16. And these indeed are testimonies bearing on the incarnation of the Word; and there are also very many others. But let us also look at the subject in hand,—namely, the question, brethren, that in reality the Father’s power, which is the Word, came down from heaven, and not the Father Himself. For thus He speaks: “I came forth from the Father, and am come.”87    John xvi. 28. Now what subject is meant in this sentence, “I came forth from the Father,”88    Reading ἐξῆλθον. The Latin interpreter seems to read ἐξελθόν = what is this that came forth. but just the Word? And what is it that is begotten of Him, but just the Spirit,89    πνεῦμα. The divine in Christ is thus designated in the Ante-Nicene Fathers generally. See Grotius on Mark ii. 8; and for a full history of the term in this use, Dorner’s Person of Christ, i. p. 390, etc. (Clark). that is to say, the Word? But you will say to me, How is He begotten? In your own case you can give no explanation of the way in which you were begotten, although you see every day the cause according to man; neither can you tell with accuracy the economy in His case.90    την περὶ τοῦτον οἰκονομιαν. For you have it not in your power to acquaint yourself with the practised and indescribable art91    τὴν τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος ἔμπειρον καὶ ἀνεκδιήγητου τέχνην. (method) of the Maker, but only to see, and understand, and believe that man is God’s work. Moreover, you are asking an account of the generation of the Word, whom God the Father in His good pleasure begat as He willed. Is it not enough for you to learn that God made the world, but do you also venture to ask whence He made it? Is it not enough for you to learn that the Son of God has been manifested to you for salvation if you believe, but do you also inquire curiously how He was begotten after the Spirit? No more than two,92    i.e., Matthew and Luke in their Gospels. in sooth, have been put in trust to give the account of His generation after the flesh; and are you then so bold as to seek the account (of His generation) after the Spirit, which the Father keeps with Himself, intending to reveal it then to the holy ones and those worthy of seeing His face? Rest satisfied with the word spoken by Christ, viz., “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit,”93    John iii. 6. just as, speaking by the prophet of the generation of the Word, He shows the fact that He is begotten, but reserves the question of the manner and means, to reveal it only in the time determined by Himself. For He speaks thus: “From the womb, before the morning star, I have begotten Thee.”94    Ps. cx. 3.

[16] καὶ ταύτας μὲν περὶ σαρκώσεως τοῦ Λόγου μαρτυρίας [.......]: ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ἕτερα πλεῖστα. ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸ προκείμενον, ὅτι ὄντως, ἀδελφοί, ἡ δύναμις ἡ πατρῴα, ὅ ἐστιν Λόγος, ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ κατῆλθεν καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ Πατήρ. λέγει γὰρ οὕτως, Ἐγὼ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἥκω. τί δέ ἐστιν τὸ Ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός, ἀλλ' ἢ Λόγος; τί δὲ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθὲν ἀλλ' ἢ πνεῦμα, τοῦτ' ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος; ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς μοι, Πῶς γεγέννηται; τὴν μὲν κατὰ σὲ διήγησιν, ὡς γεγέννησαι, οὐ δύνῃ ἐξειπεῖν, καίτοι ἑκάστης ἡμέρας ὁρῶν τὴν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον αἰτίαν, καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦτον οἰκονομίαν ἀκριβῶς ἐξειπεῖν οὐ δύνασαι. οὐ γὰρ πάρεστίν σοι γιγνώσκειν τὴν τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος ἔμπειρον καὶ ἀνεκδιήγητον τέχνην, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ὁρῶντα νοεῖν καὶ πιστεύειν ὅτι ἔργον Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος: περὶ δὲ Λόγου γένεσιν ζητεῖς, ὅνπερ βουληθεὶς ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ ἐγέννησεν ὡς ἠθέλησεν. οὐ γὰρ αὔταρκές σοί ἐστιν μαθεῖν ὅτι κόσμον ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν; ἀλλὰ καὶ πόθεν ἐποίησεν τολμᾷς ἐπιζητεῖν; ἢ οὐκ αὔταρκές σοί ἐστιν μαθεῖν ὅτι Υἱὸς Θεοῦ σοι ἐφανερώθη εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς; ἀλλὰ καὶ πῶς ἐγεννήθη κατὰ πνεῦμα πολυπραγμονεῖς; καὶ τὴν μὲν κατὰ σάρκα γέννησιν αὐτοῦ οὐ πλείονες ἐπιστεύθησαν διηγήσασθαι πλὴν δύο, καὶ σὺ τολμᾷς ἐπιζητεῖν τὴν κατὰ πνεῦμα διήγησιν, ἣν παρ' ἑαυτῷ φυλάττει Πατὴρ ἀποκαλύπτειν μέλλων τότε ⌊τοῖς⌋ ἁγίοις καὶ ἀξίοις ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. αὔταρκές σοι ἤτω τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὅτι τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν. καθὼς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὴν τοῦ Λόγου γέννησιν σημαίνων ὅτι γεγέννηται, τὸ δὲ πῶς φυλάσσει καιρῷ ὡρισμένῳ παρ' αὐτῷ μέλλων ἀποκαλύπτειν: λέγει δὲ οὕτως, Ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐξεγέννησά σε.