17. When, then, the apostle “thanks God through Jesus Christ,”  1  Rom. i. 8. and again says that “through Him” we have “received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations,”  2  Rom. i. 5. or “through Him have access unto this grace wherein we stand and rejoice,”  3  Rom. v. 2. he sets forth the boons conferred on us by the Son, at one time making the grace of the good gifts pass through from the Father to us, and at another bringing us to the Father through Himself. For by saying “through whom we have received grace and apostleship,”  4  Rom. i. 5. he declares the supply of the good gifts to proceed from that source; and again in saying “through whom we have had access,”  5  Rom. v. 2. he sets forth our acceptance and being made “of the household of God”  6  cf. Eph. ii. 19. through Christ. Is then the confession of the grace wrought by Him to usward a detraction from His glory? Is it not truer to say that the recital of His benefits is a proper argument for glorifying Him? It is on this account that we have not found Scripture describing the Lord to us by one name, nor even by such terms alone as are indicative of His godhead and majesty. At one time it uses terms descriptive of His nature, for it recognises the “name which is above every name,”  7  Phil. ii. 9. the name of Son,  8  Two mss., those in the B. Museum and at Vienna, read here Ιησοῦ. In Ep. 210. 4, St. Basil writes that the name above every name is αὐτὸ τὸ καλεῖσθαι αὐτὸν Υιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. and speaks of true Son,  9  cf. Matt. xiv. 33, and xxvii. 54. and only begotten God,  10  John i. 18. cf. note on p. . and Power of God,  11  1 Cor. i. 24, and possibly Rom. i. 16, if with D. we read gospel of Christ. and Wisdom,  12  1 Cor. i. 24. and Word.  13  e.g., John i. 1. cf. Ps. cvii. 20; Wisdom ix. 1, xviii. 15; Ecclesiasticus xliii. 20. Then again, on account of the divers manners  14  Τὸ πολύτροπον. cf. Heb. i. 1. wherein grace is given to us, which, because of the riches of His goodness,  15  Τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς ἀγαθότητος. cf. Rom. ii. 4, τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος. according to his manifold  16  Eph. iii. 10. wisdom, he bestows on them that need, Scripture designates Him by innumerable other titles, calling Him Shepherd,  17  e.g., John x. 12. King,  18  e.g., Matt. xxi. 5. Physician,  19  e.g., Matt. ix. 12. Bridegroom,  20  e.g., Matt. ix. 15. Way,  21  e.g., John xiv. 6. Door,  22  e.g., John x. 9. Fountain,  23  cf. Rev. xxi. 6. Bread,  24  e.g., John vi. 21. Axe,  25  cf. Matt. iii. 10. and Rock.  26  e.g., 1 Cor. x. 4. And these titles do not set forth His nature, but, as I have remarked, the variety of the effectual working which, out of His tender-heartedness to His own creation, according to the peculiar necessity of each, He bestows upon them that need. Them that have fled for refuge to His ruling care, and through patient endurance have mended their wayward ways,  27  I translate here the reading of the Parisian Codex called by the Benedictine Editors Regius Secundus, τὸ εὐμετάβολον κατωρθωκότας. The harder reading, τὸ εὐμετάδοτον, which may be rendered “have perfected their readiness to distribute,” has the best manuscript authority, but it is barely intelligible; and the Benedictine Editors are quite right in calling attention to the fact that the point in question here is not the readiness of the flock to distribute (cf. 1 Tim. vi. 18), but their patient following of their Master. The Benedictine Editors boldly propose to introduce a word of no authority τὸ ἀμετάβολον, rendering qui per patientiam animam immutabilem præbuerunt. The reading adopted above is supported by a passage in Ep. 244, where St. Basil is speaking of the waywardness of Eustathius, and seems to fit in best with the application of the passage to the words of our Lord, “have fled for refuge to his ruling care,” corresponding with “the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (St. John x. 4), and “have mended their wayward ways,” with “a stranger will they not follow,” v. 5. Mr. Johnston, in his valuable note, compares Origen’s teaching on the Names of our Lord. He calls “sheep,” and confesses Himself to be, to them that hear His voice and refuse to give heed to strange teaching, a “shepherd.” For “my sheep,” He says, “hear my voice.” To them that have now reached a higher stage and stand in need of righteous royalty,  28  So three mss. Others repeat ἐπιστασία, translated “ruling care” above. ἔννομος is used by Plato for “lawful” and “law-abiding.” (Legg. 921 C. and Rep. 424 E.) In 1 Cor. ix. 21, A.V. renders “under the law.” He is a King. And in that, through the straight way of His commandments, He leads men to good actions, and again because He safely shuts in all who through faith in Him betake themselves for shelter to the blessing of the higher wisdom,  29  Τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ἀγαθόν: possibly “the good of knowledge of him.” He is a Door.

So He says, “By me if any man enter in, he shall go in and out and shall find pastare.”  30  John x. 9. Again, because to the faithful He is a defence strong, unshaken, and harder to break than any bulwark, He is a Rock. Among these titles, it is when He is styled Door, or Way, that the phrase “through Him” is very appropriate and plain. As, however, God and Son, He is glorified with and together with  31  cf. note on page 3, on μετά and σόν. the Father, in that “at, the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  32  Phil. ii. 10, 11. Wherefore we use both terms, expressing by the one His own proper dignity, and by the other His grace to usward.

