέφηνεν. ἀλλὰ ἀντι λαμβάνεται τῶν γεγραμμένων καί φησι 20ταῦτα τὸν Μωϋσέα διαρρήδην βοᾶν ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ θεός, καὶ προστίθησι τὰ ῥήματα, τὸ Γενηθήτω φῶς καὶ Γενηθήτω στερέωμα καὶ Συναχθήτω τὰ ὕδατα καὶ Ὀφθήτω ἡ ξηρὰ καὶ Βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ καὶ Ἐξαγαγέτω τὰ ὕδατα καὶ πάντα ὅσα καθεξῆς ἀναγέγραπται20. οὐκοῦν ἐξετάσωμεν 2.1.206 τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων διάνοιαν. τίς οὐκ οἶδε καὶ τῶν κομιδῇ νηπίων ὅτι φυσικὴν ἔχει πρὸς ἄλληλα σχέσιν ἀκοή τε καὶ λόγος, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀκοὴν ἐνεργῆσαι μηδενὸς φθεγγομέ νου, οὕτως οὐδὲ λόγον ἐνεργὸν εἶναι μὴ πρὸς ἀκοὴν εὐθυνό μενον. εἰ οὖν λέγει τὸ εἰρηκέναι τὸν θεόν, ὑποδειξάτω ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν πρὸς ἣν εἴρηκεν. ἢ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ταῦτα λέγειν φήσει; οὐκοῦν ἑαυτῷ προστάσσει ταῦτα ἐγκελευό μενος. καὶ τίς τοῦτο δέξεται, καθῆσθαι τὸν θεὸν τὸ πρακτέον ἑαυτῷ διατάττοντα καὶ ἑαυτῷ διακόνῳ τῶν προσταγμάτων 2.1.207 καὶ ὑπηρέτῃ χρώμενον; εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δοίη τις εὐαγὲς εἶναι λέγειν, τίς ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ ῥημάτων ἐδεήθη καὶ λόγων, κἂν ἄνθρωπος ᾖ; ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἑκάστῳ τῆς διανοίας ἡ κίνησις τὴν τῆς προαιρέσεως ὁρμὴν ἐμποιῆσαι. ἀλλὰ τῷ υἱῷ διαλέγεσθαι πάντως ἐρεῖ. καὶ τίς ἦν χρεία πρὸς τοῦτο φωνῆς; ἴδιον γὰρ τῆς ἐνσωμάτου φύσεως τὸ διὰ ῥημάτων ἐξαγγέλλειν τὰ τῆς καρδίας νοήματα· ὅθεν καὶ ἰσοδυνα μοῦσα τῇ χρήσει τῆς φωνῆς ἡ δι' ἐπινοίας τῶν γραμμάτων 2.1.208 ἐξεύρηται δήλωσις· ἐπίσης γὰρ φθεγγόμενοί τε καὶ γράφοντες τὸ νοηθὲν ἐξαγγέλλομεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν μὴ λίαν ἀφεστηκό των φωνῇ τῆς ἀκοῆς καθικνούμεθα, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς πόρρωθεν γράμμασι δηλοῦμεν τὴν γνώμην, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν παρόντων πρὸς λόγον τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἢ ἐπιτείνομεν τὸν τόνον τῆς φωνῆς ἢ ὑφίεμεν, ἔστιν δὲ ὅτε καὶ διανεύοντες μόνον τὸ πρακτέον τοῖς πέλας διεσαφήσαμεν καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ προαίρεσιν καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς τοιῶσδε διατεθεὶς ἐνεδείξατο καὶ χειρὸς ποιὰ κίνησις ἢ ἀπεῖπέ τι τῶν γινομένων ἢ κατεδέξατο. 2.1.209 εἰ τοίνυν οἱ σώματι περιειλημμένοι τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς διανοίας κινήματα καὶ δίχα φωνῆς ἢ ῥήματος ἢ τῆς ἐν γράμμασιν ὁμιλίας πολλάκις τοῖς πέλας γνωρίζουσι καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἤνεγκε τῷ σπουδαζομένῳ πράγματι ζημίαν ἡ σιωπή, ἆρ' ἐπὶ τῆς ἀΰλου καὶ ἀναφοῦς καί, ὥς φησιν ὁ Εὐνόμιος, 20ἀνωτάτω καὶ πρώτης οὐσίας20 ῥημάτων χρεία τῶν καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς διασαφούντων τὸ νόημα καὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ γνωριζόντων τὸ βούλημα; ῥημάτων τῶν, καθὼς αὐτός φησι, 20τῇ φωνῇ πεφυκότων συνδιαλύεσθαι20; Οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τις τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων ταῦτα ὡς ἀληθῆ παραδέξεται, ἄλλως τε παντὸς φθόγγου πάντως εἰς ἀέρα προχεομένου (οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν γενέσθαι φωνὴν μὴ ἐν ἀέρι συνισταμένην) ἀνάγκη