Part III. On the Symbols ‘Of the Essence’ And ‘Coessential.’

We must look at the sense not the wording. The offence excited is at the sense; meaning of the Symbols; the question of their not being in Scripture. Those who hesitate only at ‘coessential,’ not to be considered Arians. Reasons why ‘coessential’ is better than ‘like-in-essence,’ yet the latter may be interpreted in a good sense. Explanation of the rejection of ‘coessential’ by the Council which condemned the Samosatene; use of the word by Dionysius of Alexandria; parallel variation in the use of Unoriginate; quotation from Ignatius and another; reasons for using ‘coessential;’ objections to it; examination of the word itself; further documents of the Council of Ariminum.

33. But since they are thus minded both towards each other and towards those who preceded them, proceed we to ascertain from them what absurdity they have seen, or what they complain of in the received phrases, that they have proved ‘disobedient to parents’ (Rom. i. 30), and contend against an Ecumenical Council154    The subject before us, naturally rises out of what has gone before. The Anomœan creed was hopeless; but with the Semi-Arians all that remained was the adjustment of phrases. Accordingly, Athan. goes on to propose such explanations as might clear the way for a re-union of Christendom. §47, note.? ‘The phrases “of the essence” and “coessential,”’ say they, ‘do not please us, for they are an offence to some and a trouble to many.’ This then is what they allege in their writings; but one may reasonably answer them thus: If the very words were by themselves a cause of offence to them, it must have followed, not that some only should have been offended, and many troubled, but that we also and all the rest should have been affected by them in the same way; but if on the contrary all men are well content with the words, and they who wrote them were no ordinary persons but men who came together from the whole world, and to these testify in addition the 400 Bishops and more who now met at Ariminum, does not this plainly prove against those who accuse the Council, that the terms are not in fault, but the perverseness of those who misinterpret them? How many men read divine Scripture wrongly, and as thus conceiving it, find fault with the Saints? such were the former Jews, who rejected the Lord, and the present Manichees who blaspheme the Law155    Vid. Orat. i. 8; iv. 23.; yet are not the Scriptures the cause to them, but their own evil humours. If then ye can shew the terms to be actually unsound, do so and let the proof proceed, and drop the pretence of offence created, lest you come into the condition of the Pharisees of old. For when they pretended offence at the Lord’s teaching, He said, ‘Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up’ (Matt. xv. 13). By which He shewed that not the words of the Father planted by Him were really an offence to them, but that they misinterpreted what was well said, and offended themselves. And in like manner they who at that time blamed the Epistles of the Apostle, impeached, not Paul, but their own deficient learning and distorted minds.

34. For answer, what is much to the purpose, Who are they whom you pretend are offended and troubled at these terms? of those who are religious towards Christ not one; on the contrary they defend and maintain them. But if they are Arians who thus feel, what wonder they should be distressed at words which destroy their heresy? for it is not the terms which offend them, but the proscription of their irreligion which afflicts them. Therefore let us have no more murmuring against the Fathers, nor pretence of this kind; or next156    ὥρα. vid. Orat. i. §15; iv. §10; Serap. ii. 1. καίρος de Decr. §15. init. you will be making complaints of the Lord’s Cross, because it is ‘to Jews an offence and to Gentiles foolishness,’ as said the Apostle157    ‘The Apostle’ is a common title of S. Paul in antiquity. Cf. August. ad Bonifac. iii. 3. (1 Cor. i. 23, 24). But as the Cross is not faulty, for to us who believe it is ‘Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,’ though Jews rave, so neither are the terms of the Fathers faulty, but profitable to those who honestly read, and subversive of all irreligion, though the Arians so often burst with rage as being condemned by them. Since then the pretence that persons are offended does not hold, tell us yourselves, why is it you are not pleased with the phrase ‘of the essence’ (this must first be enquired about), when you yourselves have written that the Son is generated from the Father? If when you name the Father, or use the word ‘God,’ you do not signify essence, or understand Him according to essence, who is that He is, but signify something else about Him158    Cf. de Decr. 22, note 1., not to say inferior, then you should not have written that the Son was from the Father, but from what is about Him or in Him159    De Decr. 24, note 9.; and so, shrinking from saying that God is truly Father, and making Him compound who is simple, in a material way, you will be authors of a newer blasphemy. And, with such ideas, you must needs consider the Word, and the title ‘Son,’ not as an essence but as a name160    Vid. supr. Orat. i. §15; de Decr. §22, note 1. only, and in consequence hold your own views as far as names only, and be talking, not of what you believe to exist, but of what you think not to exist.

35. But this is more like the crime of the Sadducees, and of those among the Greeks who had the name of Atheists. It follows that you will deny that even creation is the handy-work of God Himself that is; at least, if ‘Father’ and ‘God’ do not signify the very essence of Him that is, but something else, which you imagine: which is irreligious, and most shocking even to think of. But if, when we hear it said, ‘I am that I am,’ and, ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,’ and, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,’ and, ‘Thus saith the Lord Almighty’ (Ex. iii. 14; Gen. i. 1; Deut. vi. 4), we understand nothing else than the very simple, and blessed, and incomprehensible essence itself of Him that is, (for though we be unable to master what He is, yet hearing ‘Father,’ and ‘God,’ and ‘Almighty,’ we understand nothing else to be meant than the very essence of Him that is161    De Decr. 29, note 7.); and if ye too have said, that the Son is from God, it follows that you have said that He is from the ‘essence’ of the Father. And since the Scriptures precede you which say, that the Lord is Son of the Father, and the Father Himself precedes them, who says, ‘This is My beloved Son’ (Matt. iii. 17), and a son is no other than the offspring from his father, is it not evident that the Fathers have suitably said that the Son is from the Father’s essence? considering that it is all one to say rightly ‘from God,’ and to say ‘from the essence.’ For all the creatures, though they be said to have come into being from God, yet are not from God as the Son is; for they are not offsprings in their nature, but works. Thus, it is said, ‘in the beginning God,’ not ‘generated,’ but ‘made the heaven and the earth, and all that is in them’ (Gen. i. 1). And not, ‘who generates,’ but ‘who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire’ (Ps. civ. 4). And though the Apostle has said, ‘One God, from whom all things’ (1 Cor. viii. 6), yet he says not this, as reckoning the Son with other things; but, whereas some of the Greeks consider that the creation was held together by chance, and from the combination of atoms162    Democritus, or Epicurus.; and spontaneously from elements of similar structure163    Anaxagoras., and has no cause; and others consider that it came from a cause, but not through the Word; and each heretic has imagined things at his will, and tells his fables about the creation; on this account the Apostle was obliged to introduce ‘from God,’ that he might thereby certify the Maker, and shew that the universe was framed at His will. And accordingly he straightway proceeds: ‘And one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things’ (1 Cor. viii. 6), by way of excepting the Son from that ‘all’ (for what is called God’s work, is all done through the Son; and it is not possible that the things framed should have one origin with their Framer), and by way of teaching that the phrase ‘of God,’ which occurs in the passage, has a different sense in the case of the works, from what it bears when used of the Son; for He is offspring, and they are works: and therefore He, the Son, is the proper offspring of His essence, but they are the handywork of his will.

36. The Council, then, comprehending this164    De Decr. §19., and aware of the different senses of the same word, that none should suppose, that the Son was said to be ‘from God’ like the creation, wrote with greater explicitness, that the Son was ‘from the essence.’ For this betokens the true genuineness of the Son towards the Father; whereas, by the simple phrase ‘from God,’ only the Creator’s will in framing is signified. If then they too had this meaning, when they wrote that the Word was ‘from the Father,’ they had nothing to complain of in the Council; but if they meant ‘of God,’ in the instance of the Son, as it is used of the creation, then as understanding it of the creation, they should not name the Son, or they will be manifestly mingling blasphemy with religiousness; but either they have to cease reckoning the Lord with the creatures, or at least to refrain from unworthy and unbecoming statements about the Son. For if He is a Son, He is not a creature; but if a creature, then not a Son. Since these are their views, perhaps they will be denying the Holy Laver also, because it is administered into Father and into Son and not into Creator and Creature, as they account it. ‘But,’ they say, ‘all this is not written: and we reject these words as unscriptural.’ But this, again, is an unblushing excuse in their mouths. For if they think everything must be rejected which is not written, wherefore, when the Arian party invent such a heap of phrases, not from Scripture165    De Decr. 18, note 8., ‘Out of nothing,’ and ‘the Son was not before His generation,’ and ‘Once He was not,’ and ‘He is alterable,’ and ‘the Father is ineffable and invisible to the Son,’ and ‘the Son knows not even His own essence;’ and all that Arius has vomited in his light and irreligious Thalia, why do not they speak against these, but rather take their part, and on that account contend with their own Fathers? And, in what Scripture did they on their part find ‘Unoriginate,’ and ‘the term essence,’ and ‘there are three subsistences,’ and ‘Christ is not very God,’ and ‘He is one of the hundred sheep,’ and ‘God’s Wisdom is ingenerate and without beginning, but the created powers are many, of which Christ is one?’ Or how, when in the so-called Dedication, Acacius and Eusebius and their fellows used expressions not in Scripture, and said that ‘the First-born of the creation’ was ‘the exact Image of the essence and power and will and glory,’ do they complain of the Fathers, for making mention of unscriptural expressions, and especially of essence? For they ought either to complain of themselves, or to find no fault with the Fathers.

37. Now, if certain others made excuses of the expressions of the Council, it might perhaps have been set down, either to ignorance or to caution. There is no question, for instance, about George of Cappadocia166    [Prolegg. ch. ii. §8 (1).], who was expelled from Alexandria; a man, without character in years past, nor a Christian in any respect; but only pretending to the name to suit the times, and thinking ‘religion to be a’ means of ‘gain’ (1 Tim. vi. 5). And therefore there is no reason to complain of his making mistakes about the faith, considering he knows neither what he says, nor whereof he affirms; but, according to the text, ‘goeth after all, as a bird’ (1 Tim. i. 7; Prov. vii. 22, 23, not LXX.?) But when Acacius, and Eudoxius, and Patrophilus say this, do not they deserve the strongest reprobation? for while they write what is unscriptural themselves, and have accepted many times the term ‘essence’ as suitable, especially on the ground of the letter167    Supr. p. 73. of Eusebius, they now blame their predecessors for using terms of the same kind. Nay, though they say themselves, that the Son is ‘God from God,’ and ‘Living Word,’ ‘Exact Image of the Father’s essence;’ they accuse the Nicene Bishops of saying, that He who was begotten is ‘of the essence’ of Him who begat Him, and ‘Coessential’ with Him. But what marvel if they conflict with their predecessors and their own Fathers, when they are inconsistent with themselves, and fall foul of each other? For after publishing, in the so-called Dedication at Antioch, that the Son is exact Image of the Father’s essence, and swearing that so they held and anathematizing those who held otherwise, nay, in Isauria, writing down, ‘We do not decline the authentic faith published in the Dedication at Antioch168    Supr. §29.,’ where the term ‘essence’ was introduced, as if forgetting all this, shortly after, in the same Isauria, they put into writing the very contrary, saying, We reject the words ‘coessential,’ and ‘like-in-essence,’ as alien to the Scriptures, and abolish the term ‘essence,’ as not contained therein169    Supr. §8..

38. Can we then any more account such men Christians? or what sort of faith have they who stand neither to word nor writing, but alter and change every thing according to the times? For if, O Acacius and Eudoxius, you ‘do not decline the faith published at the Dedication,’ and in it is written that the Son is ‘Exact Image of God’s essence,’ why is it ye write in Isauria, ‘we reject the Like in essence?’ for if the Son is not like the Father according to essence, how is He ‘exact image of the essence?’ But if you are dissatisfied at having written ‘Exact Image of the essence,’ how is it that ye ‘anathematize those who say that the Son is Unlike?’ for if He be not according to essence like, He is surely unlike: and the Unlike cannot be an Image. And if so, then it does not hold that ‘he that hath seen the Son, hath seen the Father’ (John xiv. 9), there being then the greatest possible difference between Them, or rather the One being wholly Unlike the Other. And Unlike cannot possibly be called Like. By what artifice then do you call Unlike like, and consider Like to be unlike, and pretend to say that the Son is the Father’s Image? for if the Son be not like the Father in essence, something is wanting to the Image, and it is not a complete Image, nor a perfect radiance170    It must not be supposed from this that he approves [as adequate] the phrase ὅμοιος κατ᾽ οὐσίαν or ὁμοιούσιος, in this Treatise, for infr. §53. he rejects it on the ground that when we speak of ‘like,’ we imply qualities, not essence. Yet he himself frequently uses it, as other Fathers, and Orat. i. §26. uses ὅμοιος τῆς οὐσίας.. How then read you, ‘In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily?’ and, ‘from His fulness all we received’ (Coloss. ii. 9; John i. 16)? how is it that you expel the Arian Aetius as an heretic, though ye say the same with him? for he is your companion, O Acacius, and he became Eudoxius’s master in this so great irreligion171    [Prolegg. ch. ii. §8 (2) a.]; which was the reason why Leontius the Bishop made him deacon, that using the name of the diaconate as sheep’s clothing, he might be able with impunity to pour forth the words of blasphemy.

39. What then has persuaded you to contradict each other, and to procure to yourselves so great a disgrace? You cannot give any good account of it; this supposition only remains, that all you do is but outward profession and pretence, to secure the patronage of Constantius and the gain from thence accruing. And ye make nothing of accusing the Fathers, and ye complain outright of the expressions as being unscriptural; and, as it is written, ‘opened your legs to every one that passed by’ (Ez. xvi. 25); so as to change as often as they wish, in whose pay and keep you are. Yet, though a man use terms not in Scripture, it makes no difference so that his meaning be religious172    Vid. p. 162, note 8. Cf. Greg. Naz. Orat. 31. 24. vid. also Hil. contr. Constant. 16. August. Ep. 238. n. 4–6. Cyril. Dial. i. p. 391. Petavius refers to other passages. de Trin. v. 5. §6.. But the heretic, though he use scriptural terms, yet, as being equally dangerous and depraved, shall be asked in the words of the Spirit, ‘Why dost thou preach My laws, and takest My covenant in thy mouth’ (Ps. l. 16)? Thus whereas the devil, though speaking from the Scriptures, is silenced by the Saviour, the blessed Paul, though he speaks from profane writers, ‘The Cretans are always liars,’ and, ‘For we are His offspring,’ and, ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners,’ yet has a religious meaning, as being holy,—is ‘doctor of the nations, in faith and verity,’ as having ‘the mind of Christ’ (Tit. i. 12; Acts xvii. 28; 1 Cor. xv. 33; 1 Tim. ii. 7; 1 Cor. ii. 16), and what he speaks, he utters religiously. What then is there even plausible, in the Arian terms, in which the ‘caterpillar’ (Joel ii. 25) and the ‘locust’ are preferred to the Saviour, and He is reviled with ‘Once Thou wast not,’ and ‘Thou wast created,’ and ‘Thou art foreign to God in essence,’ and, in a word, no irreverence is unused among them? But what did the Fathers omit in the way of reverence? or rather, have they not a lofty view and a Christ-loving religiousness? And yet these, they wrote, ‘We reject;’ while those others they endure in their insults towards the Lord, and betray to all men, that for no other cause do they resist that great Council but that it condemned the Arian heresy. For it is on this account again that they speak against the term Coessential, about which they also entertain wrong sentiments. For if their faith was right, and they confessed the Father as truly Father, believed the Son to be genuine Son, and by nature true Word and Wisdom of the Father, and as to saying that the Son is ‘from God,’ if they did not use the words of Him, as of themselves, but understood Him to be the proper offspring of the Father’s essence, as the radiance is from light, they would not every one of them have found fault with the Fathers; but would have been confident that the Council wrote suitably; and that this is the right faith concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.

40. ‘But,’ say they, ‘the sense of such expressions is obscure to us;’ for this is another of their pretences,—‘We reject them173    §8.,’ say they, ‘because we cannot master their meaning.’ But if they were true in this profession, instead of saying, ‘We reject them,’ they should ask instruction from the well informed; else ought they to reject whatever they cannot understand in divine Scripture, and to find fault with the writers. But this were the venture of heretics rather than of us Christians; for what we do not understand in the sacred oracles, instead of rejecting, we seek from persons to whom the Lord has revealed it, and from them we ask for instruction. But since they thus make a pretence of the obscurity of such expressions, let them at least confess what is annexed to the Creed, and anathematize those who hold that ‘the Son is from nothing,’ and ‘He was not before His generation,’ and ‘the Word of God is a creature and work,’ and ‘He is alterable by nature,’ and ‘from another subsistence;’ and in a word let them anathematize the Arian heresy, which has originated such irreligion. Nor let them say any more, ‘We reject the terms,’ but that ‘we do not yet understand them;’ by way of having some reason to shew for declining them. But I know well, and am sure, and they know it too, that if they could confess all this and anathematize the Arian heresy, they would no longer deny those terms of the Council. For on this account it was that the Fathers, after declaring that the Son was begotten from the Father’s essence, and Co-essential with Him, thereupon added, ‘But those who say’—what has just been quoted, the symbols of the Arian heresy,—‘we anathematize;’ I mean, in order to shew that the statements are parallel, and that the terms in the Creed imply the disclaimers subjoined, and that all who confess the terms, will certainly understand the disclaimers. But those who both dissent from the latter and impugn the former, such men are proved on every side to be foes of Christ.

41. Those who deny the Council altogether, are sufficiently exposed by these brief remarks; those, however, who accept everything else that was defined at Nicæa, and doubt only about the Coessential, must not be treated as enemies; nor do we here attack them as Ario-maniacs, nor as opponents of the Fathers, but we discuss the matter with them as brothers with brothers174    [See Prolegg. ch. ii. §8 (2) c.], who mean what we mean, and dispute only about the word. For, confessing that the Son is from the essence of the Father, and not from other subsistence, and that He is not a creature nor work, but His genuine and natural offspring, and that He is eternally with the Father as being His Word and Wisdom, they are not far from accepting even the phrase, ‘Coessential.’ Now such is Basil, who wrote from Ancyra concerning the faith175    [Ath. is referring to the Council of Ancyra, 358.]. For only to say ‘like according to essence,’ is very far from signifying ‘of the essence,’ by which, rather, as they say themselves, the genuineness of the Son to the Father is signified. Thus tin is only like to silver, a wolf to a dog, and gilt brass to the true metal; but tin is not from silver, nor could a wolf be accounted the offspring of a dog.176    So also de Decr. §23. p. 40. Pseudo-Ath. Hyp. Mel. et Euseb. Hil. de Syn. 89. The illustration runs into this position, ‘Things that are like, [need] not be the same.’ vid. §39. note 5. On the other hand, Athan. himself contends for the ταὐτὸν τῇ ὁμοιώσει, ‘the same in likeness.’ de Decr. §20. But since they say that He is ‘of the essence’ and ‘Like-in-essence,’ what do they signify by these but ‘Coessential177    Vid. Socr. iii. 25. p. 204. a.b. Una substantia religiose prædicabitur quæ ex nativitatis proprietate et ex naturæ similitudine ita indifferens sit, ut una dicatur. Hil. de Syn. 67.?’ For, while to say only ‘Like-in-essence,’ does not necessarily convey ‘of the essence,’ on the contrary, to say ‘Coessential,’ is to signify the meaning of both terms, ‘Like-in-essence,’ and ‘of the essence.’ And accordingly they themselves in controversy with those who say that the Word is a creature, instead of allowing Him to be genuine Son, have taken their proofs against them from human illustrations of son and father178    Here at last Athan. alludes to the Ancyrene Synodal Letter, vid. Epiph. Hær. 73, 5 and 7. about which he has kept a pointed silence above, when tracing the course of the Arian confessions. That is, he treats the Semi-Arians as tenderly as S. Hilary, as soon as they break company with the Arians. The Ancyrene Council of 358 was a protest against the ‘blasphemia’ or second Sirmian Confession, with this exception that God is not as man, nor the generation of the Son as issue of man, but such as may be ascribed to God, and is fit for us to think. Thus they have called the Father the Fount of Wisdom and Life, and the Son the Radiance of the Eternal Light, and the Offspring from the Fountain, as He says, ‘I am the Life,’ and, ‘I Wisdom dwell with Prudence’ (John xiv. 6; Prov. viii. 12). But the Radiance from the Light, and Offspring from Fountain, and Son from Father, how can these be so fitly expressed as by ‘Coessential?’ And is there any cause of fear, lest, because the offspring from men are coessential, the Son, by being called Coessential, be Himself considered as a human offspring too? perish the thought! not so; but the explanation is easy. For the Son is the Father’s Word and Wisdom; whence we learn the impassibility and indivisibility of such a generation from the Father179    It is usual with the Fathers to use the two terms ‘Son’ and ‘Word,’ to guard and complete the ordinary sense of each other, vid. p. 157, note 6; and p. 167, note 4. The term Son, used by itself, was abused into Arianism; and the term Word into Sabellianism; again the term Son might be accused of introducing material notions, and the term Word of imperfection and transitoriness. Each of them corrected the other. Orat. i. §28. iv. §8. Euseb. contr. Marc. ii. 4. p. 54. Isid. Pel. Ep. iv. 141. So S. Cyril says that we learn ‘from His being called Son that He is from Him, τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ; from His being called Wisdom and Word, that He is in Him,’ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ. Thesaur. iv. p. 31. However, S. Athanasius observes, that properly speaking the one term implies the other, i.e. in its fulness. Orat. iii. §3. iv. §24 fin. On the other hand the heretics accused Catholics of inconsistency, or of a union of opposite errors, because they accepted all the Scripture images together. Vigilius of Thapsus, contr. Eutych. ii. init. vid. also i. init. and Eulogius, ap. Phot. 225, p. 759.. For not even man’s word is part of him, nor proceeds from him according to passion180    De Decr. §10.; much less God’s Word; whom the Father has declared to be His own Son, lest, on the other hand, if we merely heard of ‘Word,’ we should suppose Him, such as is the word of man, impersonal; but that, hearing that He is Son, we may acknowledge Him to be living Word and substantive Wisdom.

42. Accordingly, as in saying ‘offspring,’ we have no human thoughts, and, though we know God to be a Father, we entertain no material ideas concerning Him, but while we listen to these illustrations and terms, we think suitably of God, for He is not as man, so in like manner, when we hear of ‘coessential,’ we ought to transcend all sense, and, according to the Proverb, ‘understand by the understanding what is set before us’ (Prov. xxiii. 1); so as to know, that not by will, but in truth, is He genuine from the Father, as Life from Fountain, and Radiance from Light. Else181    Vid. Epiph. Hær. 73. 3, &c. why should we understand ‘offspring’ and ‘son,’ in no corporeal way, while we conceive of ‘coessential’ as after the manner of bodies? especially since these terms are not here used about different subjects, but of whom ‘offspring’ is predicated, of Him is ‘coessential’ also. And it is but consistent to attach the same sense to both expressions as applied to the Saviour, and not to interpret ‘offspring’ in a good sense, and ‘coessential’ otherwise; since to be consistent, ye who are thus minded and who say that the Son is Word and Wisdom of the Father, should entertain a different view of these terms also, and understand Word in another sense, and Wisdom in yet another. But, as this would be absurd (for the Son is the Father’s Word and Wisdom, and the Offspring from the Father is one and proper to His essence), so the sense of ‘Offspring’ and ‘Coessential’ is one, and whoso considers the Son an offspring, rightly considers Him also as ‘coessential.’

43. This is sufficient to shew that the meaning of the beloved ones182    §54, note 2. is not foreign nor far from the ‘Coessential.’ But since, as they allege183    Vid. Hilar. de Syn. 81 init.; Epiph. Hær. 73. 12. (for I have not the Epistle in question), the Bishops who condemned the Samosatene184    There were three Councils held against Paul of Samosata, of the dates of 264, 269, and an intermediate year. The third is spoken of in the text, which contrary to the opinion of Pagi, S. Basnage, and Tillemont, Pearson fixes at 265 or 266. have said in writing that the Son is not coessential with the Father, and so it comes to pass that they, for caution and honour towards those who have so said, thus feel about that expression, it will be to the purpose cautiously to argue with them this point also. Certainly it is unbecoming to make the one conflict with the others; for all are fathers; nor is it religious to settle, that these have spoken well, and those ill; for all of them fell asleep in Christ. Nor is it right to be disputatious, and to compare the respective numbers of those who met in the Councils, lest the three hundred seem to throw the lesser into the shade; nor to compare the dates, lest those who preceded seem to eclipse those that came after. For all, I say, are fathers; and yet not even the three hundred laid down nothing new, nor was it in any self-confidence that they became champions of words not in Scripture, but they fell back upon fathers, as did the others, and used their words. For there have been two of the name of Dionysius, much older than the seventy who deposed the Samosatene, of whom one was of Rome, and the other of Alexandria. But a charge had been laid by some persons against the Bishop of Alexandria before the Bishop of Rome, as if he had said that the Son was made, and not coessential with the Father. And, the synod at Rome being indignant, the Bishop of Rome expressed their united sentiments in a letter to his namesake. And so the latter, in defence, wrote a book with the title ‘of Refutation and Defence;’ and thus he writes to the other:

44. And185    Vid. p. 167, and a different translation, p. 183. I wrote in another Letter a refutation of the false charge which they bring against me, that I deny that Christ is coessential with God. For though I say that I have not found or read this term anywhere in holy Scripture, yet my remarks which follow, and which they have not noticed, are not inconsistent with that belief. For I instanced a human production, which is evidently homogeneous, and I observed that undeniably fathers differed from their children, only in not being the same individuals; otherwise there could be neither parents nor children. And my Letter, as I said before, owing to present circumstances, I am unable to produce, or I would have sent you the very words I used, or rather a copy of it all; which, if I have an opportunity, I will do still. But I am sure from recollection, that I adduced many parallels of things kindred with each other, for instance, that a plant grown from seed or from root, was other than that from which it sprang, and yet altogether one in nature with it; and that a stream flowing from a fountain, changed its appearance and its name, for that neither the fountain was called stream, nor the stream fountain, but both existed, and that the fountain was as it were father, but the stream was what was generated from the fountain.

45. Thus the Bishop. If then any one finds fault with those who met at Nicæa, as if they contradicted the decisions of their predecessors, he might reasonably find fault also with the seventy, because they did not keep to the statements of their own predecessors; but such were the Dionysii and the Bishops assembled on that occasion at Rome. But neither these nor those is it pious to blame; for all were charged with the embassy of Christ, and all have given diligence against the heretics, and the one party condemned the Samosatene, while the other condemned the Arian heresy. And rightly have both these and those written, and suitably to the matter in hand. And as the blessed Apostle, writing to the Romans, said, ‘The Law is spiritual, the Law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good’ (Rom. vii. 14, 12); and soon after, ‘What the Law could not do, in that it was weak’ (ib. viii. 3), but wrote to the Hebrews, ‘The Law has made no one perfect’ (Heb. vii. 19); and to the Galatians, ‘By the Law no one is justified’ (Gal. iii. 11), but to Timothy, ‘The Law is good, if a man use it lawfully’ (1 Tim. i. 8); and no one would accuse the Saint of inconsistency and variation in writing, but rather would admire how suitably he wrote to each, to teach the Romans and the others to turn from the letter to the spirit, but to instruct the Hebrews and Galatians to place their hopes, not in the Law, but in the Lord who had given the Law;—so, if the Fathers of the two Councils made different mention of the Coessential, we ought not in any respect to differ from them, but to investigate their meaning, and this will fully show us the agreement of both the Councils. For they who deposed the Samosatene took Coessential in a bodily sense, because Paul had attempted sophistry and said, ‘Unless Christ has of man become God, it follows that He is Coessential with the Father; and if so, of necessity there are three essences, one the previous essence, and the other two from it;’ and therefore guarding against this they said with good reason, that Christ was not Coessential186    This is in fact the objection which Arius urges against the Coessential, supr. §16, when he calls it the doctrine of Manichæus and Hieracas, vid. §16, note 11. The same objection is protested against by S. Basil, contr. Eunom. i. 19. Hilar. de Trin. iv. 4. Yet, while S. Basil agrees with Athan. in his account of the reason of the Council’s rejection of the word, S. Hilary on the contrary reports that Paul himself accepted it, i.e. in a Sabellian sense, and therefore the Council rejected it. ‘Male homoüsion Samosatenus confessus est, sed numquid melius Arii negaverunt.’ de Syn. 86.. For the Son is not related to the Father as he imagined. But the Bishops who anathematized the Arian heresy, understanding Paul’s craft, and reflecting that the word ‘Coessential’ has not this meaning when used of things immaterial187    Cf. Soz. iii. 18. The heretical party, starting with the notion in which their heresy in all its shades consisted, that the Son was a distinct being from the Father, concluded that ‘like in essence’ was the only term which would express the relation of the Son to the Father. Here then the word ‘coessential’ did just enable the Catholics to join issue with them, as exactly expressing what the Catholics wished to express, viz. that there was no such distinction between Them as made the term ‘like’ necessary, but that as material parent and offspring are individuals under one common species, so the Eternal Father and Son are Persons under one common individual essence., and especially of God, and acknowledging that the Word was not a creature, but an offspring from the essence, and that the Father’s essence was the origin and root and fountain of the Son, and that he was of very truth His Father’s likeness, and not of different nature, as we are, and separate from the Father, but that, as being from Him, He exists as Son indivisible, as radiance is with respect to Light, and knowing too the illustrations used in Dionysius’s case, the ‘fountain,’ and the defence of ‘Coessential’ and before this the Saviour’s saying, symbolical of unity188    §49., ‘I and the Father are one’ and ‘he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father’ (John x. 30; xiv. 9), on these grounds reasonably asserted on their part, that the Son was Coessential. And as, according to a former remark, no one would blame the Apostle, if he wrote to the Romans about the Law in one way, and to the Hebrews in another; in like manner, neither would the present Bishops find fault with the ancient, having regard to their interpretation, nor again in view of theirs and of the need of their so writing about the Lord, would the ancient censure their successors. Yes surely, each Council has a sufficient reason for its own language; for since the Samosatene held that the Son was not before Mary, but received from her the origin of His being, therefore those who then met deposed him and pronounced him heretic; but concerning the Son’s Godhead writing in simplicity, they arrived not at accuracy concerning the Coessential, but, as they understood the word, so spoke they about it. For they directed all their thoughts to destroy the device of the Samosatene, and to shew that the Son was before all things, and that, instead of becoming God from man, He, being God, had put on a servant’s form, and being Word, had become flesh, as John says (Phil. ii. 7; Joh. i. 14). This is how they dealt with the blasphemies of Paul; but when Eusebius, Arius, and their fellows said that though the Son was before time, yet was He made and one of the creatures, and as to the phrase ‘from God,’ they did not believe it in the sense of His being genuine Son from Father, but maintained it as it is said of the creatures, and as to the oneness189    τὴν τῆς ὁμοιώσεως ἑνότητα: and so pp. 163, note 9, 165, 166. And Basil. ταὐτότητα τῆς φύσεως, Ep. 8. 3: [but] ταὐτότητα τῆς οὐσιάς, Cyril in Joan. lib. iii. c. v. p. 302. [cf. ταὐτοούσιον, p. 315, note 6.] It is uniformly asserted by the Catholics that the Father’s godhead, θεότης, is the Son’s; e.g. infr. §52; supr. p. 329 b, line 8; p. 333, note 5; Orat. i. 49 fin. ii. §18. §73. fin. iii. §26; iii. §5 fin. iii. §53; μίαν τὴν θεότητα καὶ τὸ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός. §56 supr. p. 84 fin. vid. §52. note. This is an approach to the doctrine of the Una Res, defined in the fourth Lateran Council [in 1215, see Harnack Dogmg. iii. 447, note, and on the doctrine of the Greek Fathers, Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) b.] of likeness190    Vid. Epiph. Hær. 73. 9 fin. between the Son and the Father, did not confess that the Son is like the Father according to essence, or according to nature as a son resembles his father, but because of Their agreement of doctrines and of teaching191    §23, note 3.; nay, when they drew a line and an utter distinction between the Son’s essence and the Father, ascribing to Him an origin of being, other than the Father, and degrading Him to the creatures, on this account the Bishops assembled at Nicæa, with a view to the craft of the parties so thinking, and as bringing together the sense from the Scriptures, cleared up the point, by affirming the ‘Coessential;’ that both the true genuineness of the Son might thereby be known, and that to things originate might be ascribed nothing in common with Him. For the precision of this phrase detects their pretence, whenever they use the phrase ‘from God,’ and gets rid of all the subtleties with which they seduce the simple. For whereas they contrive to put a sophistical construction on all other words at their will, this phrase only, as detecting their heresy, do they dread; which the Fathers set down as a bulwark192    ἐπιτείχισμα; in like manner σύνδεσμον πίστεως. Epiph. Ancor. 6; cf. Hær. 69. 70; Ambros. de Fid. iii. 15. against their irreligious notions one and all.

46. Let then all contention cease, nor let us any longer conflict, though the Councils have differently taken the phrase ‘Coessential,’ for we have already assigned a sufficient defence of them; and to it the following may be added:—We have not derived the word ‘Unoriginate’ from Scripture, (for no where does Scripture call God Unoriginate,) yet since it has many authorities in its favour, I was curious about the term, and found that it too has different senses193    [In this passage the difficulties and confusion which surround the terms ἀγένητος and ἀγέννητος (supr. p. 149, &c.) come to a head. The question is (assuming, as proved by Lightfoot, the validity of the distinction of the two in Athan.) which word is to be read here. The mss. are divided throughout between the two readings, but it is clear (so Lightf. and Zahn on Ign. Eph. 7) that one word alone is in view throughout the present passage. That word, then, is pronounced by Lightf., partly on the strength of the quotation from the unnamed teachers (infr. note 7), partly on the ground of a reference to §26 (see note 10 there), to be ἀγέννητος. With all deference to so great an authority, I cannot hesitate to pronounce for ἀγένητος. (1.) The parallelism of the two senses with the third and fourth senses of ἀγέν. Orat. i. 30. is almost decisive by itself. (2.) Ath.’s explanation of Ignatius. viz. that Christ is γένητος on account of the flesh (he would have referred γέννητος to His Essence, Orat. i. 56, certainly not to the flesh), while as Son and Word He is distinct from γένητα and ποιήματα, is even more decisive. (3.) His explanation §46, sub fin. that the Son is ἀγένητος because He is ἀΐδιον γέννημα would lose all sense if ἀγέννητος were read. As a matter of fact, ἀγέννητος is the specific, ἀγένητος the generic term: the former was not applicable to the Eternal Son; the latter was, except in the first of the two senses distinguished in the text; a sense, however, more properly coming under the specific idea of ἀγέννητος. This was the ambiguity which made the similarity of the two words so dangerous a weapon in Arian hands. The above note does not of course affect the true reading of Ign. Eph. 7, as to which Lightfoot and Zahn speak with authority: but it seems clear that Athan., however mistakenly, quotes Ign. with the reading ἀγένητος.]. Some, for instance, call what is, but is neither generated, nor has any personal cause at all, unoriginate; and others, the uncreate. As then a person, having in view the former of these senses, viz. ‘that which has no personal cause,’ might say that the Son was not unoriginate, yet would not blame any one whom he perceived to have in view the other meaning, ‘not a work or creature but an eternal offspring,’ and to affirm accordingly that the Son was unoriginate, (for both speak suitably with a view to their own object); so, even granting that the Fathers have spoken variously concerning the Coessential, let us not dispute about it, but take what they deliver to us in a religious way, when especially their anxiety was directed in behalf of religion.

47. Ignatius, for instance, who was appointed Bishop in Antioch after the Apostles, and became a martyr of Christ, writes concerning the Lord thus: ‘There is one physician, fleshly and spiritual, originate and unoriginate194    Ign. ad Eph. [Lightf. Ign. p. 90, Zahn Patr. Apost. ii. p. 338.],’ God in man, true life in death, both from Mary and from God;’ whereas some teachers who followed Ignatius, write in their turn, ‘One is the Unoriginate, the Father, and one the genuine Son from Him, true offspring, Word and Wisdom of the Father195    Not known, but cf. Clement. Strom. vi. 7. p. 769. ἓν μὲν τὸ ἀγέννητον, ὁ παντοκράτωρ θεὸς, ἓν δὲ καὶ τὸ προγεννηθὲν δι᾽ οὖ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν..’ If therefore we have hostile feelings towards these writers, then have we right to quarrel with the Councils; but if, knowing their faith in Christ, we are persuaded that the blessed Ignatius was right in writing that Christ was originate on account of the flesh (for He became flesh), yet unoriginate, because He is not in the number of things made and originated, but Son from Father; and if we are aware too that those who have said that the Unoriginate is One, meaning the Father, did not mean to lay down that the Word was originated and made, but that the Father has no personal cause, but rather is Himself Father of Wisdom, and in Wisdom has made all things that are originated; why do we not combine all our Fathers in religious belief, those who deposed the Samosatene as well as those who proscribed the Arian heresy, instead of making distinctions between them and refusing to entertain a right opinion of them? I repeat, that those, in view of the sophistical explanation of the Samosatene, wrote, ‘He is not coessential196    [On the subject of the rejection of the ὁμοούσιον at this Council of Antioch, see Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) b.];’ and these, with an apposite meaning, said that He was. For myself, I have written these brief remarks, from my feeling towards persons who were religious to Christ-ward; but were it possible to come by the Epistle which we are told that the former wrote, I consider we should find further grounds for the aforesaid proceeding of those blessed men. For it is right and meet thus to feel, and to maintain a good conscience toward the Fathers, if we be not spurious children, but have received the traditions from them, and the lessons of religion at their hands.

48. Such then, as we confess and believe, being the sense of the Fathers, proceed we even in their company to examine once more the matter, calmly and with a kindly sympathy, with reference to what has been said before, viz. whether the Bishops collected at Nicæa do not really prove to have thought aright. For if the Word be a work and foreign to the Father’s essence, so that He is separated from the Father by the difference of nature, He cannot be one in essence with Him, but rather He is homogeneous by nature with the works, though He surpass them in grace197    De Decr. §1.. On the other hand, if we confess that He is not a work but the genuine offspring of the Father’s essence, it would follow that He is inseparable from the Father, being connatural, because He is begotten from Him. And being such, good reason He should be called Coessential. Next, if the Son be not such from participation, but is in His essence the Father’s Word and Wisdom, and this essence is the offspring of the Father’s essence198    §51, note., and its likeness as the radiance is of the light, and the Son says, ‘I and the Father are One,’ and, ‘he that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father’ (John x. 30; xiv. 9), how must we understand these words? or how shall we so explain them as to preserve the oneness of the Father and the Son? Now as to its consisting in agreement199    §23, note 3, yet vid. Hipp. contr. Noet. 7. of doctrines, and in the Son’s not disagreeing with the Father, as the Arians say, such an interpretation is a sorry one; for both the Saints, and still more Angels and Archangels, have such an agreement with God, and there is no disagreement among them. For he who disagreed, the devil, was beheld to fall from the heavens, as the Lord said. Therefore if by reason of agreement the Father and the Son are one, there would be things originated which had this agreement with God, and each of these might say, ‘I and the Father are One.’ But if this be absurd, and so it truly is, it follows of necessity that we must conceive of Son’s and Father’s oneness in the way of essence. For things originate, though they have an agreement with their Maker, yet possess it only by influence200    κινήσει vid. Cyril. contr. Jul. viii. p. 274. Greg. Nyss. de Hom. Op. p. 87., and by participation, and through the mind; the transgression of which forfeits heaven. But the Son, being an offspring from the essence, is one by essence, Himself and the Father that begat Him.

49. This is why He has equality with the Father by titles expressive of unity201    §45., and what is said of the Father, is said in Scripture of the Son also, all but His being called Father202    By ‘the Son being equal to the Father,’ is but meant that He is His ‘exact image;’ it does not imply any distinction of essence. Cf. Hil. de Syn. 73. But this implies some exception, for else He would not be like or equal, but the same. ibid. 72. Hence He is the Father’s image in all things except in being the Father, πλὴν τῆς ἀγεννησίας καὶ τῆς πατρότητος. Damasc. de Imag. iii. 18. p. 354. vid. also Basil. contr. Eun. ii. 28; Theod. Inconfus. p. 91; Basil. Ep. 38. 7 fin. [Through missing this point the] Arians asked why the Son was not the beginning of a θεογονία. Supr. p. 319 a, note 1. vid. infr. note 8.. For the Son Himself said, ‘All things that the Father hath are Mine’ (John xvi. 15); and He says to the Father, ‘All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine’ (John xvii. 10),—as for instance203    Vid. Orat. iii. §4., the name God; for ‘the Word was God;’—Almighty, ‘Thus saith He that is, and that was, and that is to come, the Almighty’ (John i. 1; Apoc. i. 8):—the being Light, ‘I am,’ He says, ‘the Light’ (John viii. 12):—the Operative Cause, ‘All things were made by Him,’ and, ‘whatsoever I see the Father do, I do also’ (John i. 3; v. 19):—the being Everlasting, ‘His eternal power and godhead,’ and, ‘In the beginning was the Word,’ and, ‘He was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world;’—the being Lord, for, ‘The Lord rained fire and brimstone from the Lord,’ and the Father says, ‘I am the Lord,’ and, ‘Thus saith the Lord, the Almighty God;’ and of the Son Paul speaks thus, ‘One Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things’ (Rom. i. 20; John i. 1, 9; Gen. xix. 24; Isa. xlv. 5; Am. v. 16; 1 Cor. viii. 6). And on the Father Angels wait, and again the Son too is worshipped by them, ‘And let all the Angels of God worship Him;’ and He is said to be Lord of Angels, for ‘the Angels ministered unto Him,’ and ‘the Son of Man shall send His Angels.’ The being honoured as the Father, for ‘that they may honour the Son,’ He says, ‘as they honour the Father;’—being equal to God, ‘He counted it not a prize to be equal with God’ (Heb. i. 6; Matt. iv. 11; xxiv. 31; John v. 23; Phil. ii. 6):— the being Truth from the True, and Life from the Living, as being truly from the Fountain, even the Father;—the quickening and raising the dead as the Father, for so it is written in the Gospel. And of the Father it is written, ‘The Lord thy God is One Lord,’ and, ‘The God of gods, the Lord, hath spoken, and hath called the earth;’ and of the Son, ‘The Lord God hath shined upon us,’ and, ‘The God of gods shall be seen in Sion.’ And again of God, Isaiah says, ‘Who is a God like unto Thee, taking away iniquities and passing over unrighteousness?’ (Deut. vi. 4; Ps. l. 1; cxviii. 27; lxxxiv. 7, LXX.; Mic. vii. 18). But the Son said to whom He would, ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee;’ for instance, when, on the Jews murmuring, He manifested the remission by His act, saying to the paralytic, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house.’ And of God Paul says, ‘To the King eternal;’ and again of the Son, David in the Psalm, ‘Lift up your gates, O ye rulers, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.’ And Daniel heard it said, ‘His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and His Kingdom shall not be destroyed’ (Matt. ix. 5; Mark ii. 11; 1 Tim. i. 17; Ps. xxiv. 7; Dan. iv. 3; vii. 14). And in a word, all that you find said of the Father, so much will you find said of the Son, all but His being Father, as has been said.

50. If then any think of other beginning, and other Father, considering the equality of these attributes, it is a mad thought. But if, since the Son is from the Father, all that is the Father’s is the Son’s as in an image and Expression, let it be considered dispassionately, whether an essence foreign from the Father’s essence admit of such attributes; and whether such a one be other in nature and alien in essence, and not coessential with the Father. For we must take reverent heed, lest transferring what is proper to the Father to what is unlike Him in essence, and expressing the Father’s godhead by what is unlike in kind and alien in essence, we introduce another essence foreign to Him, yet capable of the properties of the first essence204    Arianism was in the dilemma of denying Christ’s divinity, or introducing a second God. The Arians proper went off on the former side of the alternative, the Semi-Arians on the latter; and Athan., as here addressing the Semi Arians, insists on the greatness of the latter error. This of course was the objection which attached to the words ὁμοιούσιον, ἀπαράλλακτος εἴκων, &c., when disjoined from the ὁμοούσιον; and Eusebius’s language, supr. p. 75, note 7, shews us that it is not an imaginary one., and lest we be silenced by God Himself, saying, ‘My glory I will not give to another,’ and be discovered worshipping this alien God, and be accounted such as were the Jews of that day, who said, ‘Wherefore dost Thou, being a man, make Thyself God?’ referring, the while, to another source the things of the Spirit, and blasphemously saying, ‘He casteth out devils through Beelzebub’ (Isa. xlii. 8; John x. 33; Luke xi. 15). But if this is shocking, plainly the Son is not unlike in essence, but coessential with the Father; for if what the Father has is by nature the Son’s, and the Son Himself is from the Father, and because of this oneness of godhead and of nature He and the Father are one, and He that hath seen the Son hath seen the Father, reasonably is He called by the Fathers ‘Coessential;’ for to what is other in essence, it belongs not to possess such prerogatives.

51. And again, if, as we have said before, the Son is not such by participation, but, while all things originated have by participation the grace of God, He is the Father’s Wisdom and Word of which all things partake205    De Decr. §10. p. 15, note 4., it follows that He, being the deifying and enlightening power of the Father, in which all things are deified and quickened, is not alien in essence from the Father, but coessential. For by partaking of Him, we partake of the Father; because that the Word is the Father’s own. Whence, if He was Himself too from participation, and not from the Father His essential Godhead and Image, He would not deify206    ἐθεοποίησεOrat.ii. §70. de Decr. §14., being deified Himself. For it is not possible that He, who merely possesses from participation, should impart of that partaking to others, since what He has is not His own, but the Giver’s; and what He has received, is barely the grace sufficient for Himself. However, let us fairly examine the reason why some, as is said, decline the ‘Coessential,’ whether it does not rather shew that the Son is coessential with the Father. They say then, as you have written, that it is not right to say that the Son is coessential with the Father, because he who speaks of ‘coessential’ speaks of three, one essence pre-existing, and that those who are generated from it are coessential: and they add, ‘If then the Son be coessential with the Father, then an essence must be previously supposed, from which they have been generated; and that the One is not Father and the Other Son, but they are brothers together.207    Cf. supr. p. 314, note 1, Cyr. Thesaur. pp. 22, 23.’ As to all this, though it be a Greek interpretation, and what comes from them does not bind us208    Cf. p. 169, note 4a [and on οὐσία as a philosophical and theological term, Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) b. On the divergence of its theological use from its philosophical sense, see] Anastasius, Hodeg. 6. and Theorian, Legat. ad Arm. pp. 441, 2. Socr. iii. 25. Damascene, speaking of the Jacobite use of φύσις and ὑπόστασις says, ‘Who of holy men ever thus spoke? unless ye introduce to us your S. Aristotle, as a thirteenth Apostle, and prefer the idolater to the divinely inspired.’ cont.Jacob. 10. p. 399. and so again Leontius, speaking of Philoponus, who from the Monophysite confusion of nature and hypostasis was led into Tritheism. ‘He thus argued, taking his start from Aristotelic principles; for Aristotle says that there are of individuals particular substances as well as one common.’ De Sect. v. fin., still let us see whether those things which are called coessential and are collateral, as derived from one essence presupposed, are coessential with each other, or with the essence from which they are generated. For if only with each other, then are they other in essence and unlike, when referred to that essence which generated them; for other in essence is opposed to coessential; but if each be coessential with the essence which generated them, it is thereby confessed that what is generated from any thing, is coessential with that which generated it; and there is no need of seeking for three essences, but merely to seek whether it be true that this is from that209    The argument, when drawn out, is virtually this: if, because two subjects are coessential, a third is pre-supposed of which they partake, then, since either of these two is coessential with that of which both partake, a new third must be supposed in which it and the pre-existing substance partake and thus an infinite series of things coessential must be supposed. Vid. Basil. Ep. 52. n. 2. [Cf. Aristot. Frag. 183, p. 1509 b 23.]. For should it happen that there were not two brothers, but that only one had come of that essence, he that was generated would not be called alien in essence, merely because there was no other from the essence than he; but though alone, he must be coessential with him that begat him. For what shall we say about Jephtha’s daughter; because she was only-begotten, and ‘he had not,’ says Scripture, ‘other child’ (Jud. xi. 34); and again, concerning the widow’s son, whom the Lord raised from the dead, because he too had no brother, but was only-begotten, was on that account neither of these coessential with him that begat? Surely they were, for they were children, and this is a property of children with reference to their parents. And in like manner also, when the Fathers said that the Son of God was from His essence, reasonably have they spoken of Him as coessential. For the like property has the radiance compared with the light. Else it follows that not even the creation came out of nothing. For whereas men beget with passion210    Orat. i. §28., so again they work upon an existing subject matter, and otherwise cannot make. But if we do not understand creation in a human way211    Vid. de Decr. §11, note 6: also Cyril, Thesaur. iv. p. 29: Basil. contr. Eun. ii. 23: Hil. de Syn. 17., when we attribute it to God, much less seemly is it to understand generation in a human way, or to give a corporeal sense to Coessential; instead of receding from things originate, casting away human images, nay, all things sensible, and ascending212    Naz. Orat. 28. 2. to the Father213    S. Basil says in like manner that, though God is Father κυρίως properly, supr. p. 156, note 1, 157, note 6, 171, note 5, 319, note 3), yet it comes to the same thing if we were to say that He is τροπικῶς and ἐκ μεταφορᾶς, figuratively, such, contr. Eun. ii. 24; γέννησις implies two things,—passion, and relationship, οἰκείωσις φύσεως; accordingly we must take the latter as an indication of the divine sense of the term. Cf. also supr. p. 158, note 7, p. 322, Orat. ii. 32, iii. 18, 67, and Basil. contr.Eunom. ii. 17; Hil. de Trin. iv. 2. Vid. also Athan. ad Serap. i. 20. and Basil. Ep. 38. n. 5. and what is said of the office of faith in each of these., lest we rob the Father of the Son in ignorance, and rank Him among His own creatures.

52. Further, if, in confessing Father and Son, we spoke of two beginnings or two Gods as Marcion and Valentinus214    Supr. p. 167, note 7, and p. 307., or said that the Son had any other mode of godhead, and was not the Image and Expression of the Father, as being by nature born from Him, then He might be considered unlike; for such essences are altogether unlike each other. But if we acknowledge that the Father’s godhead is one and sole, and that of Him the Son is the Word and Wisdom; and, as thus believing, are far from speaking of two Gods, but understand the oneness of the Son with the Father to be, not in likeness of their teaching, but according to essence and in truth, and hence speak not of two Gods but of one God; there being but one Form215    ἕνος ὄντος εἴδους θεότητος: for the word εἶδος, cf. Orat. iii. 16 is generally applied to the Son, as in what follows, and is synonymous [?] with hypostasis; but it is remarkable that here it is almost synonymous with οὐσία or φύσις. Indeed in one sense nature, substance, and hypostasis, are all synonymous, i.e. as one and all denoting the Una Res, which is Almighty God. The apparent confusion is useful as reminding us of this great truth; vid. note 8, infr. of Godhead, as the Light is one and the Radiance; (for this was seen by the Patriarch Jacob, as Scripture says, ‘The sun rose upon him when the Form of God passed by,’ Gen. xxxii. 31, LXX.); and beholding this, and understanding of whom He was Son and Image, the holy Prophets say, ‘The Word of the Lord came to me;’ and recognising the Father, who was beheld and revealed in Him, they made bold to say, ‘The God of our fathers hath appeared unto me, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob’ (Exod. iii. 16); this being so, wherefore scruple we to call Him coessential who is one with the Father, and appears as doth the Father, according to likeness and oneness of godhead? For if, as has been many times said, He has it not to be proper to the Father’s essence, nor to resemble, as a Son, we may well scruple: but if this be the illuminating and creative Power, specially proper to the Father, without Whom He neither frames nor is known (for all things consist through Him and in Him); wherefore, perceiving the fact, do we decline to use the phrase conveying it? For what is it to be thus connatural with the Father, but to be one in essence with Him? for God attached not to Him the Son from without216    De Decr. §31., as needing a servant; nor are the works on a level with the Creator, and honoured as He is, or to be thought one with the Father. Or let a man venture to make the distinction, that the sun and the radiance are two lights, or different essences; or to say that the radiance accrued to it over and above, and is not a simple and pure offspring from the sun; such, that sun and radiance are two, but the light one, because the radiance is an offspring from the Sun. But, whereas not more divisible, nay less divisible is the nature217    [φύσις is here (as the apodosis of the clause shows) as well as in the next section, used as a somewhat more vague equivalent for οὐσία, not, as Newman contends in an omitted note, for ‘person,’ a use which is scarcely borne out by the (no doubt somewhat fluctuating) senses of φύσις in the passages quoted by him from Alexander (in Theod. H. E. i. 4, cf. Origen’s use of οὐσία, Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (2) a) and Cyril c. Nest. iii. p. 91. φύσις and οὐσία are nearly equivalent in the manifesto of Basil of Ancyra, whom Ath. has in view here, see Epiph. Hær. 73. 12–22.] of the Son towards the Father, and the godhead not accruing to the Son, but the Father’s godhead being in the Son, so that he that hath seen the Son hath seen the Father in Him; wherefore should not such a one be called Coessential?

53. Even this is sufficient to dissuade you from blaming those who have said that the Son was coessential with the Father, and yet let us examine the very term ‘Coessential,’ in itself, by way of seeing whether we ought to use it at all, and whether it be a proper term, and is suitable to apply to the Son. For you know yourselves, and no one can dispute it, that Like is not predicated of essence, but of habits, and qualities; for in the case of essences we speak, not of likeness, but of identity. Man, for instance, is said to be like man, not in essence, but according to habit and character; for in essence men are of one nature. And again, man is not said to be unlike dog, but to be of different nature. Accordingly while the former are of one nature and coessential, the latter are different in both. Therefore, in speaking of Like according to essence, we mean like by participation; (for Likeness is a quality, which may attach to essence), and this would be proper to creatures for they, by partaking, are made like to God. For ‘when He shall appear,’ says Scripture, ‘we shall be like Him’ (1 John iii. 2), like, that is, not in essence but in sonship, which we shall partake from Him. If then ye speak of the Son as being by participation, then indeed call Him Like-in-essence; but thus spoken of, He is not Truth, nor Light at all, nor in nature God. For things which are from participation, are called like, not in reality, but from resemblance to reality; so that they may swerve, or be taken from those who share them. And this, again, is proper to creatures and works. Therefore, if this be out of place, He must be, not by participation, but in nature and truth Son, Light, Wisdom, God; and being by nature, and not by sharing, He would properly be called, not Like-in-essence, but Coessential. But what would not be asserted, even in the case of others (for the Like has been shewn to be inapplicable to essences), is it not folly, not to say violence, to put forward in the case of the Son, instead of the ‘Coessential?’

54. This is why the Nicene Council was correct in writing, what it was becoming to say, that the Son, begotten from the Father’s essence, is coessential with Him. And if we too have been taught the same thing, let us not fight with shadows, especially as knowing, that they who have so defined, have made this confession of faith, not to misrepresent the truth, but as vindicating the truth and religiousness towards Christ, and also as destroying the blasphemies against Him of the Ario-maniacs. For this must be considered and noted carefully, that, in using unlike-in-essence, and other-in-essence, we signify not the true Son, but some one of the creatures, and an introduced and adopted Son, which pleases the heretics; but when we speak uncontroversially of the Coessential, we signify a genuine Son born of the Father; though at this Christ’s enemies often burst with rage218    p. 171, note 6.. What then I have learned myself, and have heard men of judgment say, I have written in few words; but do you, remaining on the foundation of the Apostles, and holding fast the traditions of the Fathers, pray that now at length all strife and rivalry may cease, and the futile questions of the heretics may be condemned, and all logomachy219    And so ταῖς λογομαχίαις, Basil de Sp. S. n. 16. It is used with an allusion to the fight against the Word, as χριστομαχεῖν and θεομαχεῖν. Thus λογομαχεῖν μελετήσαντες, καὶ λοιπὸν πνευματομαχοῦντες, ἔσονται μετ᾽ ὀλίγον νεκροὶ τῇ ἀλογί& 139·. Serap. iv. 1.; and the guilty and murderous heresy of the Arians may disappear, and the truth may shine again in the hearts of all, so that all every where may ‘say the same thing’ (1 Cor. i. 10), and think the same thing220    Cf. Hil. de Syn. 77, and appendix, note 3, also supr. p. 303, and note. The ὁμοούσιον was not imposed upon Ursacius and Valens, a.d. 347, by Pope Julius; nor in the Council of Aquileia in 381, was it offered by S. Ambrose to Palladius and Secundianus. S. Jerome’s account of the apology made by the Fathers of Ariminum is of the same kind. ‘We thought,’ they said, ‘the sense corresponded to the words, nor in the Church of God, where there is simplicity, and a pure confession, did we fear that one thing would be concealed in the heart, another uttered by the lips. We were deceived by our good opinion of the bad.’ ad Lucif. 19., and that, no Arian contumelies remaining, it may be said and confessed in every Church, ‘One Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph. iv. 5), in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom to the Father be the glory and the strength, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Postscript.

55. After I had written my account of the Councils221    §11, note 7., I had information that the most irreligious222    §12, note 2. Constantius had sent Letters to the Bishops remaining in Ariminum; and I have taken pains to get copies of them from true brethren and to send them to you, and also what the Bishops answered; that you may know the irreligious craft of the Emperor, and the firm and unswerving purpose of the Bishops towards the truth.

Interpretation of the Letter223    These two Letters are both in Socr. ii. 37. And the latter is in Theod. H. E. ii. 15. p. 878. in a different version from the Latin original..

Constantius, Victorious and Triumphant, Augustus, to all Bishops who are assembled at Ariminum.

That the divine and adorable Law is our chief care, your excellencies are not ignorant; but as yet we have been unable to receive the twenty Bishops sent by your wisdom, and charged with the legation from you, for we are pressed by a necessary expedition against the Barbarians; and as ye know, it beseems to have the soul clear from every care, when one handles the matters of the Divine Law. Therefore we have ordered the Bishops to await our return at Adrianople; that, when all public affairs are well arranged, then at length we may hear and weigh their suggestions. Let it not then be grievous to your constancy to await their return, that, when they come back with our answer to you, ye may be able to bring matters to a close which so deeply affect the well-being of the Catholic Church.

This was what the Bishops received at the hands of three emissaries.

Reply of the Bishops.

The letter of your humanity we have received, most God-beloved Lord Emperor, which reports that, on account of stress of public affairs, as yet you have been unable to attend to our deputies; and in which you command us to await their return, until your godliness shall be advised by them of what we have defined conformably to our ancestors. However, we now profess and aver at once by these presents, that we shall not recede from our purpose, as we also instructed our deputies. We ask then that you will with serene countenance command these letters of our mediocrity to be read; but also that you will graciously receive those, with which we charged our deputies. This however your gentleness comprehends as well as we, that great grief and sadness at present prevail, because that, in these your most happy days, so many Churches are without Bishops. And on this account we again request your humanity, most God-beloved Lord Emperor, that, if it please your religiousness, you would command us, before the severe winter weather sets in, to return to our Churches, that so we may be able, unto God Almighty and our Lord and Saviour Christ, His Only-begotten Son, to fulfil together with our flocks our wonted prayers in behalf of your imperial sway, as indeed we have ever performed them, and at this time make them.

Additional Note.

The ‘list of Sirmian confessions’ published by Newman as an Excursus to the de Synodis is omitted here. It will be found printed as ‘Appendix iii.’ to his Arians of the Fourth Century.

The Excursus on a Creed ascribed (at the Council of Ephesus, see Hard. Conc. i. 1640, Hahn. §83; Routh Rell. iii. 367) to the 70 bishops who condemned Paul of Samosata, at Antioch a.d. 269, and containing the formula ὁμοούσιον (against this, supr. §§43–47), is also omitted, as bearing only very indirectly on the de Synodis. Caspari Alte und Neue Quellen (xi), p. 161, has thoroughly investigated the Confession since Newman wrote, and has proved (what Newman half suspected) that the document is of Apollinarian origin. As Caspari was unaware of Newman’s discussion, this result comes as the result of two independent investigations pursued on very different lines.]

33 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὕτως αὐτοὶ πρός τε ἑαυτοὺς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἑαυτῶν διετέθησαν, φέρε λοιπὸν ἡμεῖς ἐξετάσαντες μάθωμεν παρ' αὐτῶν, ποῖον ἄτοπον ἄρα θεωρήσαντες ἢ τίνα λέξιν αἰτιώμενοι τῶν ἐγγεγραμμένων ἀπειθεῖς μὲν γονεῦσι γεγόνασι, διαμάχονται δὲ πρὸς οἰκουμενικὴν σύνοδον. τὸ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας, φησί, καὶ τὸ ὁμοούσιον οὐκ ἤρεσεν ἡμῖν· ταῦτα γάρ τινας ἐσκανδάλισε καὶ πολλοὺς ἐθορύβησεν. ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν οὕτω γράφοντες εἰρήκασιν, ἀπαντήσειε δ' ἄν τις αὐτοῖς εὐλόγως οὕτως· εἰ μὲν οὖν αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα καθ' ἑαυτὰ τυγχάνει ὄντα αἴτια τούτοις εἰς σκάνδαλον, ἔδει μή τινας σκαν δαλίζεσθαι μηδὲ πολλοὺς θορυβεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πάντας ταὐτὸν ἐκείνοις πάσχειν ἐξ αὐτῶν· εἰ δὲ οἱ μὲν πάντες ἀγαπῶσι τὰ ῥήματα, οἱ δὲ ταῦτα γράψαντες οὐχ οἱ τυχόντες, ἀλλ' οἱ ἐκ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης συνελθόντες εἰσὶ καὶ τούτοις ἐπιμαρτυ ροῦσιν οἱ νῦν ἐν τῇ Ἀριμήνῳ συνελθόντες ἐπίσκοποι υʹ καὶ πλείους, πῶς οὐκ ἄντικρυς ἐλέγχει τοῦτο τοὺς κατὰ τῆς συνόδου λέγοντας, ὡς οὐ τὰ ῥήματά ἐστιν αἴτια, ἀλλ' ἡ κακόνοια τῶν παρεξηγουμένων τὰ τοιαῦτα; πόσοι κακῶς ἐντυγχάνοντες ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς καὶ παρανοοῦντες ταύτας κατηγοροῦσι τῶν ἁγίων, οἷοι γεγόνασιν οἱ μὲν τότε Ἰουδαῖοι μὴ δεξάμενοι τὸν κύριον, οἱ δὲ νῦν Μανιχαῖοι βλασφημοῦντες τὸν νόμον, καὶ οὐχ αἱ γραφαὶ γεγόνασιν αὐτοῖς αἴτιαι, ἀλλ' ἡ σφῶν αὐτῶν κακοφροσύνη. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀποδεῖξαι δύνασθε τὰ ῥήματα φαῦλα, τοῦτο ποιεῖτε, καὶ λόγος ἡγείσθω τῆς ἀπο δείξεως· καὶ μὴ προφασίζεσθε τοὺς σκανδαλιζομένους, ἵνα μὴ ταυτὸν πάθητε τοῖς τότε Φαρισαίοις. καὶ γὰρ κἀκείνων προφασιζομένων σκανδαλίζεσθαι ἐπὶ ταῖς τοῦ κυρίου διδαχαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὁ κύριος· «πᾶσα φυτεία ἣν οὐκ ἐφύτευσεν ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ οὐράνιος ἐκριζωθήσεται». τοῦτο δὲ λέγων ἐδείκνυεν ὡς οὐ τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς δι' αὐτοῦ φυτευόμενα ῥήματα σκάνδαλον ἦσαν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ κακῶς ἐκδεχόμενοι τὰ καλῶς λεγόμενα ἐσκαν δάλιζον ἑαυτούς. ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ αἰτιώμενοι τότε τὰς ἐπιστολὰς τοῦ ἀποστόλου, οὐ τοῦ Παύλου, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀμαθίας καὶ στρεβλῆς διανοίας κατηγόρουν.

34 Ἐπεὶ (καλὸν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐρέσθαι τοῦτο) εἴπατε, τίνες εἰσὶν οὓς προφασίζεσθε σκανδαλίζεσθαι καὶ θορυβεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τούτοις; τῶν μὲν γὰρ εὐσεβούντων εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν οὐ δείς, αὐτὰ γὰρ πρεσβεύουσι καὶ ἐκδικοῦσιν. εἰ δὲ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν εἰσιν οἱ τοῦτο πάσχοντες, τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀναιροῦσιν αὐτῶν τὴν αἵρεσιν ἄχθονται; οὐ γάρ ἐστιν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλὰ λύπη ὅτι στηλογραφία κατὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν ἐστιν. οὐκοῦν παύσασθε γογγύζοντες κατὰ τῶν πατέρων καὶ τοιαῦτα προφασιζόμενοι, ἐπεὶ ὥρα ὑμᾶς καταμέμφεσθαι καὶ τῷ κυριακῷ σταυρῷ ὅτι «Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλόν ἐστιν, ἔθνεσι δὲ μωρία», ὡς εἶπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οὐ φαῦλος ὁ σταυρός· ἡμῖν γὰρ τοῖς πιστεύουσίν ἐστι «Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία», κἂν Ἰουδαῖοι μαίνωνται, οὕτως οὐ φαῦλα τὰ τῶν πατέρων ῥήματα, ἀλλ' ὠφέλιμα τοῖς γνησίως ἐντυγχάνουσι καὶ ἀναιρετικὰ πάσης ἀσεβείας ἐστί, κἂν οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ πολλάκις διαρρηγνύωνται κατακρινόμενοι παρ' αὐτῶν. ὅτε τοίνυν ἡ περὶ τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἀπίθανος δέδεικται πρόφασις, εἴπατε λοιπὸν ὑμεῖς, πῶς οὐκ ἀρέσκεσθε τῷ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ὀνόματι; τοῦτο γὰρ πρῶτον ἀναγκαῖον ἀνακρῖναι, καίτοι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐγράψατε ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γεγεννῆσθαι τὸν υἱόν. εἰ μὲν οὖν τὸν πατέρα ὀνομάζοντες ἢ τὸ θεὸς ὄνομα λέγοντες οὐκ οὐσίαν σημαίνετε οὐδὲ αὐτὸν τὸν ὄντα ὅπερ ἐστὶ κατ' οὐσίαν νοεῖτε, ἀλλ' ἕτερόν τι περὶ αὐτὸν ἢ τὸ γοῦν χεῖρον, ἵνα μὴ παρ' ἐμοῦ λέγηται, διὰ τούτων σημαίνετε, ἔδει μὴ γράφειν ὑμᾶς «ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς» τὸν υἱόν, ἀλλ' «ἐκ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἢ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ», ἵνα φεύγοντες λέγειν ἀληθῶς πατέρα τὸν θεὸν σύνθετον δὲ τὸν ἁπλοῦν καὶ σωματικῶς αὐτὸν ἐπινοοῦντες καινοτέρας βλασφημίας ἐφευρεταὶ γένησθε. οὕτω δὲ νοοῦντες ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὸ υἱὸς οὐκ οὐσίαν, ἀλλ' ὄνομα μόνον νομίζετε καὶ λοιπὸν ἄχρις ὀνομάτων ἔχετε τὴν ἑαυτῶν φαντασίαν· καὶ ἃ λέγετε οὐκ εἶναι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἶναι φρονεῖτε.

35 Τοῦτο δὲ Σαδδουκαίων μᾶλλον καὶ τῶν παρ' Ἕλλησι λεχθέντων ἀθέων ἐστὶ τὸ τόλ μημα. διὸ οὐδὲ τὴν κτίσιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὄντος θεοῦ δημιούργημα εἶναι φήσετε, εἴ γε τὸ πατὴρ καὶ τὸ θεὸς οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ ὄντος οὐσίαν σημαίνουσιν, ἀλλ' ἕτερόν τι ὅπερ ὑμεῖς ἀναπλάττετε. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο δυσσεβὲς καὶ λίαν ἀπρεπές ἐστι καὶ μόνον ἐνθυμεῖσθαι. εἰ δὲ ὅταν ἀκούωμεν «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὢν» καὶ «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν» καὶ «ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ, κύριος ὁ θεός σου κύριος εἷς ἐστι» καὶ «τάδε λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ», οὐχ ἕτερόν τι ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἁπλῆν καὶ μακαρίαν καὶ ἀκατάληπτον τοῦ ὄντος οὐσίαν νοοῦμεν, κἂν γὰρ ἀδυνάτως ἔχωμεν καταλαβεῖν, ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἀκούοντες τὸ πατὴρ καὶ τὸ θεὸς καὶ τὸ παντοκράτωρ οὐχ ἕτερόν τι, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ ὄντος οὐσίαν σημαινομένην νοοῦμεν. εἰρήκατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς «ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν υἱόν», δηλονότι «ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς» αὐτὸν εἰρήκατε. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ πρὸ ὑμῶν λέγουσιν αἱ γραφαὶ τὸν κύριον υἱὸν τοῦ πατρός, καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ὁ πατὴρ εἴρηκεν «οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός», υἱὸς δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γέννημα· πῶς οὐ φαίνονται καλῶς εἰρηκότες οἱ πατέρες ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱὸν λογισάμενοι ταυτὸν εἶναι τὸ εἰπεῖν ὀρθῶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας; τὰ μὲν γὰρ κτίσματα πάντα, κἂν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγηται γεγενῆσθαι, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ὁ υἱός εἰσιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ· οὐ γὰρ γεννήματα, ἀλλὰ ποιήματά εἰσι τὴν φύσιν. «ἐν ἀρχῇ γοῦν ὁ θεὸς» οὐκ «ἐγέννησεν» ἀλλ' «ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς» εἴρηται. καὶ οὐχ «ὁ γεννῶν» ἀλλ' «ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα». εἰ δὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος εἴρηκεν· «εἷς θεός, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα», ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν υἱὸν συναριθμῶν τοῖς πᾶσι τοῦτό φησιν. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἱ μὲν νομίζουσι κατὰ τύχην καὶ ἐξ ἀτόμων συμ πλοκῆς καὶ ὁμοιομερῶς ἐκ ταυτομάτου συνεστάναι τὴν κτίσιν καὶ μὴ ἔχειν τὸν αἴτιον, οἱ δὲ ἐξ αἰτίου μὲν αὐτὴν γεγονέναι, οὐ μὴν καὶ διὰ τοῦ λόγου, τῶν δὲ αἱρετικῶν ἕκαστος ὡς ἠθέλησεν ἀνεπλάσατο καὶ περὶ τῆς κτίσεως μυθολογεῖ, τούτου χάριν ὁ ἀπόστολος ἀναγκαίως συνείρηκε τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ· ἵνα καὶ τὸν ποιητὴν γνωρίσῃ καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ βου λήματος αὐτοῦ τῶν πάντων δημιουργίαν ἀποδείξῃ, εὐθὺς δ' οὖν ἐπιφέρει «καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα», ἵνα τῶν πάντων ἐξάρῃ τὸν υἱόν. τὰ γὰρ «ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ» λεγόμενα πάντα ταῦτα δι' υἱοῦ γέγονε καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε ὁμοίαν ἔχειν τὰ δημιουργούμενα τῷ δημιουργοῦντι τὴν γένεσιν, καὶ ἵνα τὸ «ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ» λεγόμενον ὧδε ἄλλως ἐπὶ τῶν ποιημάτων αὐτὸ σημαίνεσθαι διδάξῃ, ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ υἱοῦ λεγόμενον νοεῖται. ὁ μὲν γὰρ γέννημα, τὰ δὲ ποιήματά ἐστι. διὸ καὶ ὁ μὲν υἱὸς ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας γέννημα, τὰ δὲ τοῦ βουλήματος δημιουργήματα.

36 Ταῦτα καὶ ἡ σύνοδος συνορῶσα καὶ εἰδυῖα τὴν ἐκ τῆς ὁμωνυμίας διαφορίαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μή τινας ὑπονοεῖν κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν οὕτω λέγεσθαι καὶ τὸν υἱὸν «ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ» λευκότερον ἔγραψαν «ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας» τὸν υἱόν. ἐκ μὲν γὰρ τούτου τὸ γνήσιον ἀληθῶς υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα γνωρίζεται, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ λέγεσθαι ἁπλῶς «ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ» τὸ βούλημα τῆς δημιουργίας τοῦ κτίζοντος σημαίνεται. εἰ μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτοὶ τοιαύτην ἔχοντες διάνοιαν ἔγραψαν «ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς» τὸν λόγον, μὴ μεμφέσθωσαν τὴν σύνοδον· εἰ δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστι γεγραμμένον, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ φρονοῦσι τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἔδει τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς κτίσεως λαμβάνοντας αὐτοὺς μὴ λέγειν υἱόν, ἵνα μὴ δοκῶσι φύρειν βλασφημίαν τῇ εὐσε βείᾳ καὶ ἢ τὸν κύριον μὴ συναριθμεῖν τοῖς κτίσμασιν ἢ μὴ ἀνάξια καὶ μὴ ἁρμόζοντα περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ γράφειν. εἰ γὰρ υἱός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα· εἰ δὲ κτίσμα ἐστίν, οὐκ ἔστιν υἱός. τοιαῦτα δὲ διανοούμενοι ἀρνήσονταί που καὶ τὸ ἅγιον λουτρόν, ὅτι εἰς πατέρα καὶ εἰς υἱὸν καὶ οὐκ εἰς κτίστην καὶ κτίσμα δίδοται, ὡς αὐτοὶ νομίζουσιν. «ἀλλ' οὐ γέ γραπται ταῦτα», φησίν, «καὶ ὡς ἀγράφους τὰς φωνὰς ἐκβάλλομεν». ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν πρόφασις αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἀναίσχυντος. εἰ γὰρ ἐκβλητέα νομίζουσι τὰ μὴ γεγραμμένα, διὰ τί τῶν περὶ Ἄρειον ἐξ ἀγράφων ἐπινοησάντων τοσούτων ῥηματίων συρφετὸν τὸ «ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων» καὶ τὸ «οὐκ ἦν ὁ υἱὸς πρὶν γεννηθῇ καὶ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν καὶ τρεπτός ἐστι καὶ ἄρρητος καὶ ἀόρατος ὁ πατὴρ τῷ υἱῷ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς οὐκ οἶδεν οὐδὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίαν» καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γελοίῳ καὶ ἀσεβεῖ Θαλίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ φρονῶν ἐξήμεσεν Ἄρειος οὐκ ἀντειρήκασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀγωνίζονται καὶ διὰ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἑαυτῶν διαμάχονται; ἐκ ποίας δὲ γραφῆς καὶ αὐτοὶ εὑρόντες τὸ ἀγένητον καὶ τὸ οὐσίας ὄνομα καὶ «τρεῖς εἰσιν ὑποστάσεις» καὶ «οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς θεὸς ὁ Χριστὸς» καὶ «εἷς ἐστι τῶν ἑκατὸν προβάτων» καὶ «ἡ μὲν σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγέννητος καὶ ἄναρχός ἐστι, πολλαὶ δέ εἰσιν αἱ κτισθεῖσαι δυνάμεις, ὧν μία ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός»; ἢ πῶς ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις Ἐγκαινίοις ἀγράφοις χρησάμενοι λέξεσιν οἱ περὶ Ἀκάκιον καὶ Εὐσέβιον καὶ εἰπόντες «οὐσίας τε καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ βουλῆς καὶ δόξης ἀπαράλλακτον εἰκόνα τὸν πρωτότοκον τῆς κτίσεως» γογγύζουσι κατὰ τῶν πατέρων ὡς ἀγράφων αὐτῶν μνημονευσάντων λέξεων καὶ οὐσίας μνημονευσάντων; ἔδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἢ καθ' ἑαυτῶν γογγύζειν ἢ μηδὲν τοὺς πατέρας αἰτιᾶσθαι.

37 Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι τινὲς ἐπροφασίζοντο τὰς τῆς συνόδου λέξεις, ἠδύναντό πως ἢ ἀγνοίας ἢ εὐλαβείας ὑπόνοιαν ἔχειν. καὶ περὶ μὲν Γεωργίου τοῦ Καππάδοκος τοῦ ἐκβληθέν τος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας λόγος οὐδείς, ἀνθρώπου μήτε ἐκ προάγοντος βίου τὴν μαρ τυρίαν ἔχοντος μήτε ὅλως Χριστιανοῦ τυγχάνοντος, ἀλλὰ μόνον ὑποκριναμένου διὰ τὸν καιρὸν τὸ ὄνομα καὶ «πορισμὸν ἡγησαμένου τὴν εὐσέβειαν». διὸ οὐδὲ μέμψαιτο ἄν τις αὐτὸν εἰκότως πταίοντα περὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἄνθρωπον «μήτε εἰδότα περὶ ὧν λέγει μήτε περὶ ὧν διαβεβαιοῦται», ἀλλὰ πᾶσι κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ὡς κέπφον ἐπακολουθοῦντα. Ἀκάκιος δὲ καὶ Εὐδόξιος καὶ Πατρόφιλος ταῦτα λέγοντες πῶς οὐκ ἄξιοι πάσης εἰσὶ κατα γνώσεως; γράψαντες γὰρ ἄγραφα καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἀποδεξάμενοι πολλάκις ὡς καλὸν τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα, μάλιστα καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν Εὐσεβίου αἰτιῶνται νῦν τοὺς πρὸ αὐτῶν ὡς τοιαύταις χρησαμένους λέξεσιν. ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰπόντες αὐτοὶ «θεὸν ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ λόγον ζῶντα, τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπαράλλακτον εἰκόνα τὸν υἱὸν» κατηγοροῦσι τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ εἰπόν των «ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας καὶ ὁμοούσιον τὸν γεννηθέντα τῷ γεγεννηκότι». τί δὲ θαυμαστὸν εἰ τοῖς πρὸ αὐτῶν καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις πατράσι διαμάχονται, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἐναντι ούμενοι τοῖς ἑαυτῶν προσκόπτουσιν; ἐκθέμενοι γὰρ ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις Ἐγκαινίοις ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ «τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπαράλλακτον εἰκόνα εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν» ὀμόσαντές τε οὕτω φρονεῖν καὶ ἀναθεματίσαντες τοὺς ἄλλως φρονοῦντας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἰσαυρίᾳ γρά ψαντες· «οὐ φεύγομεν τὴν ἐκτεθεῖσαν αὐθεντικὴν πίστιν ἐν τοῖς Ἐγκαινίοις τοῖς κατὰ Ἀντιόχειαν» (ἐν αὐτοῖς δὲ ἐγράφη τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα) ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμενοι τούτων, μετ' ὀλίγον ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ Ἰσαυρίᾳ τἀναντία ἔγραψαν λέγοντες· «τὸ ὁμοούσιον καὶ τὸ ὁμοιο ούσιον ἐκβάλλομεν ὡς ἀλλότριον τῶν γραφῶν, καὶ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα περιαιροῦμεν ὡς μὴ κείμενον ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς».

38 Τίς οὖν ἔτι τοὺς τοιούτους Χριστιανοὺς ἡγήσεται; ἢ ποία πίστις παρὰ τούτοις, παρ' οἷς οὐ λόγος, οὐ γράμμα βέβαιον, ἀλλὰ πάντα κατὰ καιρὸν ἀλλάσσεται καὶ μεταβάλλεται; εἰ γάρ, ὦ Ἀκάκιε καὶ Εὐδόξιε, οὐ φεύγετε τὴν ἐκτεθεῖσαν ἐν τοῖς Ἐγκαινίοις πίστιν, ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ γέγραπται· «οὐσίας ἀπαράλλακτος εἰκών ἐστιν ὁ υἱός», πῶς ἐν τῇ Ἰσαυρίᾳ γράφετε· «ἐκβάλλομεν τὸ ὁμοούσιον»; εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι κατ' οὐσίαν ὅμοιος ὁ υἱὸς τῷ πατρί, πῶς «ἀπαράλλακτος τῆς οὐσίας εἰκών» ἐστιν; εἰ δὲ μετέγνωτε γράψαντες τὸ «τῆς οὐσίας ἀπαράλλακτος εἰκών», πῶς ἀναθεματίζετε τοὺς «ἀνόμοιον» εἶναι λέγοντας τὸν υἱόν; εἰ γὰρ οὐχ «ὅμοιος κατ' οὐσίαν» πάντως «ἀνόμοιός» ἐστι. τὸ δὲ ἀνόμοιον οὐκ ἂν εἴη «εἰκών». εἰ δὲ οὕτω καθ' ὑμᾶς ἐστιν, οὐκ ἄρα «ὁ τὸν υἱὸν ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα « πλείστης ὅσης οὔσης διαφορᾶς, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ὅλον ὄντος τούτου πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀνομοίου. τὸ δὲ ἀνόμοιον οὐχ οἷόν τε ὅμοιον λέγεσθαι. ποίᾳ τοίνυν μηχανῇ τὸ ἀνόμοιον ὅμοιον λέγετε καὶ τὸ ὅμοιον ἀνόμοιον φρονεῖτε καὶ ὑποκρίνεσθε λέγοντες «εἰκόνα εἶναι τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱόν»; εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι κατ' οὐσίαν ὅμοιος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ πατρός, λείπει τι τῇ εἰκόνι καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πλήρης εἰκὼν οὐδὲ τέλειον ἀπαύγασμα. πῶς οὖν ἀναγινώσκετε τὸ «ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς « καὶ «ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν «; πῶς τὸν Ἀρειανὸν Ἀέτιον ὡς αἱρετικὸν ἐκβάλλετε, καίτοι τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνῳ λέγοντες; καὶ γὰρ σοῦ μέν, ὦ Ἀκάκιε, ἑταῖρός ἐστιν, Εὐδοξίου δὲ διδάσκαλος εἰς τὴν τοιαύτην ἀσέβειαν γέγονεν, ἧς ἕνεκα καὶ Λεόντιος αὐτὸν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος διάκονον κατέστησεν, ἵνα ὡς ἐν ἐνδύματι προβάτου τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς διακονίας χρώμενος ἐπ' ἀδείας ἐξεμεῖν δύνηται τὰ τῆς βλασφημίας ῥήματα.

39 Τί οὖν ὑμᾶς ἄρα τοιοῦτον ἔπεισεν, ὥστε καὶ ἑαυτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον περιπεσεῖν καὶ το σαύτην αἰσχύνην ἀπενέγκασθαι; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν εὔλογον ἂν εἴποιτε· τοῦτο δὲ μόνον περι λείπεται νοεῖν ὅτι πάντα νῦν ὑποκρίνεσθε καὶ πάντα προσποιούμενοι πλάττετε διὰ τὴν παρὰ Κωνσταντίου προστασίαν καὶ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ τοιούτου κέρδος. καὶ κατηγορεῖτε μὲν εὐχερῶς τῶν πατέρων, προφασίζεσθε δὲ ἁπλῶς τὰς λέξεις ὡς ἀγράφους, καὶ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον «διετείνατε τὰ σκέλη παντὶ παρόδῳ», ὥστε τοσαυτάκις ὑμᾶς μεταβάλλεσθαι, ὁσάκις ἂν ὑμᾶς οἱ μισθούμενοι καὶ χορηγοῦντες ὑμῖν βούλωνται. καίτοι κἂν ἀγράφους τις λαλῇ λέξεις, οὐδὲν διαφέρει, ἕως εὐσεβῆ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχει. ὁ δὲ αἱρετικὸς ἀνήρ, κἂν τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν χρήσηται λέξεις, οὐδὲν ἧττον ὕποπτος ὢν καὶ τὸν νοῦν διεφθαρμένος ἀκούσεται παρὰ τοῦ πνεύματος «ἵνα τί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου». οὕτως ὁ μὲν διάβολος καίτοι λαλῶν ἀπὸ τῶν γρα φῶν πεφίμωται παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος· ὁ δὲ μακάριος Παῦλος κἂν ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν λαλῇ· «Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεῦσται», καὶ «τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμὲν» καὶ «φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί», ἀλλ' ὅμως ἅγιος ὢν ἔχει τὴν διάνοιαν εὐσεβῆ καὶ «τοῦ Χριστοῦ νοῦν ἔχων διδάσκαλός ἐστιν ἐθνῶν ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ», καὶ ἃ λαλεῖ μετ' εὐσεβείας φθέγγεται. ποία τοίνυν ἐν τοῖς ἀρειανοῖς ῥηματίοις κἂν πιθανότης ἐστίν, ἐν οἷς προτιμᾶται τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡ κάμπη καὶ ἡ ἀκρὶς καὶ λοιδορεῖται παρ' αὐτῶν· «οὐκ ἦς ποτε καὶ ἐκτίσθης ξένος τε κατ' οὐσίαν τοῦ θεοῦ τυγχάνεις» καὶ ὅλως οὐδὲν δυσφημίας ἐν αὐτοῖς παραλέλειπται; τί δὲ πρὸς εὐφημίαν παρῆκαν οἱ πατέρες; καὶ οὐ μᾶλλον ὑψηλὴ διάνοια καὶ φιλόχριστος εὐσέβεια παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐστι; καὶ ὅμως ταῦτα μὲν ἔγραψαν ὅτι «ἐκβάλλομεν», ἐκείνων δὲ τῶν κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου λοιδοριῶν ἀνέχονται καὶ φανεροὺς ἑαυτοὺς πᾶσι καθιστῶσιν, ὅτι δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον μάχονται πρὸς τὴν σύνοδον ἐκείνην τὴν μεγάλην ἢ ὅτι τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν κατέκρινε. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λέξιν διαβάλλουσι κακῶς αὐτοὶ φρονοῦντες καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς. εἰ γὰρ ἐπίστευον ὀρθῶς καὶ τὸν μὲν πατέρα πατέρα ἀληθῶς ὡμολόγουν, τὸν δὲ υἱὸν γνήσιον υἱὸν καὶ φύσει ἀληθινὸν λόγον καὶ σοφίαν ἐπίστευον εἶναι τοῦ πατρὸς τό τε «ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ» λέγειν τὸν υἱόν, εἰ μή, ὥσπερ λέγεται περὶ τῶν κτισμάτων, οὕτως ἔλεγον καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς ἴδιον αὐτὸν ἐνόουν εἶναι γέννημα ὡς ἔστι τὸ ἀπαύγασμα ἐκ τοῦ φωτός, οὐκ ἂν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν κατηγόρει τῶν πατέρων, ἀλλ' ἐθάρρουν, ὅτι καλῶς ἔγραψεν ἡ σύνοδος καὶ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ ὀρθὴ περὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστις.

40 Ἀλλ' «ἀσαφής», φησίν, «ἐστὶν ἡμῖν τῶν τοιούτων λέξεων ἡ διάνοια». καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ προεφασίσαντο λέγοντες ὅτι «μὴ δυνάμενοι καταλαβεῖν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν αὐτῶν ἐκβάλλομεν ταύτας τὰς λέξεις». τοῦτο δὲ εἰ ἀληθῶς ἔλεγον, οὐκ ἔδει λέγειν αὐτοὺς «ἐκ βάλλομεν ταύτας», ἀλλ' ἀξιοῦν μαθεῖν παρὰ τῶν ἐπισταμένων, ἐπεὶ ὀφείλουσί γε, καὶ ἅπερ ἂν ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς μὴ νοήσωσιν ἐκβάλλειν καὶ κατηγορεῖν τοὺς γράψαντας αὐτά. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον αἱρετικῶν καὶ οὐχ ἡμῶν τῶν Χριστιανῶν τὸ τόλμημα. ἃ γὰρ ἀγνοοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς λογίοις, οὐκ ἐκβάλλομεν, ἀλλὰ ζητοῦμεν οὓς ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ κύριος καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν μανθάνειν ἀξιοῦμεν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ οὕτω προφασίζονται τὴν ἀσάφειαν τῶν τοιούτων λέξεων, ὁμολογείτωσαν γοῦν τὰ εὐθὺς ἐπιφερόμενα καὶ ἀναθεματιζέτωσαν τοὺς φρονοῦντας «ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν» καὶ «οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ» καὶ ὅτι «κτίσμα καὶ ποίημά ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος» καὶ «τρεπτός ἐστι τῇ φύσει» καὶ «ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως», καὶ ὅλως ἀναθεματιζέτωσαν τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν τὴν ἐφευροῦσαν τὴν τοιαύτην ἀσέβειαν. καὶ λοιπὸν μὴ λεγέτωσαν «ἐκβάλλομεν τὰς λέξεις», ἀλλ' ὅτι «οὔπω νοοῦμεν αὐτάς», ἵνα οὕτω πιθανήν τινα πρόφασιν ἔχωσι τοῦ παραιτεῖσθαι ταύτας. εὖ δὲ οἶδα καὶ πέπεισμαι καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ τοῦτο γινώσκουσιν ὅτι ταῦτα ἐὰν ὁμολογήσωσι καὶ ἀναθεματίσωσι τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν οὐκ ἀρνήσονται κἀκείνας τὰς τῆς συνόδου λέξεις. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ οἱ πατέρες εἰρηκότες «ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας γεννητὸν τὸν υἱὸν ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρὶ» εὐθὺς ἐπήγα γον· «τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας» τὰ προειρημένα, ἅπερ ἐστὶ τῆς ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεως, «ἀναθεματίζομεν» ἵνα δείξωσιν ὅτι ὡς ἐκ παραλλήλου λέλεκται παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ λέξεις ἐκεῖναι ταῦτα σημαίνουσι, καὶ ὃς ἂν ἐκείνας ὁμολογήσῃ, πάντως καὶ ταῦτα διανοηθήσεται· οἱ δὲ μήτε ταῦτα φρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνα διαβάλλοντες οἱ τοιοῦτοι πανταχόθεν ἐλέγχονται χριστομάχοι.

41 Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἐξ ὅλου τὴν σύνοδον ἀρνουμένων ἀρκεῖ πρὸς ἔλεγχον τὰ ὀλίγα ταῦτα, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀποδεχομένους τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ γραφέντων, περὶ δὲ μόνον τὸ ὁμοούσιον ἀμφιβάλλοντας χρὴ μὴ ὡς πρὸς ἐχθροὺς διακεῖσθαι. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐχ ὡς πρὸς Ἀρειομανίτας οὐδ' ὡς μαχομένους πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐνιστάμεθα, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀδελφοὶ πρὸς ἀδελφοὺς διαλεγόμεθα τὴν αὐτὴν μὲν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἔχοντας, περὶ δὲ τὸ ὄνομα μόνον διστάζοντας. καὶ γὰρ ὁμολογοῦντες ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως τὸν υἱὸν κτίσμα τε μὴ εἶναι μηδὲ ποίημα αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ γνήσιον καὶ φύσει γέννημα ἀιδίως τε αὐτὸν συνεῖναι τῷ πατρὶ λόγον ὄντα καὶ σοφίαν οὐ μακράν εἰσιν ἀποδέξασθαι καὶ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λέξιν. τοιοῦτος δέ ἐστι Βασίλειος ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀγκύρας γράψας περὶ πίστεως. τὸ μὲν γὰρ «ὅμοιον» μόνον λέγειν «κατ' οὐσίαν» οὐ πάντως σημαίνει καὶ τὸ «ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας», ἐξ οὗ μᾶλλον, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰρήκασι, σημαίνεται τὸ γνήσιον τοῦ υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. καὶ γὰρ καὶ κασσίτερος ὅμοιός ἐστι μόνος τῷ ἀρ γύρῳ καὶ λύκος τῷ κυνὶ καὶ χαλκὸς χρυσίζων τῷ ἀληθινῷ χρυσῷ, οὔτε δὲ κασσίτερος ἐκ τοῦ ἀργύρου τυγχάνει οὔτε λύκος ὡς υἱὸς τοῦ κυνὸς ἂν νομισθείη. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ «ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας» καὶ «ὁμοιοούσιον» αὐτὸν εἰρήκασι, τί ἕτερον σημαίνουσιν ἐκ τούτων ἢ τὸ ὁμοούσιον; καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ ὁ λέγων μόνον «ὁμοιοούσιον» οὐ πάντως καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας γνωρίζει οὕτως ὁ λέγων ὁμοούσιον ἀμφοτέρων τοῦ τε ὁμοιοουσίου καὶ τοῦ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας σημαίνει τὴν διάνοιαν. καὶ αὐτοὶ γοῦν ἐνιστάμενοι πάλιν πρὸς τοὺς κτίσμα λέγοντας εἶναι τὸν λόγον, καὶ μὴ θέλοντας αὐτὸν γνήσιον υἱὸν εἶναι ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνων παραδειγμάτων υἱοῦ καὶ πατρὸς εἰλήφασι τὰς κατ' αὐτῶν ἀποδείξεις, ἐξαιρουμένου τούτου ὅτι μὴ ὡς ἄν θρωπός ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς μηδὲ ὡς ἀνθρωπίνη γονὴ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ τοῦ υἱοῦ γέννησις, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ θεῷ πρέπουσα καὶ ἡμᾶς ἁρμόζουσα νοεῖν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ πηγὴν εἰρήκασι τὸν πατέρα τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς ζωῆς, τὸν δὲ υἱὸν ἀπαύγασμα φωτὸς ἀιδίου καὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸ ἐκ τῆς πη γῆς γέννημα λέγοντα· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωὴ» καὶ «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ σοφία, κατεσκήνωσα βουλήν». τὸ δὲ ἐκ φωτὸς ἀπαύγασμα καὶ ἐκ πηγῆς γέννημα καὶ ἐκ πατρὸς υἱὸν πῶς ἄν τις ἁρμοζόντως ὀνομάσειεν ἢ ὁμοούσιον; ἆρ' οὖν μὴ ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων γεννήματα ὁμοούσιά ἐστιν, εὐλαβεῖσθαι δεῖ μὴ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς λεγόμενος ὁμοούσιος νομισθείη καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς ἀνθρώπινον γέννημα; μὴ γένοιτο· οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως. ἀλλὰ καὶ ταχεῖαν ἔχει τὴν λύσιν τοῦτο· λόγος γάρ ἐστι καὶ σοφία τοῦ πατρὸς ὁ υἱός, ἐξ ὧν τὸ ἀπαθὲς καὶ τὸ ἀμέριστον τῆς ἐκ πατρὸς γεννήσεως γνωρίζεται. λόγος γὰρ οὐδὲ ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων μέρος ἐστὶν οὐδὲ κατὰ πάθος ἐξ αὐτῶν προέρχεται, μήτι γε ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὃν υἱὸν εἶναι ἑαυτοῦ ὁ πατὴρ ἐδήλωσεν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν τις ἀκούων μόνον λόγον νομίσῃ τοιοῦτον εἶναι, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνυπόστατος, ἀλλ' ἀκούων ὅτι υἱός ἐστι γινώσκῃ τοῦτον εἶναι ζῶντα λόγον καὶ ἐνούσιον σοφίαν.

42 Ἔπειτα ὥσπερ τὸ γέννημα λέγοντες οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως νοοῦμεν καὶ πατέρα τὸν θεὸν εἰδότες οὐ σωματικήν τινα περὶ αὐτοῦ λαμβάνομεν ἔννοιαν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν παραδείγματα καὶ τὰς τοιαύτας λέξεις ἀκούομεν, ἁρμοζόντως δὲ περὶ θεοῦ νοοῦμεν· οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεός· οὕτως ἄρα καὶ τὸ ὁμοούσιον ἀκούοντες ὑπερβαίνειν ὀφείλομεν πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν καὶ κατὰ τὴν θείαν παροιμίαν «νοητῶς νοεῖν τὰ παρατιθέμενα ἡμῖν», ὥστε μέντοι γινώσκειν ὅτι μὴ θελήσει ἀλλὰ ἀληθῶς υἱός ἐστιν ἐκ πατρὸς γνήσιος ὡς ἐκ πηγῆς ζωὴ καὶ φωτὸς ἀπαύγασμα. ἢ διὰ τί τὸ μὲν γέννημα καὶ τὸ υἱὸς οὐ σωματικῶς, τὸ δὲ ὁμοούσιον ὡς ἐπὶ σωμάτων διανοούμεθα, καὶ μάλιστα ὅτι οὐ περὶ ἄλλου καὶ ἄλλου ἐστὶ τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλὰ περὶ οὗ τὸ γέννημα, περὶ τούτου καὶ τὸ ὁμοούσιον ἐλέχθη, καὶ πρέπει τὴν αὐτὴν διάνοιαν ἀμφοτέρων τῶν λέξεων ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος διασώζειν καὶ μὴ τὸ μὲν γέννημα καλῶς ἐξηγεῖσθαι, τὸ δὲ ὁμοούσιον ἄλλως, ἐπεὶ ἀκόλουθόν ἐστιν οὕτω διακειμένους ὑμᾶς καὶ λέγοντας λόγον καὶ σοφίαν τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱὸν διάφορον ἔχειν καὶ περὶ τούτων τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ ἄλλως μὲν τὸν λόγον νοεῖν, ἑτέρως δὲ τὴν σοφίαν. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄτοπον τοῦτο, λόγος γὰρ καὶ σοφία τοῦ πατρός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ἕν ἐστι τὸ ἐκ πατρὸς γέννημα καὶ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, οὕτως εἷς ἐστιν ὁ νοῦς τοῦ γεννήματος καὶ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου καὶ ὁ φρονῶν γέννημα τὸν υἱὸν φρονεῖ τοῦτον ὀρθῶς καὶ ὁμοούσιον.

43 Αὐτάρκη μὲν οὖν ταῦτα δεῖξαι τῶν ἀγαπητῶν τὴν διάνοιαν μὴ ἀλλοτρίαν μηδὲ μακρὰν οὖσαν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου. ἐπειδὴ δέ, ὡς αὐτοί φασι (τὴν γὰρ ἐπιστολὴν οὐκ ἔσχον ἐγώ), οἱ τὸν Σαμοσατέα κατακρίναντες ἐπίσκοποι γράφοντες εἰρήκασι μὴ εἶναι ὁμοούσιον τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ πατρί, καὶ λοιπὸν αὐτοὶ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς εἰρηκότας εὐλάβειάν τε καὶ τιμὴν οὕτω περὶ τὴν λέξιν διάκεινται· καλὸν μετ' αὐτῶν μετ' εὐλαβείας καὶ περὶ τούτου διασκέψασθαι. συγκρούειν μὲν τούτους πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀπρεπές· πάντες γάρ εἰσι πατέρες· διακρίνειν δὲ πάλιν ὡς οὗτοι μὲν καλῶς, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοὐναντίον εἰρήκασιν οὐχ ὅσιον· οἱ πάντες γὰρ ἐκοιμήθησαν ἐν Χριστῷ. οὐ χρὴ δὲ φιλονεικεῖν οὐδὲ τῶν συνελθόντων τὸν ἀριθμὸν συμβάλλειν, ἵνα μὴ δοκῶσιν οἱ πλείους τοὺς ἐλάττονας ἐπικρύπτειν, οὐδ' αὖ πάλιν τὸν χρόνον ἀναμετρεῖν, ἵνα μὴ δοκῶσιν οἱ προλαβόντες ἀφανίζειν τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένους. οἱ πάντες γάρ, καθὰ προείρηται, πατέρες εἰσί· καὶ ὅμως οὐδὲ οἱ τʹ νεώτερόν τι φρονήσαντες ἔγραψαν οὐδὲ ἑαυτοῖς καταθαρσήσαντες ἀγράφων προέστησαν λέξεων, ἀλλ' ἐκ πατέρων ὁρμώμενοι καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐχρήσαντο ῥήμασι. ∆ιονύσιοι γὰρ δύο γεγόνασιν ἔμπροσθεν πολὺ τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα τῶν καθελόντων τὸν Σαμοσατέα· τού των ὁ μὲν τῆς Ῥώμης, ὁ δὲ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἦν ἐπίσκοπος. ἀλλά τινων αἰτιασαμένων παρὰ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ῥώμης τὸν τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπον ὡς λέγοντα ποίημα καὶ μὴ ὁμοούσιον τὸν υἱὸν τῷ πατρὶ ἡ μὲν κατὰ Ῥώμην σύνοδος ἠγανάκτησεν, ὁ δὲ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος τὴν πάντων γνώμην γράφει πρὸς τὸν ὁμώνυμον ἑαυτοῦ. κἀκεῖνος λοιπὸν ἀπο λογούμενος τὸ μὲν βιβλίον ἐπιγράφει «ἐλέγχου καὶ ἀπολογίας». γράφει δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς ἐκεῖνον·

44 «Καὶ δι' ἄλλης ἐπιστολῆς ἔγραψα, ἐν οἷς ἤλεγξα καὶ ὃ προφέρουσιν ἔγκλημα κατ' ἐμοῦ» ψεῦδος ὂν ὡς οὐ λέγοντος τὸν Χριστὸν ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τῷ θεῷ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτό «φημι μὴ εὑρηκέναι μηδ' ἀνεγνωκέναι που τῶν ἁγίων γραφῶν, ἀλλά γε τὰ ἐπιχειρήματά» μου τὰ ἑξῆς ἃ σεσιωπήκασι, τῆς διανοίας ταύτης οὐκ ἀπᾴδει. καὶ γὰρ ἀνθρωπείαν γονὴν παρεθέμην δῆλον ὡς οὖσαν ὁμογενῆ, φήσας πάντως τοὺς γονεῖς μόνον ἑτέρους εἶναι τῶν τέκνων, ὅτι μὴ αὐτοὶ εἶεν τὰ τέκνα, ἢ μήτε γονεῖς ἀναγκαῖον ὑπάρχειν εἶναι μήτε τέκνα. καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐπιστολήν, ὡς προεῖπον, διὰ τὰς περιστάσεις οὐκ ἔχω προκομίσαι· εἰ δ' οὖν, αὐτά σοι τὰ τότε ῥήματα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πάσης ἀνέπεμψα τὸ ἀντίγραφον· ὅπερ ἐὰν εὐπορήσω, ποιήσω. οἶδα δὲ καὶ μέμνημαι πλείονα προσθεὶς τῶν συγγενῶν ὁμοιώματα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ φυτὸν εἶπον ἀπὸ σπέρματος ἢ ἀπὸ ῥίζης ἀνελθὸν ἕτερον εἶναι τοῦ ὅθεν ἐβλάσ τησε, καὶ πάντως ἐκείνῳ καθέστηκεν ὁμοφυές. καὶ ποταμὸν ἀπὸ πηγῆς ῥέοντα ἕτερον καὶ σχῆμα καὶ ὄνομα μετειληφέναι· μήτε γὰρ τὴν πηγὴν ποταμὸν μήτε τὸν ποταμὸν πηγὴν λέγεσθαι καὶ ἀμφότερα ὑπάρχειν καὶ τὴν μὲν πηγὴν οἱονεὶ πατέρα εἶναι, τὸν δὲ ποταμὸν εἶναι τὸ ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς γεννώμενον. οὕτως εἴρηκεν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος.

45 Εἴπερ οὖν μέμφεταί τις τοῖς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθοῦσιν ὡς εἰρηκόσι παρὰ τὰ δόξαντα τοῖς πρὸ αὐτῶν, ὁ αὐτὸς μέμψαιτ' ἂν εἰκότως καὶ τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα, ὅτι μὴ τὰ τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶν ἐφύλαξαν· πρὸ αὐτῶν δὲ ἦσαν οἱ ∆ιονύσιοι καὶ οἱ ἐν Ῥώμῃ τὸ τηνικαῦτα συνελθόντες ἐπίσκοποι. ἀλλ' οὔτε τούτους οὔτε ἐκείνους ὅσιον αἰτιάσασθαι· πάντες γὰρ ἐπρέσβευον τὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ πάντες σπουδὴν ἐσχήκασι κατὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν, καὶ οἱ μὲν τὸν Σαμοσατέα, οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν κατέκριναν. ὀρθῶς δὲ καὶ οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι καὶ καλῶς πρὸς τὴν ὑποκειμένην ὑπόθεσιν γεγράφασι. καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος Ῥωμαίοις μὲν ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν· «ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστι» καὶ «ὁ νόμος ἅγιος καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή», καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον· «τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει», Ἑβραίοις δὲ ἔγραφεν· «ὁ νόμος οὐδένα τετελείωκε», καὶ Γαλάταις μέν· «ἐν νόμῳ οὐδεὶς δικαιοῦται», Τιμοθέῳ δὲ ὅτι «καλὸς ὁ νόμος, ἐάν τις αὐτῷ νομίμως χρῆται», καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις αἰτιάσαιτο τὸν ἅγιον ὡς ἐναντία καὶ μαχόμενα γράφοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον θαυμάσειεν ἁρμοζόντως πρὸς ἑκάστους ἐπιστέλλοντα, ἵνα οἱ μὲν Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι μάθωσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ γράμ ματος ἐπιστρέφειν εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, οἱ δὲ Ἑβραῖοι καὶ Γαλάται παιδευθῶσι μὴ εἰς τὸν νόμον, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν κύριον τὸν δεδωκότα τὸν νόμον ἔχειν τὰς ἐλπίδας, οὕτως εἰ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν συνόδων οἱ πατέρες διαφόρως ἐμνημόνευσαν περὶ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου, οὐ χρὴ πάντως ἡμᾶς διαφέρεσθαι πρὸς αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐρευνᾶν, καὶ πάντως εὑρήσομεν ἀμφοτέρων τῶν συνόδων τὴν ὁμόνοιαν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸν Σαμοσατέα καθελόντες σω ματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνοντες τὸ ὁμοούσιον τοῦ Παύλου σοφίζεσθαί τε θέλοντος καὶ λέγοντος· «εἰ μὴ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου γέγονεν ὁ Χριστὸς θεός, οὐκοῦν ὁμοούσιός ἐστι τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἀνάγκη τρεῖς οὐσίας εἶναι, μίαν μὲν προηγουμένην, τὰς δὲ δύο ἐξ ἐκείνης», διὰ τοῦτ' εἰκότως εὐλαβηθέντες τὸ τοιοῦτον σόφισμα τοῦ Σαμοσατέως εἰρήκασι μὴ εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν ὁμοούσιον· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ οὕτως ὁ υἱὸς πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἐνόει· οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν ἀναθεματίσαντες, θεωρήσαντες τὴν πανουργίαν τοῦ Παύλου, καὶ λογισάμενοι μὴ οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ θεοῦ τὸ ὁμοούσιον σημαίνεσθαι γινώσκοντές τε μὴ κτίσμα, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας γέννημα εἶναι τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀρχὴν καὶ ῥίζαν καὶ πηγὴν εἶναι τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ αὐτοαληθὴς ὁμοιότης ἦν τοῦ γεννήσαντος, οὐχ ὡς ἑτεροφυὴς ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, χωριζόμενός ἐστι τοῦ πατρός, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ υἱὸς ἀδιαίρετος ὑπάρχει ὡς ἔστι τὸ ἀπαύγασμα πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἔχοντες δὲ καὶ τὰ τῶν περὶ ∆ιονύσιον παραδείγματα τὴν πηγὴν καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ἀπολογίαν, πρὸ δὲ τούτων τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἑνοειδῆ φωνήν, «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν» καὶ «ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα», τούτου ἕνεκεν εἰκότως εἰρήκασι καὶ αὐτοὶ ὁμοούσιον τὸν υἱόν. καὶ ὥσπερ, καθὰ προεῖπον, οὐκ ἄν τις αἰτιάσαιτο τὸν ἀπόστολον, εἰ περὶ τοῦ νόμου Ῥωμαίοις μὲν οὕτως, Ἑβραίοις δὲ οὕτως ἔγραψε, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον οὔτε οἱ νῦν τοῖς προτέροις ἐγκαλέσαιεν βλέποντες αὐτῶν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, οὔτε οἱ πρότεροι τοὺς μετ' αὐτοὺς μέμψαιντ' ἂν ὁρῶντες τὴν ἑρμηνείαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν χρείαν δι' ἣν οὕτως ἔγραψαν περὶ τοῦ κυρίου. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἑκάστη σύνοδος εὔλογον ἔχει δι' ἣν οἱ μὲν οὕτως, οἱ δὲ οὕτως εἰρήκασιν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς ἐφρόνει μὴ εἶναι πρὸ Μαρίας τὸν υἱόν, ἀλλ' ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἀρχὴν ἐσχηκέναι τοῦ εἶναι, τούτου ἕνεκεν οἱ τότε συνελθόντες καθεῖλον μὲν αὐτὸν καὶ αἱρετικὸν ἀπέφηναν, περὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ θεότητος ἁπλούστερον γράφοντες οὐ κατεγένοντο περὶ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ἀκρίβειαν, ἀλλ' οὕτως ὡς ἐξειλήφασι περὶ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου εἰρήκασι. τὴν φροντίδα γὰρ εἶχον πᾶσαν, ὅπερ ἐπενόησεν ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς ἀνελεῖν καὶ δεῖξαι πρὸ πάντων εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων γέγονε θεός, ἀλλὰ θεὸς ὢν ἐνεδύσατο δούλου μορφὴν καὶ λόγος ὢν γέγονε σάρξ, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ οὕτω μὲν κατὰ τῆς βλασφημίας Παύλου πέπρακται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον καὶ Ἄρειον πρὸ χρόνων μὲν εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν ἔλεγον, πεποιῆσθαι μέντοι καὶ ἕνα τῶν κτισμάτων αὐτὸν ἐδίδασκον, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὡς υἱὸν ἐκ πατρὸς γνήσιον ἐπίστευον, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰ κτίσματα, οὕτω καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι διεβεβαιοῦντο, τήν τε τῆς ὁμοιώσεως ἑνότητα τοῦ υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα οὐκ ἔλεγον κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν, ὡς ἔστιν υἱὸς ὅμοιος πατρί, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν συμ φωνίαν τῶν δογμάτων καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἀπεσχοίνιζον καὶ ἀπεξενοῦντο παντελῶς τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἑτέραν ἀρχὴν αὐτῷ τοῦ εἶναι παρὰ τὸν πατέρα ἐπινοοῦντες καὶ εἰς τὰ κτίσματα καταφέροντες αὐτόν, τούτου χάριν οἱ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντες θεωρήσαντες τὴν πανουργίαν τῶν οὕτω φρονούντων καὶ συναγαγόντες ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν τὴν διάνοιαν λευκότερον γράφοντες εἰρήκασι τὸ ὁμοούσιον, ἵνα καὶ τὸ γνήσιον ἀληθῶς ἐκ τούτου γνωσθῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχῃ πρὸς τοῦτον τὰ γενητά. ἡ γὰρ τῆς λέξεως ταύτης ἀκρίβεια τήν τε ὑπόκρισιν αὐτῶν ἐὰν λέγωσι τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ῥητόν, διελέγχει καὶ πάσας αὐτῶν τὰς πιθανότητας, ἐν αἷς ὑφαρπάζουσι τοὺς ἀκεραίους, ἐκβάλλει. πάντα γοῦν δυνάμενοι σοφίζεσθαι καὶ μεταποιεῖν ὡς θέλουσι, ταύτην μόνην τὴν λέξιν ὡς διελέγχουσαν αὐτῶν τὴν αἵρεσιν δεδίασιν, ἣν οἱ πατέρες ὥσπερ ἐπιτείχισμα κατὰ πάσης ἀσεβοῦς ἐπινοίας αὐτῶν ἔγραψαν.

46 Πεπαύσθω τοίνυν πᾶσα φιλονεικία καὶ μηκέτι προσκόπτωμεν ἡμεῖς, εἰ διαφόρως ἐξειλήφασιν αἱ σύνοδοι τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λέξιν. ἔχομεν γὰρ εἰς ἀπολογίαν εὐλόγους περὶ αὐτῶν αἰτίας, τὰς προειρημένας μέν, καὶ ταύτην δέ. τὸ ἀγέννητον εἰ καὶ μὴ παρὰ τῶν γραφῶν τοῦτο μεμαθήκαμεν (οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἀγέννητον τὸν θεὸν εἰρήκασιν αἱ γραφαί), ὅμως ἐπειδὴ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν δοκούντων ἐμνημόνευσαν τοῦ ὀνόματος, φιλοπευστήσαντες ἔγνωμεν ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα διάφορα ἔχει τὰ σημαινόμενα. καὶ οἱ μὲν τὸ ὂν μέν, μήτε δὲ γεννηθὲν μήτε ὅλως ἔχον τὸν αἴτιον λέγουσιν ἀγέννητον, οἱ δὲ τὸ ἄκτιστον. ὥσπερ οὖν τούτων οὕτω σημαινομένων, εἰ μέν τις ἀποβλέπων εἰς τὸ πρότερον σημαινό μενον τὸ «μὴ ἔχον τὸν αἴτιον» ἔλεγε «μὴ εἶναι ἀγέννητον τὸν υἱόν», οὐκ ἂν κατηγόρει βλέπων ἕτερον βλέποντα εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι ποίημα μηδὲ κτίσμα, ἀλλ' ἀίδιον γέννημα καὶ λέγοντα ἀγέννητον τὸν υἱόν· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον σκοπὸν ὁρῶντες καλῶς εἰρήκασιν· οὕτως εἰ καὶ τῶν πατέρων οἱ μὲν οὕτως, οἱ δὲ οὕτως εἰρήκασι περὶ τοῦ ὁμο ουσίου, μὴ φιλονεικῶμεν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' εὐσεβῶς τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν δεχώμεθα, ἕως μάλιστα τὴν σπουδὴν εἶχον εἰς εὐσέβειαν.

47 Ἰγνάτιος οὖν ὁ μετὰ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ κατασταθεὶς ἐπίσκοπος καὶ μάρτυς τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενόμενος γράφων περὶ τοῦ κυρίου εἴρηκεν «εἷς ἰατρός ἐστι, σαρκικὸς καὶ πνευματικός, γενητὸς καὶ ἀγένητος, ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ θεός, ἐν θανάτῳ ζωὴ ἀληθινή, καὶ ἐκ Μαρίας καὶ ἐκ θεοῦ. » τινὲς δὲ καὶ τῶν μετὰ Ἰγνάτιον διδάσκαλοι καὶ αὐτοὶ γράφουσιν «ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον ὁ πατὴρ καὶ εἷς ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ υἱὸς γνήσιος, γέννημα ἀληθινόν, λόγος καὶ σοφία τοῦ πατρός. » εἰ μὲν οὖν καὶ πρὸς τούτους ἐναντίως διακείμεθα, ἔστω καὶ πρὸς τὰς συνόδους ἡμῖν ἡ μάχη· εἰ δὲ τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ πίστιν αὐτῶν γινώσκοντες πεπείσμεθα ὅτι καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰγνάτιος ὀρθῶς ἔγραψε γενητὸν αὐτὸν λέγων διὰ τὴν σάρκα (ὁ γὰρ Χριστὸς σὰρξ ἐγένετο), ἀγένητον δέ, ὅτι μὴ τῶν ποιημάτων καὶ γενητῶν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' υἱὸς ἐκ πατρός, οὐκ ἀγνοοῦμεν δὲ ὅτι καὶ οἱ εἰρηκότες ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον τὸν πατέρα λέγοντες οὐχ ὡς γενητοῦ καὶ ποιήματος ὄντος τοῦ λόγου οὕτως ἔγραψαν, ἀλλ' ὅτι μὴ ἔχει τὸν αἴτιον· καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς πατὴρ μέν ἐστι τῆς σοφίας, τὰ δὲ γενητὰ πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ πεποίηκε· διὰ τί μὴ καὶ τοὺς πατέρας τούς τε τὸν Σαμοσατέα καθελόντας καὶ τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν στηλιτεύσαντας εἰς εὐσέβειαν συνάγομεν, ἀλλὰ διαστέλλομεν ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ μᾶλλον ὀρθῶς περὶ αὐτῶν φρονοῦμεν; ὅτι κἀκεῖνοι, καθάπερ εἶπον, πρὸς τὸ σόφισμα τοῦ Σαμοσατέως καὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχοντες ἔγραψαν· «οὐκ ἔστιν ὁμοούσιος», καὶ οὗτοι δὲ καλῶς νοήσαντες εἰρήκασιν ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν υἱόν. καὶ γὰρ κἀγὼ τοιαῦτα μὲν νοῶν περὶ τῶν εὐσεβούντων εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν δι' ὀλίγων ἔγραψα, εἰ δὲ δυνατὸν ἦν εὐπορῆσαι καὶ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἣν λέγουσιν ἐκείνους γεγραφέναι, ἡγοῦμαι πλείους εὑρεθήσεσθαι τὰς προφάσεις, δι' ἃς ἠναγκάσθησαν οὕτω γράψαι οἱ μακάριοι ἐκεῖνοι. δεῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ πρέπει τοιαῦτα φρονεῖν τοιαύτην τε σώζειν ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας, εἴγε μὴ νόθοι τυγχάνομεν, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔχομεν τὰς παραδόσεις καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας διδασκαλίαν.

48 Τοιαύτη μὲν οὖν ἡ διάνοια τῶν πατέρων λεγέσθω καὶ πιστευέσθω. φέρε δὲ καὶ μετ' αὐτῶν πάλιν ἐξετάσωμεν τὸ πρᾶγμα πράως καὶ μετὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς μνημο νεύσαντες καὶ τῶν προειρημένων, εἰ μὴ τῷ ὄντι δείκνυνται καλῶς φρονήσαντες οἱ ἐν τῇ Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντες ἐπίσκοποι. εἰ μὲν ποίημά ἐστιν ὁ λόγος καὶ ἀλλότριος τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίας, ὥστε καὶ χωρίζεσθαι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ ἑτεροφυεῖ χωρισμῷ, οὐκ ἂν εἴη ὁμοούσιος τῷ πατρί, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὁμογενὴς τῇ φύσει τοῖς ποιήμασι, κἂν ὑπερβάλλῃ τῇ χάριτι· εἰ δὲ ὁμολογοῦμεν μὴ εἶναι αὐτὸν ποίημα, ἀλλὰ γνήσιον ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς γέννημα, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ ἀχώριστον αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ πατρὸς ὁμοφυῆ ὄντα διὰ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι. τοιοῦτος δὲ ὢν εἰκότως καὶ ὁμοούσιος ἂν λέγοιτο. ἔπειτα εἰ μὴ ἐκ μετουσίας ἐστὶν ὁ υἱός, ἀλλὰ τῇ οὐσίᾳ λόγος ἐστὶ καὶ σοφία τοῦ πατρός, ἡ δὲ οὐσία αὕτη τῆς οὐσίας τῆς πατρικῆς ἐστι γέννημα καὶ ὁμοιότης αὐτῆς ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τοῦ φωτός· λέγει δὲ ὁ υἱὸς «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν» καὶ «ὁ ἐμὲ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα»· πῶς δεῖ νοεῖν ταύτας τὰς φωνάς; ἢ πῶς αὐτὰς ἐκλαμβάνοντες σώσομεν τὸ ἓν εἶναι τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱόν; εἰ μὲν οὖν τῇ συμφωνίᾳ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ τῷ μὴ διαφωνεῖν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ὡς οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ λέγουσι, φαῦλος ὁ τοιοῦτος νοῦς. καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ μᾶλλόν γε ἄγγελοι καὶ ἀρχάγγελοι τὴν τοιαύτην ἔχουσι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν συμφωνίαν καὶ οὐδεμία παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐστι διαφωνία. ὁ γὰρ δια φωνήσας διάβολος ἐθεωρήθη πίπτων ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ κύριος. οὐκοῦν εἰ διὰ τὴν συμφωνίαν ἕν ἐστιν ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱός, εἴη ἂν καὶ τῶν γενητῶν τὰ συμφωνοῦντα οὕτω πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἴποι ἂν ἕκαστος· «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν». εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἄτοπον· ἄτοπον γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθῶς· ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν νοεῖν καὶ τὴν υἱοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἑνότητα. τὰ μὲν γὰρ γενητά, κἂν συμφωνίαν ἔχῃ πρὸς τὸν πεποιηκότα, ἀλλ' ἐν κινήσει καὶ μετουσίᾳ καὶ νῷ ταύτην ἔχει, ἥνπερ ὁ μὴ φυλάξας ἐκβέβληται τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ὢν γέννημα τῇ οὐσίᾳ ἕν ἐστιν αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ γεννήσας αὐτὸν πατήρ.

49 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τὸ ἰσάζον ἔχει πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ταῖς ἑνοειδέσι φωναῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς λεγόμενα ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ υἱοῦ λέγουσιν αἱ γραφαὶ χωρὶς μόνου τοῦ λέγεσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα. αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ υἱός· «πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστι», τῷ τε πατρὶ ἔλεγε· «πάντα τὰ ἐμὰ σά ἐστι καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά», οἷον τὸ θεός· «θεὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ λόγος», τὸ παντοκράτωρ· «τάδε λέγει ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ὁ παντοκράτωρ·», τὸ εἶναι φῶς· «ἐγώ εἰμι», φησί, «τὸ φῶς», τὸ δημιουργικὸν αἴτιον· «πάντα γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο» καὶ «ἃ βλέπω τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα, ταῦτα κἀγὼ ποιῶ», τὸ εἶναι ἀίδιον· «ἥ τε γὰρ ἀίδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης» καὶ «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος» καὶ «ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον», τὸ εἶναι κύριος· «ἔβρεξε γὰρ κύριος θεῖον καὶ πῦρ παρὰ κυρίου». καὶ ὁ μὲν πατήρ φησιν· «ἐγὼ κύριος» καὶ «τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ», περὶ δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα». καὶ τῷ μὲν πατρὶ λειτουργοῦσιν ἄγγελοι, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς προσκυνεῖται παρ' αὐτῶν· «καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν γὰρ αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ . λέγεται δὲ εἶναι καὶ κύριος ἀγγέλων· «διηκόνουν γὰρ αὐτῷ οἱ ἄγγελοι» καὶ «ἀποστελεῖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ », τὸ τιμᾶσθαι ὡς τὸν πατέρα· «ἵνα γάρ», φησί, «τιμῶσι τὸν υἱόν, καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα», τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ· «οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ», τὸ εἶναι ἐξ ἀληθινοῦ ἀλήθειαν καὶ ἐκ ζῶντος ζωὴν ὡς πηγῆς ὄντος τοῦ πατρός, τὸ ζωοποιεῖν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ ἐγείρειν τοὺς νεκροὺς ὥσπερ ὁ πατήρ· οὕτω γὰρ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ γέγραπται, καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς γέγραπται· «κύριος ὁ θεός σου κύριος εἷς ἐστι» καὶ «θεὸς θεῶν κύριος ἐλάλησε καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὴν γῆν», περὶ δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ· «θεὸς κύριος καὶ ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν « καὶ «ὀφθήσεται ὁ θεὸς τῶν θεῶν ἐν Σιών». πάλιν τε περὶ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ φησιν ὁ Ἡσαίας· «τίς θεὸς ὥσπερ σὺ ἐξαίρων ἀνομίας καὶ ὑπερβαίνων ἀδικίας;» ὁ δὲ υἱὸς ἔλεγεν οἷς ἤθελεν· «ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι», ὅτε καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων γογγυζόντων ἔργῳ τὴν ἄφεσιν ἐδείκνυε λέγων τῷ παραλυτικῷ· «ἔγειραι, ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου». καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ ἔλεγεν ὁ Παῦλος· «τῷ δὲ βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων», περὶ δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ μὲν ∆αυὶδ ἔψαλλεν· «ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης», ὁ δὲ ∆ανιὴλ ἤκουσεν· «ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ βασιλεία αἰώνιος» καὶ «ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ οὐ διαφθαρήσεται». καὶ ὅλως ὅσα ἂν εὕροις περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς λεγόμενα, τοσαῦτα ἂν εὕροις καὶ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ λεγόμενα χωρὶς μόνου τοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα, καθάπερ εἴρηται.

50 Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλην ἀρχὴν ἐνθυμεῖταί τις καὶ ἄλλον πατέρα διὰ τὸ ἰσάζον τῶν λεγο μένων, μανικὸν τὸ ἐνθύμημα, εἰ δὲ διὰ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν πάντα τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι καὶ χαρακτῆρι τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐστι, λογισώμεθα εὐμενῶς, εἰ ξένη οὐσία τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίας δεκτικὴ τῶν τοιούτων ἐστί, καὶ εἰ ὁ τοιοῦτος ἑτεροφυὴς καὶ ἀλλοτριοούσιός ἐστι, καὶ οὐχ ὁμοούσιος τῷ πατρί. εὐλαβητέον γὰρ μὴ τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἴδια μεταφέροντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἀνομοιοούσιον αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ἀνομοιογενεῖ καὶ ἀλλοτριοουσίῳ χαρακτηρίζοντες τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς θεότητα, ξένην μὲν ἄλλην εἰσάξωμεν οὐσίαν, δεκτικὴν τῶν τῆς πρώτης οὐσίας ἰδιωμάτων, ἐντραπῶμεν δὲ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγοντος· «τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω» καὶ εὑρεθῶμεν προσκυνοῦντες τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ καὶ νομισθῶμεν εἶναι τοιοῦτοι, οἷοι ἦσαν οἱ τότε Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· «διὰ τί σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν θεόν», ὅτε καὶ τὰ τοῦ πνεύ ματος μεταφέροντες ἐβλασφήμουν λέγοντες ὅτι· «ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια». εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀπρεπές, δῆλον ὅτι οὐκ ἀνομοιοούσιος ἂν εἴη ὁ υἱός, ἀλλὰ ὁμοούσιος τῷ πατρί· καὶ γὰρ εἰ τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς φυσικῶς τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐστιν, αὐτός τε ὁ υἱὸς ἐκ τοῦ πατρός ἐστι καὶ διὰ τὴν τοιαύτην ἑνότητα τῆς θεότητος καὶ τῆς φύσεως αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν εἰσι, καὶ «ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸν υἱὸν ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα «, εἰκότως ἐλέχθη παρὰ τῶν πατέρων ὁμοούσιος, οὐ γὰρ ἑτεροουσίου τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔχειν ἐστί.

51 Πάλιν τε εἰ, καθὰ προείπομεν, οὐκ ἐκ μετουσίας ἐστὶν ὁ υἱός, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν γενητὰ πάντα ἐκ μετουσίας ἔχει τὴν παρὰ θεοῦ χάριν, αὐτὸς δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς σοφία καὶ λόγος ἐστίν, οὗ μετέχει τὰ πάντα, δῆλον ὅτι αὐτὸς ὢν τὸ θεοποιὸν καὶ φωτιστικὸν τοῦ πατρός, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα θεοποιεῖται καὶ ζωοποιεῖται, οὐκ ἀλλοτριοούσιός ἐστι τοῦ πατρός, ἀλλ' ὁμο ούσιος. τούτου γὰρ μεταλαμβάνοντες τοῦ πατρὸς μετέχομεν διὰ τὸ τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι ἴδιον τὸν λόγον. ὅθεν εἰ ἦν ἐκ μετουσίας καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ μὴ ἐξ αὑτοῦ οὐσιώδης θεότης καὶ εἰκὼν τοῦ πατρός, οὐκ ἂν ἐθεοποίησε θεοποιούμενος καὶ αὐτός. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τὸν ἐκ μετουσίας ἔχοντα μεταδιδόναι τῆς μεταλήψεως ἑτέροις, ὅτι μὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ὃ ἔχει, ἀλλὰ τοῦ δεδωκότος, καὶ ὃ ἔλαβε μόγις τὴν ἀρκοῦσαν αὐτῷ χάριν ἔλαβε. καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δὲ ὅμως, δι' ἥν τινες, ὡς λέγεται, παραιτοῦνται τὸ ὁμοούσιον, ἐξετάσωμεν ἀληθῶς, μὴ ἄρα μᾶλλον ἐκ ταύτης ὁμοούσιος δείκνυται ὁ υἱὸς τῷ πατρί. φασὶ τοίνυν, ὡς ὑμεῖς ἐγράψατε, μὴ χρῆναι λέγειν ὁμοούσιον τὸν υἱὸν τῷ πατρὶ, ὅτι ὁ λέγων ὁμοούσιον τρία λέγει, οὐσίαν τινὰ προυποκειμένην καὶ τοὺς ἐκ ταύτης γεννωμένους ὁμοουσίους εἶναι. καὶ ἐπιλέγουσιν· «ἐὰν οὖν ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοούσιος ᾖ τῷ πατρί, ἀνάγκη προυποκεῖσθαι αὐτῶν οὐσίαν, ἐξ ἧς καὶ ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ μὴ εἶναι τὸν μὲν πατέρα, τὸν δὲ υἱόν, ἀλλ' ἀμφοτέρους ἀδελφούς.» ταῦτα εἰ καὶ Ἑλλήνων εἰσὶν ἑρμηνεῖαι καὶ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖα ἡμῖν τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων, ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τὰ εἰρημένα τὰ ὁμοούσια τὰ ἐκ τῆς προνοουμένης οὐσίας ἀδελφά, πότερον ἑαυτῶν εἰσιν ὁμοούσια ἢ τῆς οὐσίας ἐξ ἧς καὶ ἐγεννήθησαν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἑαυτῶν ἑτεροούσια καὶ ἀνόμοια ἔσται πρὸς τὴν γεννήσασαν αὐτὰ οὐσίαν· ἀντίκειται γὰρ τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ τὸ ἑτεροούσιον· εἰ δὲ τῆς γεννησάσης αὐτὰ οὐσίας ἐστὶν ἕκαστον ὁμοούσιον, δῆλον ὅτι τὸ ἔκ τινος γεννώ μενον ὁμοούσιόν ἐστι τῷ γεννήσαντι. καὶ οὐκέτι χρὴ ζητεῖν τρεῖς οὐσίας, ἀλλὰ μόνον ζητεῖν, εἰ τόδε ἀληθὲς ἐκ τοῦδέ ἐστι. κἂν γὰρ συμβῇ μὴ εἶναι δύο ἀδελφούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μόνον ἕνα ἐξ ἐκείνης τῆς οὐσίας γενέσθαι, οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἕτερον ἀλλοτριοούσιος ἂν λεχθείη ὁ γεννηθείς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μόνος ὢν εἴη ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμοούσιος τῷ γεννήσαντι. ἐπεὶ τί ἂν εἴποιμεν περὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ Ἰεφθάε ὅτι «μονογενὴς ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἦν», φησίν, «ἄλλο τέκνον αὐτῷ», καὶ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ δὲ τῆς χήρας, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν ὁ κύριος, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ εἶχεν ἀδελφόν, ἀλλὰ μονογενὴς ἦν, ἆρα οὐκ ἦν ὁμοούσιος ἕκαστος αὐτῶν τῷ γεννήσαντι; καὶ μὴν ἦσαν· τέκνα γὰρ ἦσαν· καὶ τοῦτο τέκνων ἴδιόν ἐστι πρὸς γονέας. οὕτω καὶ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ υἱὸν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας εἰπόντες οἱ πατέρες εἰκότως καὶ ὁμοούσιον εἰρή κασι· ταύτην γὰρ ἔχει καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα δύναμιν πρὸς τὸ φῶς. ἕπεται δὲ τούτοις μηδὲ τὴν κτίσιν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος γεγονέναι. οἱ γὰρ κατὰ πάθος γεννῶντες ἄνθρωποι αὐτοὶ καὶ τὴν ὑποκειμένην ὕλην ἐργάζονται, καὶ ἄλλως οὐκ ἂν δύναιντοποιεῖν· εἰ δὲ τὸ κτίζειν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως νοοῦμεν ἐπὶ θεοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ τὸ γεννᾶν ἀνθρωπίνως πρέπει νοεῖν ἐπὶ θεοῦ οὐδὲ τὸ ὁμοούσιον σωματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνειν, ἀλλ' ἀναχωρεῖν δεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν γενητῶν, καὶ ἀποτιθέντας κάτω που τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας εἰκόνας καὶ πάσας ἁπλῶς τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἀνιέναι ἐπὶ τὸν πατέρα, μὴ λάθωμεν ἀφαιροῦντες τὸν υἱὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ προστιθέντες τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ κτίσμασι.

52 Καὶ ἄλλως δέ, εἰ μὲν πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν ὁμολογοῦντες δύο τινὰς ἀρχὰς ἢ δύο θεοὺς καθάπερ Μαρκίων καὶ Οὐαλεντῖνος λέγομεν ἢ ἕτερόν τινα τρόπον θεότητος ἔχειν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ μὴ εἰκόνα καὶ χαρακτῆρα τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν διὰ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ πεφυκέναι, ἔστω ἀνόμοιος· ξέναι γάρ εἰσι παντάπασιν ἀλλήλων αἱ τοιαῦται οὐσίαι· εἰ δὲ μίαν οἴδαμεν καὶ μόνην θεότητα τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς τούτου τε λόγον καὶ σοφίαν εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν καὶ οὕτω πιστεύοντες οὐ λέγομεν δύο θεοὺς τήν τε ἑνότητα τοῦ υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα οὐχ ὁμοιώσει διδασκαλίας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν καὶ ἀληθείᾳ φρονοῦμεν, ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο μὴ λέγειν δύο θεούς, ἀλλ' ἕνα θεὸν ἑνὸς ὄντος εἴδους θεότητος ὡς ἔστι τὸ φῶς καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα. τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθη τῷ πατριάρχῃ Ἰακώβ, καί φησιν ἡ γραφή· «ἀνέτειλε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ ἥλιος, ἡνίκα παρῆλθε τὸ εἶδος τοῦ θεοῦ». καὶ τοῦτο θεωροῦντες οἱ ἅγιοι προφῆται καὶ νοοῦντες, τίνος ἐστὶν υἱὸς καὶ εἰκών, ἔλεγον· «ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρὸς μέ» γινώσκοντες τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ θεωρούμενον καὶ ἀποκαλυπτόμενον πατέρα ἐθάρρουν εἰπεῖν· «ὤφθη μοι ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ». τούτου δὲ οὕτως ὄντος, διὰ τίτὸν ἕνα ὄντα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ φαινόμενον ὡς ἔστι πατέρα, κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα καὶ μίαν θεότητα εὐλαβούμεθα εἰπεῖν ὁμοούσιον; εἰ μὲν γάρ, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πολλάκις, οὐκ ἔχει τὴν ἰδιότητα τῆς πατρικῆς οὐσίας οὐδὲ τὴν ἐμφέρειαν ὡς υἱός, καλῶς εὐλαβούμεθα, εἰ δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ φωτιστικὸν καὶ δημιουργικὸν τὸ ἰδιαίτατον τοῦ πατρός, οὗ ἄνευ οὔτε δη μιουργεῖ οὔτε γινώσκεται ( «πάντα γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκε»), διὰ τί τὸ πρᾶγμα νοοῦντες παραιτούμεθα τὴν τοῦτο σημαίνουσαν λέξιν εἰπεῖν; τί γάρ ἐστι τὸ οὕτως ὁμοφυὲς τῷ πατρὶ ἢ ὁμοούσιον αὐτοῦ; οὐ γὰρ ἀλλότριον ὡς ὑπουργοῦ δεόμενος προσελάβετο ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν οὐδὲ τὰ ποιήματα ἰσάξια τοῦ κτίσαντος, ὥστε τιμᾶσθαι ταῦτα ὡς ἐκεῖνον ἢ νομίζειν ὅτι ταῦτα καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν εἰσιν. ἢ τολμησάτω τις διελεῖν καὶ εἰπεῖν δύο φῶτα εἶναι τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα ἢ ἑτέραν τινὰ εἶναι οὐσίαν ἢ ὅτι ἐπισυμβέβηκε τὸ ἀπαύγασμα καὶ μὴ ἁπλοῦν εἶναι καὶ καθαρὸν γέννημα ἐκ τοῦ ἡλίου τοῦτο, ὥστε δύο μὲν εἶναι ἥλιον καὶ ἀπαύγασμα, ἓν δὲ τὸ φῶς διὰ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἡλίου εἶναι τοῦτο γέννημα. τοιαύτης δὲ οὔσης καὶ μᾶλλον ἀδιαιρέτου τῆς φύσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ οὐκ ἐπισυμβάσης τῆς θεότητος τῷ υἱῷ, ἀλλὰ τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητος οὔσης ἐν τῷ υἱῷ, ὥστε τὸν ἑωρακότα τὸν υἱὸν ὁρᾶν ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν πατέρα, διὰ τί ὁ τοιοῦτος μὴ ἂν λέγοιτο ὁμοούσιος;

53 Ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἱκανὰ καὶ ταῦτα πεῖσαι ὑμᾶς μὴ κατηγορεῖν τῶν εἰρηκότων ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τῷ πατρί, καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ ὅμως τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λέξιν καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἐξετάσω μεν ἵνα γνῶμεν, εἰ χρὴ λέγειν ὅλως ὁμοούσιον καὶ εἰ κυρία λέξις ἐστὶ καὶ ἁρμοζόντως ἐστὶν αὕτη ἐπὶ υἱοῦ λεγομένη. οἴδατε γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς καὶ οὐδ' ἄν τις ἀμφιβάλλοι ὅτι τὸ ὅμοιον οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐσιῶν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ σχημάτων καὶ ποιοτήτων λέγεται ὅμοιον· ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν οὐσιῶν οὐχ ὁμοιότης, ἀλλὰ ταυτότης ἂν λεχθείη. ἄνθρωπος γοῦν ἀνθρώπῳ ὅμοιος λέγεται οὐ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὸν χαρακτῆρα· τῇ γὰρ οὐσίᾳ ὁμοφυεῖς εἰσι. καὶ πάλιν ἄνθρωπος κυνὶ οὐκ ἀνόμοιος λέγεται, ἀλλ' ἑτεροφυής· οὐκοῦν τὸ μὲν ὁμοφυὲς καὶ ὁμοούσιον, τὸ δὲ ἑτεροφυὲς καὶ ἑτεροούσιον. διὸ καὶ ὁ λέγων ὅμοιον κατ' οὐσίαν ἐκ μετουσίας τοῦτο λέγει ὅμοιον. τὸ γὰρ ὅμοιον ποιότης ἐστίν, ἥτις τῇ οὐσίᾳ προσγένοιτ' ἄν. τοῦτο δὲ τῶν ποιημάτων ἴδιον ἂν εἴη· ταῦτα γὰρ ἐκ μετοχῆς ὁμοιοῦται τῷ θεῷ. «ὅταν γάρ», φησί, «φανερωθῇ, ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα» ὅμοιοι δηλονότι οὐ τῇ οὐσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ υἱότητι, ἧς μεταλαμβάνομεν παρ' αὐτοῦ. εἰ μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἐκ μετουσίας λέγετε, λεγέσθω μὲν παρ' ὑμῶν ὁμοιοούσιος. οὐκ ἔστι μέντοι λεγόμενος οὕτως ἀληθείᾳ οὐδὲ ὅλως φῶς οὐδὲ φύσει θεός. τὰ γὰρ ἐκ μετουσίας οὐκ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλ' ὁμοιώσει τῆς ἀληθείας λέγεται ὅμοια, ὥστε καὶ μεταπίπτειν καὶ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι δύνασθαι ἀπὸ τῶν μετεχόντων τὴν μετάληψιν. τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν ἴδιον τῶν κτισμάτων καὶ ποιημάτων ἐστίν. οὐκ οῦν εἰ τοῦτο ἄτοπον, οὐκ ἂν εἴη ἐκ μετουσίας, ἀλλὰ φύσει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ υἱός, φῶς, σοφία, θεός. φύσει δὲ ὢν καὶ οὐ μετοχῇ οὐκ ἂν κυρίως λεχθείη ὁμοιοούσιος, ἀλλ' ὁμοούσιος. ὃ δὲ μηδὲ ἐπ' ἄλλων ἄν τις εἴποι· ἐδείχθη γὰρ τὸ ὅμοιον μὴ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐσιῶν λεγόμενον· πῶς οὐκ ἀνόητον μὲν ἢ τάχα καὶ χαλεπὸν τοῦτο προφέρειν ἐπὶ υἱοῦ καὶ μὴ μᾶλλον τὸ ὁμοούσιον;

54 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδος καλῶς ἔγραψεν, ὅπερ ἔπρεπεν εἰπεῖν, γεννη τὸν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱὸν ὁμοούσιον. ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς μαθόντες μὴ σκιαμαχῶ μεν καὶ μάλιστα γινώσκοντες ὅτι καὶ οἱ ταῦτα γράψαντες οὐχ ὡς παρεξηγούμενοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλ' ἐκδικοῦντες μὲν τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν εὐσέβειαν, καθαιροῦντες δὲ τὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ τῶν Ἀρειομανιτῶν βλασφημίας οὕτως ὡμολόγησαν τὴν πίστιν. σκεπ τέον γὰρ καὶ κατανοητέον ἀκριβῶς ὅτι λέγοντες μὲν ἀνομοιοούσιον καὶ ἑτεροούσιον οὐ σημαίνομεν τὸν ἀληθινὸν υἱόν, ἀλλ' ἕν τι τῶν ποιημάτων καὶ τὸν εἰσποιητὸν καὶ θέσει υἱόν, ὅπερ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς δοκεῖ· λέγοντες δὲ μὴ ἐριστικῶς τὸ ὁμοούσιον υἱὸν σημαίνομεν γνήσιον ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς πεφυκότα, κἂν ἐν τούτῳ διαρρηγνύωνται πολλάκις οἱ χριστομάχοι. ταῦτα μὲν ἅπερ ἔγνων ἐγὼ καὶ διαλεγομένων ἤκουσα φρονίμων δι' ὀλίγων γέγραφα, ὑμεῖς δὲ μένοντες ἐπὶ «τὸν θεμέλιον τῶν ἀποστόλων» καὶ τὰς παραδόσεις τῶν πατέρων κατέχοντες εὔχεσθε, ἵνα ἤδη ποτὲ παύσηται πᾶσα λοιπὸν ἔρις καὶ ζῆλος, τῶν τε αἱρετικῶν αἱ μωραὶ ζητήσεις καταγνωσθῶσι καὶ πᾶσα λογομαχία, καὶ ἡ μὲν δυσώνυμος καὶ ἀνθρω ποκτόνος τῶν Ἀρειανῶν αἵρεσις ἐξαφανισθείη, ἀναλάμψειε δὲ πάντων ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡ ἀλήθεια, ὥστε πάντας πανταχοῦ «τὸ αὐτὸ λέγειν» καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν, μηδεμιᾶς δὲ ἔτι περιλειπομένης ἀρειανῆς δυσφημίας λέγηται καὶ ὁμολογῆται κατὰ πᾶσαν ἐκκλησίαν «εἷς κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα», ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, δι' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.

55 Μετὰ τὸ γράψαι με τὰ περὶ τῶν συνόδων ἔγνων γράψαντα τὸν ἀσεβέστατον Κων στάντιον πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Ἀριμήνῳ μείναντας ἐπισκόπους. καὶ σπουδὴν ἔσχον λαβεῖν τὰ ἀντίγραφα παρὰ γνησίων ἀδελφῶν καὶ ἀποστεῖλαι ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἀντιγραφέντα, ἵνα γνῶτε τοῦ μὲν βασιλέως τὴν ἀσεβῆ πανουργίαν τῶν δὲ ἐπισκόπων τὸ ἑδραῖον καὶ ἀκλινὲς τῆς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν γνώμης. τ Ἑρμηνεία τῆς ἐπιστολῆσ Κωνστάντιος Νικητὴς καὶ Θριαμβευτὴς Αὔγουστος πᾶσιν ἐπισκόποις τοῖς ἐν Ἀρι μήνῳ συνελθοῦσιν. Ἀεὶ μὲν προηγουμένην ἡμᾶς ἔχειν φροντίδα περὶ τοῦ θείου καὶ προσκυνητοῦ νόμου οὐδὲ ἡ ὑμετέρα χρηστότης ἀγνοεῖ, ἀλλὰ νῦν τοὺς παρὰ τῆς συνέσεως ὑμῶν ἀποσταλέντας εἴκοσιν ἐπισκόπους ἀναδεξαμένους τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν πρεσβείαν τέως οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν. ἀναγκαία γάρ τις ἡμᾶς ἤπειγεν ἡ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁδός, καί, ὡς οἴδατε, πρέπει τὴν ψυχὴν καθαρὰν οὖσαν ἀπὸ πάσης φροντίδος τὰ περὶ τοῦ θείου νόμου διαγυμνάζειν. τοιγαροῦν τοὺς ἐπισκόπους διεκελεύσαμεν ἐν τῇ Ἀδριανουπόλει ἐκδέξασθαι τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐπάνοδον, ἵνα, ἐπειδὰν πάντα καλῶς διατεθῇ τὰ δημόσια, τότε λοιπὸν ἅπερ ἂν ὑπο βάλωσιν ἀκοῦσαι καὶ δοκιμάσαι δυνηθῶμεν. τῇ μέντοι στερρότητι ὑμῶν μὴ βαρὺ φαινέσθω, ὥστε ἐκδέξασθαι τὴν αὐτῶν ἐπάνοδον, ἵνα, ἐπειδὰν ἐπανέλθωσι κομίζοντες ὑμῖν τὰς ἡμε τέρας ἀποκρίσεις, δυνηθῆτε εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν τὰ πρὸς τὴν λυσιτέλειαν ἀνήκοντα τῇ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ταῦτα ἐδέξαντο οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἐπαγομένων τριῶν. Ἀντίγραφον τῶν ἐπισκόπων Τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐδεξάμεθα, κύριε θεοφιλέστατε βασιλεῦ, τὰ περιέχοντα διὰ τὴν τῶν δημοσίων ἀνάγκην τέως μὴ δεδυνῆσθαί σε τοὺς ἡμετέρους πρέσβεις θεωρῆσαι, ἡμᾶς τε κελεύεις ἐκδέξασθαι τὴν αὐτῶν ἐπάνοδον, ἕως ἂν τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ὁρισθέντα ἀκολούθως τοῖς προγόνοις ἡμῶν ἐπιγνῷ παρ' αὐτῶν ἡ σὴ εὐσέβεια. ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν διὰ τούτων τῶν γραμμάτων ὁμολογοῦμεν καὶ διαβεβαιούμεθα μηδαμῶς ἡμᾶς ἀναχωρεῖν τῆς ἡμετέρας προθέσεως· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τοῖς πρέσβεσιν ἡμῶν ἐνετειλάμεθα. ἀξιοῦμεν τοίνυν ὅπως γαληναίᾳ τῇ προσόψει τά τε νῦν γράμματα τῆς ἡμετέρας μετριότητος κελεύσῃς ἀναγνωσθῆναι, ἀλλὰ γὰρ κἀκεῖνα, ἃ διὰ τῶν πρέσβεων ἡμῶν ἐνετειλάμεθα, ἡδέως ὑποδέξῃ. ἐκεῖνο μέντοι συνορᾷ μεθ' ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ σὴ ἡμερότης, ὅση νῦν ἐστι λύπη καὶ κατήφεια, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς σοῖς μακαριωτάτοις καιροῖς τοσαῦται ἐκκλησίαι χωρὶς ἐπισκόπων εἰσί· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πάλιν τὴν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἀξιοῦμεν, κύριε θεοσεβέστατε βασιλεῦ, ὅπως πρὸ τῆς τραχύτητος τῶν χειμώνων, εἴπερ ἀρέσειε τῇ σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ, κελεύσῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς τὰς ἡμετέρας ἐκκλησίας ἐπανελθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς τῷ παντοκράτορι θεῷ καὶ τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν Χριστῷ, τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ τῷ μονογενεῖ, ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς βασιλείας τὰς ἐθίμους εὐχὰς μετὰ τῶν λαῶν ἀποπληροῦν, καθὼς καὶ ἀεὶ ἐπετελέσαμεν καὶ νῦν ποιοῦμεν εὐχόμενοι.