[17] Ὅταν οὖν ὁ ἀπόστολος εὐχαριστῇ «τῷ Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ», καὶ πάλιν δι' αὐτοῦ λέγῃ τὴν χάριν εἰληφέναι «καὶ τὴν ἀποστολὴν εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν», ἢ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχηκέναι «εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν καὶ καυχώμεθα», τὰς εἰς ἡμᾶς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ παρίστησι, νῦν μὲν ἀπὸ Πατρὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν χάριν διαβιβάζοντος, νῦν δὲ ἡμᾶς δι' ἑαυτοῦ προσάγοντος τῷ Πατρί. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ λέγειν: «Δι' οὗ ἐλάβομεν χάριν καὶ ἀποστολήν», τὴν ἐκεῖθεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγίαν ἐμφαίνει: ἐν δὲ τῷ λέγειν: «Δι' οὗ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν», τὴν ἡμετέραν πρόσληψιν καὶ οἰκείωσιν διὰ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν γινομένην παρίστησιν. Ἆρ' οὖν ἡ ὁμολογία τῆς ἐνεργουμένης παρ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς χάριτος, ὑφαίρεσίς ἐστι τῆς δόξης; ἢ μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν ἀληθέστερον, ὅτι πρέπουσα δοξολογίας ὑπόθεσις ἡ τῶν εὐεργετημάτων διήγησις; Διὰ τοῦτο εὕρομεν τὴν Γραφὴν οὐκ ἐξ ἑνὸς ὀνόματος τὸν Κύριον ἡμῖν παραδιδοῦσαν, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ὅσα τῆς θεότητός ἐστιν αὐτοῦ μόνον καὶ τοῦ μεγέθους δηλωτικά, ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν τοῖς τῆς φύσεως χαρακτηριστικοῖς κεχρημένην: οἶδε γὰρ «τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα» τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ Υἱὸν ἀληθινὸν λέγειν, καὶ μονογενῆ Θεόν, καὶ δύναμιν Θεοῦ, καὶ σοφίαν, καὶ Λόγον. Καὶ πάλιν μέντοι διὰ τὸ πολύτροπον τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς χάριτος, ἣν διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς ἀγαθότητος κατὰ τὴν πολυποίκιλον αὐτοῦ σοφίαν τοῖς δεομένοις παρέχεται, μυρίαις αὐτὸν ἑτέραις προσηγορίαις ἀποσημαίνει: ποτὲ μὲν ποιμένα λέγουσα, ποτὲ δὲ βασιλέα, καὶ πάλιν ἰατρόν, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν νυμφίον, καὶ ὁδόν, καὶ θύραν, καὶ πηγήν, καὶ ἄρτον, καὶ ἀξίνην, καὶ πέτραν. Ταῦτα γὰρ οὐ τὴν φύσιν παρίστησιν, ἀλλά, ὅπερ ἔφην, τὸ τῆς ἐνεργείας παντοδαπόν, ἣν ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὸ ἴδιον πλάσμα εὐσπλαγχνίας κατὰ τὸ τῆς χρείας ἰδίωμα τοῖς δεομένοις παρέχεται. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ προσπεφευγότας τῇ ἐπιστασίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ εὐμετάδοτον δι' ἀνεξικακίας κατωρθωκότας, πρόβατα λέγει, καὶ ποιμὴν εἶναι τῶν τοιούτων ὁμολογεῖ, τῶν κατακουόντων αὐτοῦ τῆς φωνῆς καὶ μὴ προσεχόντων διδαχαῖς ξενιζούσαις. «Τὰ γὰρ ἐμὰ πρόβατα, φησί, τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς ἀκούει.» Βασιλεὺς δὲ τῶν ὑπεραναβεβηκότων ἤδη, καὶ τῆς ἐννόμου δεομένων ἐπιστασίας. Καὶ θύρα δέ, τῷ ἐπὶ τὰς σπουδαίας πράξεις διὰ τῆς ὀρθότητος τῶν προσταγμάτων ἐξάγειν, καὶ πάλιν ἀσφαλῶς αὐλίζειν τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ἀγαθὸν διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως καταφεύγοντας. Ὅθεν: «Δι' ἐμοῦ ἐάν τις εἰσέλθῃ, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται, καὶ ἐξελεύσεται, καὶ νομὴν εὑρήσει.» Πέτρα δὲ διὰ τὸ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ἄσειστον καὶ παντὸς ἐρύματος ἀρραγέστερον εἶναι φυλακτήριον τοῖς πιστοῖς. Ἐν τούτοις τὸ δι' αὐτοῦ ἁρμοδιωτάτην τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ εὔσημον ἀποδίδωσιν, ὅταν ὡς θύρα καὶ ὡς ὁδὸς λέγηται. Ὡς μέντοι Θεὸς καὶ Υἱός, μετὰ Πατρὸς καὶ σὺν Πατρὶ τὴν δόξαν ἔχει, ὅτι «ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψει, ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός». Διόπερ ἀμφοτέραις κεχρήμεθα ταῖς φωναῖς, τῇ μὲν τὴν οἰκείαν αὐτοῦ ἀξίαν, τῇ δὲ τὴν χάριν τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαγγέλλοντες.