[Against Eunomius]

 αʹ. Προοίμιον ὅτι οὐ συμφέρει τοὺς μὴ καταδεχομένους τὴν ὠφέλειαν εὐεργετεῖν πειρᾶσθαι. βʹ. Ὅτι δικαίως πρὸς τὴν ἀντίρρησιν ἤλθομεν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ κατηγο

 αʹ. Ὁ δεύτερος λόγος τὴν σάρκωσιν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου καὶ τὴν δοθεῖσαν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου τοῖς μαθηταῖς πίστιν ἐκδιδάσκει, καὶ τοὺς ταύτην ἀνατρέποντας αἱρετι

 αʹ. Ὁ τρίτος οὗτος λόγος τρίτην πτῶσιν τοῦ Εὐνομίου δεικνύει ὡς ἑαυτὸν διελέγχοντος καὶ ποτὲ μὲν λέγοντος ὅτι διὰ τὸ γεννηθῆναι κατὰ φύσιν δεῖ υἱὸν τὸ

 αʹ. Ὁ τέταρτος οὗτος λόγος τὴν περὶ τοῦ γεννήματος φυσιολογίαν καὶ τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀπαθοῦς γεννήσεως τοῦ μονογενοῦς καὶ τὸ Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος ἔτι τε τὴν

 αʹ. Ὁ δὲ πέμπτος λόγος τὰ παρὰ τῆς τοῦ ἀποστόλου Πέτρου φωνῆς ῥηθέντα ἐπαγγέλλεται εἰπεῖν, ἀναβάλλεται δέ, καὶ πρότερον μὲν περὶ τῆς κτίσεως διαλέγετα

 αʹ. Καὶ ὁ ἕκτος δὲ λόγος οὐ ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐλθόντα, ὡς ὁ Εὐνόμιος τὸν μέγαν Βασίλειον εἶπεν εἰρηκέναι ψευδῶς διαβάλλων, δ

 αʹ. Οὗτος δὲ ὁ ζʹ λόγος τὴν κύριος λέξιν οὐκ οὐσίας ὄνομα κατὰ τὴν Εὐνομίου ἔκθεσιν, ἀλλ' ἀξίας ἔκ τε τῶν πρὸς Κορινθίους διαφόρων ῥητῶν καὶ τῶν πρὸς

 αʹ. Ὁ δὲ ηʹ λόγος τὴν παρὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν βλασφημίαν τῶν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὸν μονογενῆ λεγόντων καὶ ὅτι ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν πάνυ θαυμαστῶς ἀνατρέπει καὶ οὐ πρόσφ

 αʹ. Ὁ θʹ λόγος τὴν Εὐνομίου θεολογίαν μέχρι μέν τινος καλῶς ῥηθεῖσαν λέγει. εἶτ' ἐφεξῆς ἐκ τῶν Φίλωνος λόγων τὸ Ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα γεννητά, διὰ

 αʹ. Ὁ ιʹ δὲ λόγος τὸ ἀνέφικτον καὶ ἀκατάληπτον τῆς τῶν ὄντων εὑρέσεως διεξέρχεται. ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς φύσεως καὶ διαπλάσεως τοῦ μύρμηκος παραδόξως ἐ

 αʹ. Ὁ ιαʹ λόγος οὐ τῷ πατρὶ μόνον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ὀφείλεσθαι, ὥς φησιν ὁ Εὐνόμιος ὁ μιμητὴς Μανιχαίου καὶ Βαρδησάνου, ἀλλὰ « ὅτι » καὶ τῷ υἱῷ

 αʹ. Οὗτος δὲ ὁ ιβʹ λόγος τὸν πρὸς τὴν Μαρίαν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου ῥηθέντα λόγον Μή μου ἅπτου, οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα, θαυμαστῶς ἑρμηνεύει. βʹ. Εἶτα τὴν παρὰ το

 Οὐκ ἦν, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸ πάντας ἐθέλειν εὐεργετεῖν καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτυχοῦσι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ χάριν ἀνεξετάστως προΐεσθαι κατὰ πάντα καλὸν καὶ τῆς τ

 εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἡ θεοειδὴς ἐκείνη καὶ ἁγία ψυχὴ διὰ σαρκὸς ἐφεώρα τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον, καὶ τὸ ὑψηλὸν στόμα κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀποκληρωθεῖσαν χάρ

 Μηδεὶς δὲ μεγαλορρημονεῖν με διὰ τούτων οἰέσθω τῶν λόγων, ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν προσοῦσαν δύναμιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις κομπάζοντα. οὐ γὰρ ἀπειροκάλως εἰς λόγων ἅμιλλαν

 Ἐν τούτοις τοίνυν καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις τὸ πλέον ἔχειν αὐτὸν συγχωρήσας καὶ κατὰ ἐξουσίαν ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς νίκης πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ ταῦτα σπουδὴν ἑκὼν ὑπερβήσ

 Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ παραιτεῖσθαι πλέον τοῦ δέοντος ἐμβραδύνω τοῖς ἀνονήτοις « καὶ » καθάπερ ὁ διὰ βορβόρου τινὸς διελαύνων τὸν ἵππον καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθ

 Ἆρ' οὐχὶ τῷ ὄντι τὰ μέγιστα διὰ τούτων ἠδίκηται ἢ αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ λογογράφος ἢ ὁ προστάτης αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ ὁμοίου βίου καθηγητὴς Ἀέτιος ὅν μοι δοκεῖ μὴ τ

 τέως δὲ νῦν ὁ διὰ τὸ ἀληθεύειν μισεῖσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἀπίστων ἐν προοιμίοις αἰτιασάμενος οἵᾳ κέχρηται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σκοπήσωμεν: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσως ἀπὸ καιροῦ καὶ

 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὐκ οἶδα πῶς παρενέπεσεν ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας τοῦ λόγου τῷ μὴ καλῶς προῆχθαι τὴν ἀπολογίαν. οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ πῶς ἐχρῆν ἀπολογήσασθαι πρόκ

 ὑπέθετό τινα τόπον ἐν ᾧ τὸν περὶ τῶν δογμάτων ἀγῶνα συστῆναί φησιν, ἀνώνυμον δὲ τοῦτον καὶ οὐδενὶ γνωρίμῳ σημείῳ δηλούμενον, ὥστε ἀνάγκην εἶναι τῷ ἀκρ

 Διὰ τοῦτο πάντα τὸν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ λόγον καταλιπών, ὕβριν ὄντα καὶ χλευασμὸν καὶ λοιδορίαν καὶ σκώμματα, πρὸς τὴν τοῦ δόγματος ἐξέτασιν κατεπείξω τὸν λόγο

 Ἀλλὰ καὶ « τὸν σοφιστικὸν λόγον » ἐπονειδίζων ἑτέροις, θεωρεῖτε οἵαν τῆς τἀληθοῦς ἀποδείξεως ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν. εἶπεν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ

 Ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἡμετέροις τοιοῦτος: ἐν δὲ τοῖς λοιποῖς τῶν ἐφ' ὕβρει ῥηθέντων ἆρά τι ἀληθεύων ἐπιδειχθήσεται ἐν οἷς « δειλόν τε καὶ ἄτολμον καὶ τοὺς

 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τοσοῦτον ἔξω τῶν προκειμένων παρηνέχθη ὁ λόγος πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν ἐφ' ὕβρει ῥηθέντων παρὰ τοῦ συκοφάντου ἐπιστρεφόμενος. καίτοι τ

 ἀλλὰ παντὶ πρόδηλον οἶμαι τὴν αἰτίαν εἶναι τῆς καινῆς ταύτης ὀνοματοποιΐας, ὅτι πάντες ἄνθρωποι πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ προσηγορίαν ἀκούσαντες εὐθὺς τὴν οἰκεί

 Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ δυνάμεως οὐδὲ ἀγαθότητος οὐδὲ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν τοιούτων ὑπεροχὴν τὸ ἄνω φήσει τῆς οὐσίας ἐνδείκνυσθαι. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο παντὶ γνώριμον,

 Τί τοίνυν τῆς ὑποταγῆς ἐστι τὸ σημαινόμενον καὶ ἐπὶ τίνων ἡ θεία γραφὴ τῷ τοιούτῳ προσχρῆται ῥήματι, πρῶτον κατανοήσωμεν. τιμῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον τῷ κατ' ε

 Εἶτά φησι: « συμπεριλαμβανομένων δηλαδὴ καὶ τῶν ταῖς οὐσίαις ἑπομένων ἐνεργειῶν καὶ τῶν ταύταις προσφυῶν ὀνομάτων ». τούτων δὲ ὁ νοῦς ἐστὶ μὲν οὐ λίαν

 Εἶτα κἀκεῖνο τούτοις προσεξετάσωμεν. « ἔργον » ὀνομάζει τῆς οὐσίας τὴν οὐσίαν, τὴν μὲν δευτέραν τῆς πρώτης, τῆς δὲ δευτέρας πάλιν τὴν τρίτην, τίνι τρό

 « Πάλιν δ' αὖ ἑκάστης τούτων οὐσίας εἰλικρινῶς ἁπλῆς καὶ πάντη μιᾶς οὔσης τε καὶ νοουμένης κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀξίαν, συμπεριγραφομένων δὲ τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν

 Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα νοῶν τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις κέχρηται, διὰ τῶν ἐφεξῆς σαφέστερον δείκνυται, δι' ὧν φανερώτερον εἰς χαμαιζήλους τινὰς καὶ ταπεινὰς ὑπολήψεις

 διδόσθω δὲ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν μὴ οὕτως ἔχειν. καὶ γὰρ ὁμολογοῦσι δῆθεν καὶ τῷ λόγῳ φιλανθρωπεύονται συγχωροῦντες « τὸ » εἶναι τῷ τε μονογενεῖ υἱῷ καὶ τῷ πν

 εἶτα βραχύτητά τινα τῇ οὐσίᾳ κατ' ἐλάττωσιν ἐνθεωροῦσιν, οὐκ οἶδα τίνι μεθόδῳ τὸν ἄποσόν τε καὶ ἀμεγέθη τῇ ἑαυτῶν ὑπολήψει παραμετρήσαντες καὶ εὑρεῖν

 Δῆλον οὖν ὅτι αἰνίγματα τινῶν ἐστι τὰ λεγόμενα βαθυτέραν τινὰ τῆς προχείρου διανοίας τὴν θεωρίαν ἐμπεριέχοντα, ὡς ἐκ τούτων μηδενὶ λόγῳ τὴν τοῦ ἐκτίσθ

 Τί τοίνυν προστίθησι τῇ ἀκολουθίᾳ τῶν εἰρημένων, σκοπήσωμεν. μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν: « ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐλάττους τε καὶ μείζους τὰς οὐσίας οἴεσθαι δεῖν εἶναι καὶ τὰ

 καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις, ὅπερ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀπελέγχει τὴν ἀτοπίαν τοῦ δόγματος, οὐ μόνον τῷ υἱῷ κατασκευασθήσεται χρονική τις ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ὑπάρξεως ἐκ τοῦ τοι

 Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις τῶν ἐνισταμένων τῷ λόγῳ, ὅτι καὶ ἡ κτίσις ὁμολογουμένην ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἔχει, καὶ οὔτε συνεπινοεῖται τῇ ἀϊδιότητι τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τὰ

 Οἷα δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπάγει καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα. « ἅτε », φησί, « τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνεργειῶν τὴν ταὐτότητα τῶν ἔργων ἀποτελουσῶν, καὶ τῶν παρηλλαγμένων ἔργων π

 ἀλλ' ὁ σοφὸς οὗτος τῶν « παρηλλαγμένων ἔργων παρηλλαγμένας καὶ τὰς ἐνεργείας » ἡμῖν ἀποφαίνεται, ἢ τὸ εἶδος τῆς θείας ἐνεργείας μήπω μαθών, ὅ φησιν ἡ

 Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐφεξῆς λόγον ἐπισκοπήσωμεν. καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐνεργείαις φησὶν ἀμφιβολίαν διαλύειν ἐκ τῶν οὐσιῶν. πῶς ἄν τις αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν ματαίων ὑπολήψεω

 Ἡδέως δ' ἂν καὶ τοῦτο παρ' αὐτοῦ μάθοιμι. ἐπὶ μόνης τῆς θείας φύσεως τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐνεργείαις ἀμφιβολίαν ἐκ τῆς ἐργασαμένης οὐσίας διαλύεσθαι λέγει, ἢ

 καίτοι γε δι' αὐτῶν τούτων ὧν αὐτός φησιν, εἴπερ τοῖς ἰδίοις κατακολουθεῖν ἠπίστατο λόγοις, ὡδηγήθη ἂν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ δόγματος συγκατάθεσ

 Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο νοηθῇ, ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης τινὸς βιασθεὶς « ἀποστῆναι μὲν λέγει τῶν τῆς προνοίας ἔργων, ἀναχθῆναι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς γεννήσεως τρόπον, διὰ τὸ

 ἄνεισι γοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν γεννήσασαν οὐσίαν καὶ δι' ἐκείνης τὴν γεννηθεῖσαν ἐπισκοπεῖ: « διὰ τὸ τῇ φυσικῇ », φησί, « τοῦ γεννήσαντος ἀξίᾳ δείκνυσθαι τὸν τῆς

 Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρὸ τῶν ἀνεγνωσμένων αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα, ὡς ψιλὴν ἔχοντα κατὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν καὶ οὐδὲν πρὸς τὸν προκείμενον σ

 Ἀκούσαντες τοίνυν ὅτι Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν, τό τε ἐξ αἰτίου τὸν κύριον καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἀπαράλλακτον τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς ἐπα

 Τὰ μὲν οὖν παρ' ἐκείνων τοιαῦτα. εἰ δέ τις τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ προσέχων ἐκ τῆς θείας τε καὶ ἀκηράτου φύσεως τὸν υἱὸν εἶναι πιστεύοι, πάντα συνῳδὰ

 ἐπεὶ δὲ πολύς ἐστιν εὐροῶν ταῖς λοιδορίαις καὶ πάσης μὲν ἀρχῆς κατασκευὴν τὴν ὕβριν ποιούμενος, ἀντὶ δὲ πάσης ἀποδείξεως τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων τὴν λοιδο

 ἢ βούλει καὶ τοὺς ἀφύκτους συλλογισμοὺς καὶ τὰς ποικίλας τῶν σοφισμάτων ἀναστροφάς, δι' ὧν ἐλέγχειν οἴεται τὸν λόγον, ἐπισκεψώμεθα ἀλλὰ δέδοικα μὴ τὸ

 οὐ βούλεται ὁ Εὐνόμιος ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς φωνῆς καὶ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου τὴν σημασίαν παρίστασθαι, ἵνα τὸ ποτὲ μὴ εἶναι τὸν μονογενῆ κατασκευάσῃ. καὶ γὰρ καὶ

 Ἰδοὺ γὰρ πῶς μνησικακεῖ τῷ τὸ σαθρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀσθενὲς τῆς κακουργίας φωράσαντι, καὶ ὡς ἀμύνεται αὐτὸν δι' ὧν δύναται: δύναται δὲ διὰ λοιδορίας μόνης

 Εἴρηται τοίνυν « παρέπεσθαι τῷ θεῷ τὸ ἀγέννητον ». ἐκ τοῦ λόγου τούτου τῶν ἔξωθέν τι τῷ θεῷ παρακολουθούντων τὴν ἀγεννησίαν αὐτὸν λέγειν ὑπενοήσαμεν.

 Τὸ ἀΐδιον τῆς θείας ζωῆς, ὡς ἄν τις ὅρῳ τινὶ περιλαβὼν ὑπογράψειε, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. ἀεὶ μὲν ἐν τῷ εἶναι καταλαμβάνεται, τοῦ δὲ ποτὲ μὴ εἶναι καὶ ποτὲ μ

 [Book II]

 ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΝΥΣΣΗΣ « ΛΟΓΟΣ ΑΝΤΙΡΡΗΤΙΚΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΗΝ ΕΥΝΟΜΙΟΥ ΕΚΘΕΣΙΝ » Ἡ τῶν Χριστιανῶν πίστις ἡ εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κατὰ τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ κυρίου π

 Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὸ δόγμα τοῦτο παρ' αὐτῆς ἐκτίθεται τῆς ἀληθείας, εἴ τι παρεπινοοῦσιν ἐπὶ ἀθετήσει τῆς θείας ταύτης φωνῆς οἱ τῶν πονηρῶν αἱρέσεων εὑρεταί, ὡς

 Τί οὖν σημαίνει τὸ ἀκατονόμαστον ὄνομα, περὶ οὗ εἰπὼν ὁ κύριος ὅτι Βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα, οὐ προσέθηκεν αὐτὴν τὴν σημαντικὴν φωνὴν τὴν ὑπὸ τ

 Ἔχει τοίνυν ἡ λέξις τοῦ δόγματος αὐτῶν οὕτω: « πιστεύομεν εἰς τὸν ἕνα καὶ μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου διδασκαλίαν, οὐκ ἐψευσμένῃ φων

 « Οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν », φησί, « καθ' ἥν ἐστιν εἷς, χωριζόμενον ἢ μεριζόμενον εἰς πλείους, ἢ ἄλλοτε ἄλλον γινόμενον, ἢ τοῦ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι μεθιστάμενον, οὐδὲ ἐ

 ἃ δὲ τούτοις ἐφεξῆς προστίθησι, ταῦτά ἐστιν. « οὐ κοινωνὸν ἔχων », φησί, « τῆς θεότητος, οὐ μερίτην τῆς δόξης, οὐ σύγκληρον τῆς ἐξουσίας, οὐ σύνθρονον

 Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ οἷα τοῖς εἰρημένοις προστίθησιν. « οὐκ ἐν τῷ γεννᾶν », φησί, « τὴν ἰδίαν οὐσίαν μερίζων καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς γεννῶν καὶ γεννώμενος ἢ ὁ αὐτὸς πατὴ

 Ὁ μέγας Παῦλος εἰδὼς ὅτι παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ ἀρχηγός τε καὶ αἴτιος ὁ μονογενής ἐστι θεὸς ὁ ἐν πᾶσι πρωτεύων, προσμαρτυρεῖ αὐτῷ τὸ μὴ μόνον τὴν τῶν ὄντων κτί

 Πάλιν δὲ τοῦ Εὐνομίου τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ λέξεως ἀναλάβωμεν. « πιστεύομεν καὶ εἰς τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ υἱόν, τὸν μονογενῆ θεόν, τὸν πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως, υἱὸν ἀ

 Ἀλλὰ τὴν παροιμιώδη φωνὴν πάντως προφέρουσιν, ἥ φησιν ὅτι Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. τοῦτο δὲ διὰ πλειόνων μὲν ἔστιν παραθέσθα

 τίς δὲ καὶ ἡ τοῦ « παντοκράτορος » ἀξία, ἧς « ἀμέτοχον » ὁ Εὐνόμιος τὸν υἱὸν ἀποφαίνεται λεγέτωσαν μὲν οὖν οἱ σοφοὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐνώπιον ἑαυτῶν ἐ

 τίς δὲ καὶ ἡ πολύτροπος αὕτη μεσιτεία, ἣν ἐπιθρυλεῖ τῷ θεῷ, « μεσίτην » λέγων « ἐν δόγμασι, μεσίτην ἐν νόμῳ » οὐ ταῦτα παρὰ τῆς ὑψηλῆς φωνῆς τοῦ ἀποσ

 Εἶτα « νομοθετεῖ », φησί, « κατ' ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ αἰωνίου θεοῦ ». τίς ὁ αἰώνιός ἐστι θεὸς καὶ τίς ὁ ὑπουργῶν αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν τοῦ νόμου θέσιν ἀλλὰ παντὶ δῆλ

 Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς εἰς τὸν υἱὸν βλασφημίας τοσαῦτα. ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ ὅσα περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος διεξέρχεται. « μετὰ τοῦτον πιστεύομεν », φησίν, « εἰς τὸν

 Προστίθησι δὲ τούτοις ὅτι « οὔτε κατὰ τὸν πατέρα οὔτε τῷ πατρὶ συναριθμούμενος: εἷς γάρ ἐστι καὶ μόνος πατὴρ ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων θεός, οὔτε τῷ υἱῷ συνεξισούμ

 [Book III]

 Εἰ τῷ νομίμως ἀθλοῦντι τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι πόνων ὅρος ἐστὶν ἢ τὸ παντελῶς ἀπειπόντα πρὸς τοὺς πόνους τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν ἑκουσίως ἐκστῆναι τῷ κεκρατηκότι τ

 τάχα δ' ἂν ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνο προενεχθείη παρ' αὐτῶν τῆς παροιμίας τὸ μέρος ὅπερ οἱ πρόμαχοι τῆς αἱρέσεως εἰς μαρτυρίαν τοῦ ἐκτίσθαι τὸν κύριον προφέρειν εἰώ

 Φανερᾶς τοίνυν τῆς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μάχης τοῦ Εὐνομίου γεγενημένης, ἐν οἷς ἐναντία λέγων ἑαυτῷ ἀπελήλεγκται, νῦν μὲν διὰ τὸ γεννηθῆναι κατὰ φύσιν λέγων δεῖ

 Οὐκοῦν ἐναργῶς πεφώραται διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων τοῦ λογογράφου ἡ ἀτονία τῆς κακουργίας, ὃς κατασκευάζειν ἐπιχειρῶν τὴν τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ μονογενοῦς πρὸς τὴν τ

 Εἰ δέ τις ἀπαιτοίη τῆς θείας οὐσίας ἑρμηνείαν τινὰ καὶ ὑπογραφὴν καὶ ἐξήγησιν, ἀμαθεῖς εἶναι τῆς τοιαύτης σοφίας οὐκ ἀρνησόμεθα, τοσοῦτον ὁμολογοῦντες

 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐπὶ πλέον παρηνέχθη τῶν προκειμένων ὁ λόγος, τοῖς ἀεὶ κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἐφευρισκομένοις ἑπόμενος. οὐκοῦν πάλιν τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ἐπαναλάβωμεν, ἐ

 Ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἢ διότι μισοῦντες τε καὶ ἀποστρεφόμενοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν υἱὸν μὲν αὐτὸν ὀνομάζουσιν, ὡς δ' ἂν μὴ τὸ κατ' οὐσίαν κοινὸν διὰ τῆς φωνῆς τα

 [Book IV]

 Καιρὸς δ' ἂν εἴη καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦ γεννήματος φυσιολογίαν τὴν ἐπιμελῶς αὐτῷ φιλοσοφηθεῖσαν ἐξετάσαι τῷ λόγῳ. φησὶ τοίνυν (ἐρῶ δὲ κατὰ λέξιν τὸν καλλιγρ

 Καὶ τοῦτο δείκνυσι περιφανῶς δι' ὧν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπαγωνίζεται λέγων « γεγεννῆσθαι παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν. οὐ κατὰ ἔκτασιν προβληθεῖσαν

 ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν μή τι τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι τοῖς πόνοις ἡμῶν ἀμφίβολον ὑπολείποιτο τῶν τινα συνηγορίαν τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς δόγμασι παρεχομένων, ἐκ τῆς θεοπνεύστου

 Ἀλλ' ἐπανιτέον πρὸς τοὺς τῇ θείᾳ γεννήσει τὸ πάθος συνάπτοντας καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπαρνουμένους τὸ ἀληθῶς γεννηθῆναι τὸν κύριον, ἵνα μὴ πάθος νοήσωσι. τὸ γ

 Χρήσιμον δ' ἂν ἴσως εἴη τῆς παρατεθείσης ἡμῖν τοῦ Εὐνομίου ῥήσεως πᾶσαν ἀκολούθως ἰδεῖν τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναδραμόντας τοῦ λόγου. τὰ γὰρ νῦν

 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάλιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν λέξιν ἀκολουθήσωμεν, ὡς ἂν φανερὸν γένοιτο πᾶσιν ὅτι πλὴν τοῦ βούλεσθαι κακουργεῖν οὐδεμίαν ἰσχὺν πρὸς

 Ἀλλὰ φιλανθρωπεύεται τοῖς ὑπολοίποις καί φησιν « οὐδενὶ τῶν δι' αὐτῆς καὶ μετ' αὐτὴν γενομένων συγκρίνεσθαι ». τοιαῦτα δωροφοροῦσιν οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχ

 Ἀλλὰ τί χρὴ καταστοχαζομένους τῆς διανοίας ἀνακαλύπτειν τῷ λόγῳ τὴν κεκρυμμένην ἀπάτην καὶ παρέχειν ἴσως ἀφορμὰς τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ὡς οὐκ ἀληθῶς ἡμῶν τα

 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς πρόδηλον ἔχοντα τὴν ἀτοπίαν παραδραμοῦμαι τῷ λόγῳ, τὸ δὲ πρὸ αὐτῶν ἐξετάσωμεν. « οὐδέν » φησιν « ἕτερον εὑρίσκεσθαι παρὰ τὴν οὐσίαν

 [Book V]

 Περὶ δὲ τῆς Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου φωνῆς καιρὸς ἂν εἴη φιλοπονώτερον διεξετάσαι τὰ εἰρημένα αὐτῷ τε τῷ Εὐνομίῳ καὶ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ πατρὶ περὶ τούτου. εἰ δὲ ε

 Ταύτης τοίνυν προεκτεθείσης ἡμῖν τῆς περὶ τῶν ὄντων θεωρίας, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη τὸν προκείμενον ἐξετάσαι λόγον. οὐκοῦν εἴρηται μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Πέτρου πρὸς τοὺ

 Ἡ μὲν δὴ κατηγορία τοιαύτη. δοκεῖ δέ μοι χρῆναι πρῶτον ἐπὶ κεφαλαίων ἕκαστον τῶν ἐπενηνεγμένων ἐν ὀλίγῳ διεξελθεῖν, εἶθ' οὕτως εὐθῦναι τῷ λόγῳ τὰ εἰρη

 Φησὶ « τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς ἄνθρωπον κεκενῶσθαι » λέγειν ἡμᾶς καὶ « τὸν ἐξ ὑπακοῆς ἑαυτὸν ταπεινώσαντα τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ σύμμορφον εἶναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις

 Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἐφεξῆς κατηγορία παραπλήσιον τὸ παράλογον ἔχει. « δύο » γὰρ « Χριστοὺς καὶ δύο κυρίους » λέγειν ἡμᾶς ᾐτιάσατο, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐλέγχειν

 [Book VI]

 Ἀλλ' αἰσθάνομαι πέρα τοῦ δέοντος ἐμφιλοχωρήσας τῷ τόπῳ, τῆς ἀνάγκης τῶν νοημάτων πρὸς τὴν θεωρίαν ἡμᾶς ταύτην ἐξαπαγούσης: ἐπαναληπτέον δὲ τὴν ἀκολουθ

 τοῦτο δὲ κἂν ἐκ παρόδου λέγωμεν, οὐκ ἀχρηστότερον ἴσως δοκεῖ τοῦ προκειμένου τὸ ἐπεισόδιον. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰπόντος τοῦ ἁγίου Πέτρου Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χρισ

 Καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἀπόχρη. τὸ δ' ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς δόγματος παρὰ τοῦ Εὐνομίου λεγόμενον ὡς εἰς ἑαυτὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ κενωθέντος ἤδη μὲν ἱκανῶς δ

 ἀλλ' ἐπανιτέον πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν σφοδρὸν λογογράφον καὶ τὴν σύντονον ἐκείνην καθ' ἡμῶν ῥητορείαν ἀναληπτέον ἡμῖν. Αἰτιᾶται τὸ μὴ λέγειν πεποιῆσθαι τοῦ υἱο

 [Book VII]

 Ἐπεὶ δέ φησι τὴν Κύριος λέξιν τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ μονογενοῦς, οὐ τῆς ἀξίας κατηγορεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸν ἀπόστολον τούτοις ἐπιμαρτύρεται λέγοντα πρὸς Κορινθίους Ὁ

 Θεοῦ τοίνυν τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἐν ταῖς θείαις κηρυσσομένου γραφαῖς, νοησάτω τὸν ἴδιον λόγον Εὐνόμιος καὶ καταγνώτω πᾶσαν ἠλιθιότητα τοῦ τὸ θεῖον τῷ κτιστῷ

 Πλὴν ἐπειδή τι μετὰ τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ ἰσχυρότερον ἐπαγγέλλεται λέγειν, ὡς ἂν μὴ φόβῳ τῶν δυνατωτέρων καθυφιέναι δοκοίημεν τὴν ἀντίρρησιν, κἀκεῖνο τοῖς ε

 Ἀλλὰ Πέτρος, φησί, καὶ Παῦλος παρὰ ἀνθρώπων κατωνομάσθησαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ μεταθεῖναι τὰς προσηγορίας ἐπ' αὐτῶν δυνατὸν γέγονε. τί δὲ τῶν ὄντων οὐ

 Ταῦτα δέ φαμεν οὐχ ὡς ἀρνούμενοι τὸ ἀγεννήτως εἶναι τὸν πατέρα οὐδ' ὡς μὴ συντιθέμενοι τὸ γεννητὸν εἶναι τὸν μονογενῆ θεόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος γεγέννηται

 [Book VIII]

 Τὰ μὲν οὖν « ἰσχυρὰ » τῶν Εὐνομίου τοιαῦτα. ἐγὼ δὲ τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ δυνάμεως οὕτω σαθρῶν τε καὶ ἀνυποστάτων ἐπιδειχθέντων τῷ λόγῳ, σιωπᾶν οἶμαι δεῖν ἐ

 Τούτων οὖν ἡμῖν οὕτω διῃρημένων οὐκέτ' ἄν τις ἀμφιβάλλοι πῶς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ὁ μονογενὴς εἶναι πεπίστευται καὶ ἀϊδίως ἔστι, κἂν δοκῇ κατὰ τὴν πρόχει

 Οὑτωσὶ δὲ τοῦ δόγματος ἡμῖν διευκρινηθέντος καιρὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸν ἐναντίον προθεῖναι καὶ θεωρῆσαι λόγον ἐκ παραλλήλου πρὸς τὰς ἡμετέρας ὑπολήψεις ἀντε

 τούτων τοίνυν τῶν τῆς γεννήσεως τρόπων φανερῶν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὄντων ἡ φιλάνθρωπος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος οἰκονομία παραδιδοῦσα ἡμῖν τὰ θεῖα μυστήρια διὰ

 Προθήσω δὲ πάλιν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ λέξεως τοῦ ἐναντίου τὴν ῥῆσιν ἔχουσαν οὕτως. « δύο », φησί, « ὄντων τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν εἰρημένων, τοῦ τε πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας γεννήσεως

 [Book IX]

 Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοὺς ὑψηλοτέρους μετέρχεται λόγους καὶ μετεωρίσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ ὀγκώσας ἐν διακένῳ φυσήματι λέγειν ἐπιχειρεῖ τι τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ μεγαλοπρεπείας ἐπάξ

 μηδενὸς δὲ ὄντος τοῦ μεσιτεύοντος, ἄμεσον καὶ συναφῆ τὴν κοινωνίαν εἶναι οὐ καταδέχεται Ἀλλ' ὑποκαταβαίνει πρὸς τὰ ἡμέτερα τῆς γνώσεως μέτρα καὶ ἀνθρ

 Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως ἡ λέξις: « πάσης γεννήσεως οὐκ ἐπ' ἄπειρον ἐκτεινομένης, ἀλλ' εἴς τι τέλος καταληγούσης, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα καὶ τοὺς παραδεξαμένους τοῦ υἱοῦ τὴ

 Τὸ δὲ κατασκευάζειν αὐτὸν ἀγέννητον παρ' ἡμῶν λέγεσθαι τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ λέγειν ὅτι καὶ γεννητὸν εἶναι τὸν πατέρα διοριζόμεθα. τῆς γὰρ αὐ

 [Book X]

 Ἀλλὰ τῶν προκειμένων ἐχώμεθα. μικρὸν γὰρ προελθὼν διαμάχεται πρὸς τοὺς ὁμολογοῦντας ἀσθενεῖν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀλήπτων περίνοιαν καὶ τ

 Ἀλλὰ τὰ λειπόμενα τῆς λογογραφίας ἐπισκεψάμενος ὀκνῶ προαγαγεῖν περαιτέρω τὸν λόγον, φρίκης τινὸς ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων τὴν καρδίαν ὑποδραμούσης. βούλεται

 Ἐπεὶ δὲ πολύς ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς τῶν βδελυρῶν ἐπιχειρημάτων ἀνακινῶν τὴν δυσωδίαν, δι' ὧν μὴ εἶναί ποτε τὸν μονογενῆ κατασκευάζει θεόν, καλῶς ἔχειν

 Ἀλλ' οὔπω τὰ χαλεπὰ τῆς βλασφημίας ἐξήτασται, ἅπερ ἤδη τῶν γεγραμμένων ἡ ἀκολουθία προστίθησι: καὶ δὴ τὰ εἰρημένα κατὰ λέξιν διασκεψώμεθα. οὐκ οἶδα δὲ

 [Book XI]

 Ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐφεξῆς τοῦ λόγου προέλθωμεν. « αὐτοῦ », φησί, « τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀποδιδόντος τῷ πατρὶ τὴν μόνῳ κατ' ἀξίαν ὀφειλομένην ἐπωνυμίαν. ὁ γὰρ

 οὐδὲ Μαρκίων ὑμᾶς, ὁ τῶν ὑμετέρων δογμάτων προστάτης, κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἐπανωρθώσατο ᾧ κοινὸν μὲν πρὸς τὸ ὑμέτερον φρόνημα τῶν θεῶν ἡ δυὰς καὶ τὸ π

 ἀλλ' ὅπως ἂν διὰ πάντων ἔκδηλον γένοιτο τοῦ σεμνοῦ λογογράφου τὸ φιλομαθὲς καὶ εὐπαίδευτον, καὶ αὐτὴν κατανοήσωμεν ἐπὶ λέξεως τῶν γεγραμμένων τὴν σύντ

 Ἀλλ' ὁρῶ γὰρ εἰς ἄμετρον ἤδη τὸν λόγον παρατεινόμενον καὶ δέδοικα τὸ δοκεῖν ἀδόλεσχός τις εἶναι καὶ περιττὸς τὴν φωνὴν εἰς πλῆθος προαγαγὼν τὴν ἀντίρρ

 Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ μετριώτερον μετάγει τὸν λόγον, νέμων τι καὶ φιλανθρωπίας αὐτῷ, καί φησιν « οὐ μόνον ὄντα καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ὄντα φαμὲν εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν » ὁ

 [Book XII]

 Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν καὶ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἀκολούθου τῇ βλασφημίᾳ προσκείμενον, ὅπερ ἐστὶν αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς τοῦ δόγματος αὐτῶν συνηγορίας. οἴονται γὰρ ἰσχυροτάτην

 Ἔτι καὶ τοῦτο προσεξετάσωμεν, οἵαν πεποίηται τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀπηλέγχθη παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου εἰς τὴν τοῦ σκότους μοῖραν τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν ἀ

 Ἀλλ' ἐναγωνίζεται τοῖς ματαίοις καί φησιν « ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τῶν πεπιστευμένων λογίων παρέχομαι τῶν λεγομένων τὴν πίστιν ». ἡ μὲν οὖν ὑπόσχε

 Πάλιν δὲ τὰ εἰρημένα κατανοήσωμεν. « εἰ μὲν ἔχει δεικνύναι », φησί, « τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων θεόν, ὅσπερ ἐστὶν ἀπρόσιτον φῶς, ἐν σαρκὶ γενόμενον ἢ γενέσθαι δυ

 Ἀλλ' αἰσθάνομαι ὑπατακτοῦντος τοῦ λόγου: οὐ γὰρ ἐπιμένει τῷ καθήκοντι δρόμῳ, κατὰ τοὺς θερμούς τε καὶ θυμώδεις τῶν πώλων ταῖς τῶν ἀνταγωνιστῶν βλασφημ

§35. Proof that the Anomœan teaching tends to Manichæism.

We hear our Lord saying. “I and My Father are one,” and we are taught in that utterance the dependence of our Lord on a cause, and yet the absolute identity of the Son’s and the Father’s nature; we do not let our idea about them be melted down into One Person, but we keep distinct the properties of the Persons, while, on the other hand, not dividing in the Persons the oneness of their substance; and so the supposition of two diverse principles in the category of Cause is avoided, and there is no loophole for the Manichæan heresy to enter. For the created and the uncreate are as diametrically opposed to each other as their names are; and so if the two are to be ranked as First Causes, the mischief of Manichæism will thus under cover be brought into the Church. I say this, because my zeal against our antagonists makes me scrutinize their doctrine very closely. Now I think that none would deny that we were bringing this scrutiny very near the truth, when we said, that if the created be possessed of equal power with the uncreate, there will be some sort of antagonism between these things of diverse nature, and as long as neither of them fails in power, the two will be brought into a certain state of mutual discord for we must perforce allow that will corresponds with, and is intimately joined to nature; and that if two things are unlike in nature, they will be so also in will. But when power is adequate in both, neither will flag in the gratification of its wish; and if the power of each is thus equal to its wish, the primacy will become a doubtful point with the two: and it will end in a drawn battle from the inexhaustibleness of their powers. Thus will the Manichæan heresy creep in, two opposite principles appearing with counter claims in the category of Cause, parted and opposed by reason of difference both in nature and in will. They will find, therefore, that assertion of diminution (in the Divine being) is the beginning of Manichæism; for their teaching organizes a discord within that being, which comes to two leading principles, as our account of it has shewn; namely the created and the uncreated.

But perhaps most will blame this as too strong a reductio ad absurdum, and will wish that we had not put it down at all along with our other objections. Be it so; we will not contradict them. It was not our impulse, but our adversaries themselves, that forced us to carry our argument into such minuteness of results. But if it is not right to argue thus, it was more fitting still that our opponents’ teaching, which gave occasion to such a refutation, should never have been heard. There is only one way of suppressing the answer to bad teaching, and that is, to take away the subject-matter to which a reply has to be made. But what would give me most pleasure would be to advise those, who are thus disposed, to divest themselves a little of the spirit of rivalry, and not be such exceedingly zealous combatants on behalf of the private opinions with which they have become possessed, and convinced that the race is for their (spiritual) life, to attend to its interests only, and to yield the victory to Truth. If, then, one were to cease from this ambitious strife, and look straight into the actual question before us, he would very soon discover the flagrant absurdity of this teaching.

For let us assume as granted what the system of our opponents demands, that the having no generation is Being, and in like manner again that generation is admitted into Being. If, then, one were to follow out carefully these statements in all their meaning, even this way the Manichæan heresy will be reconstructed seeing that the Manichees are wont to take as an axiom the oppositions of good and bad, light and darkness, and all such naturally antagonistic things. I think that any who will not be satisfied with a superficial view of the matter will be convinced that I say true. Let us look at it thus. Every subject has certain inherent characteristics, by means of which the specialty of that underlying nature is known. This is so, whether we are investigating the animal kingdom, or any other. The tree and the animal are not known by the same marks; nor do the characteristics of man extend in the animal kingdom to the brutes; nor, again, do the same symptoms indicate life and death; in every case, without exception, as we have said, the distinction of subjects resists any effort to confuse them and run one into another; the marks upon each thing which we observe cannot be communicated so as to destroy that distinction. Let us follow this out in examining our opponents’ position. They say that the state of having no generation is Being; and they likewise make the having generation Being. But just as a man and a stone have not the same marks (in defining the essence of the animate and that of the inanimate you would not give the same account of each), so they must certainly grant that one who is non-generated is to be known by different signs to the generated. Let us then survey those peculiar qualities of the non-generated Deity, which the Holy Scriptures teach us can be mentioned and thought of, without doing Him an irreverence.

What are they? I think no Christian is ignorant that He is good, kind, holy, just and hallowed, unseen and immortal, incapable of decay and change and alteration, powerful, wise, beneficent, Master, Judge, and everything like that. Why lengthen our discussion by lingering on acknowledged facts? If, then, we find these qualities in the ungenerate nature, and the state of having been generated is contrary127    ὑπεναντίως, i.e. as logical “contraries” differ from each other. This is not an Aristotelian, but a Neo-Platonic use of the word (i.e. Ammonius, a.d. 390, &c.). It occurs so again in this Book frequently. in its very conception to the state of having not been generated, those who define these two states to be each of them Being, must perforce concede, that the characteristic marks of the generated being, following this opposition existing between the generated and non-generated, must be contrary to the marks observable in the non-generated being; for if they were to declare the marks to be the same, this sameness would destroy the difference between the two beings who are the subject of these observations. Differing things must be regarded as possessing differing marks; like things are to be known by like signs. If, then, these men testify to the same marks in the Only-begotten, they can conceive of no difference whatever in the subject of the marks. But if they persist in their blasphemous position, and maintain in asserting the difference of the generated and the non-generated the variation of the natures, it is readily seen what must result: viz., that, as in following out the opposition of the names, the nature of the things which those names indicate must be considered to be in a state of contrariety to itself, there is every necessity that the qualities observed in each should be drawn out opposite each other; so that those qualities should be applied to the Son which are the reverse of those predicated of the Father, viz., of divinity, holiness, goodness, imperishability, eternity, and of every other quality that represents God to the devout mind; in fact, every negation128    ἀπεμφαίνοντα of these, every conception that ranks opposite to the good, must be considered as belonging to the generated nature.

To ensure clearness, we must dwell upon this point. As the peculiar phænomena of heat and cold—which are themselves by nature opposed to each other (let us take fire and ice as examples of each), each being that which the other is not—are at variance with each other, cooling being the peculiarity of ice, heating of fire; so if in accordance with the antithesis expressed by the names, the nature revealed by those names is parted asunder, it is not to be admitted that the faculties attending these natural “subcontraries129    ὑπεναντίων” are like each other, any more than cooling can belong to fire, or burning to ice. If, then, goodness is inseparable from the idea of the non-generated nature, and that nature is parted on the ground of being, as they declare, from the generated nature, the properties of the former will be parted as well from those of the latter: so that if the good is found in the first, the quality set against the good is to be perceived in the last. Thus, thanks to our clever systematizers, Manes lives again with his parallel line of evil in array over against the good, and his theory of opposite powers residing in opposite natures.

Indeed, if we are to speak the truth boldly, without any reserve, Manes, who for having been the first, they say, to venture to entertain the Manichæan view, gave his name to that heresy, may fairly be considered the less offensive of the two. I say this, just as if one had to choose between a viper and an asp for the most affection towards man; still, if we consider, there is some difference between brutes130    πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδή ἐστι καὶ ἐν θηριοις κρίοις.. Does not a comparison of doctrines show that those older heretics are less intolerable than these? Manes thought he was pleading on the side of the Origin of Good, when he represented that Evil could derive thence none of its causes; so he linked the chain of things which are on the list of the bad to a separate Principle, in his character of the Almighty’s champion, and in his pious aversion to put the blame of any unjustifiable aberrations upon that Source of Good; not perceiving, with his narrow understanding, that it is impossible even to conceive of God as the fashioner of evil, or on the other hand, of any other First Principle besides Him. There might be a long discussion on this point, but it is beside our present purpose. We mentioned Manes’ statements only in order to show, that he at all events thought it his duty to separate evil from anything to do with God. But the blasphemous error with regard to the Son, which these men systematize, is much more terrible. Like the others, they explain the existence of evil by a contrariety in respect of Being; but when they declare, besides this, that the God of the universe is actually the Maker of this alien production, and say that this “generation” formed by Him into a substance possesses a nature foreign to that of its Maker, they exhibit therein more of impiety than the aforesaid sect; for they not only give a personal existence to that which in its nature is opposed to good, but they say that a Good Deity is the Cause of another Deity who in nature diverges from His; and they all but openly exclaim in their teaching, that there is in existence something opposite to the nature of the good, deriving its personality from the good itself. For when we know the Father’s substance to be good, and therefore find that the Son’s substance, owing to its being unlike the Father’s in its nature (which is the tenet of this heresy), is amongst the contrary predicables, what is thereby proved? Why, not only that the opposite to the good subsists, but that this contrary comes from the good itself. I declare this to be more horrible even than the irrationality of the Manichees.

But if they repudiate this blasphemy from their system, though it is the logical carrying out of their teaching, and if they say that the Only-begotten has inherited the excellences of the Father, not as being really His Son, but—so does it please these misbelievers—as receiving His personality by an act of creation, let us look into this too, and see whether such an idea can be reasonably entertained. If, then, it were granted that it is as they think, viz., that the Lord of all things has not inherited as being a true Son, but that He rules a kindred of created things, being Himself made and created, how will the rest of creation accept this rule and not rise in revolt, being thus thrust down from kinship to subjection and condemned, though not a whit behind Him in natural prerogative (both being created), to serve and bend beneath a kinsman after all. That were like a usurpation, viz. not to assign the command to a superiority of Being, but to divide a creation that retains by right of nature equal privileges into slaves and a ruling power, one part in command, the other in subjection; as if, as the result of an arbitrary distribution131    arbitrary distribution, ἀποκληρώσεως: κατ᾽ ἀποκλήρωσιν “at random,” is also used by Sextus Empiric. (a.d. 200), Clem. Alex., and Greg Naz., these same privileges had been piled at random on one who after that distribution got preferred to his equals. Even man did not share his honour with the brutes, before he received his dominion over them; his prerogative of reason gave him the title to command; he was set over them, because of a variance of his nature in the direction of superiority. And human governments experience such quickly-repeated revolutions for this very reason, that it is impracticable that those to whom nature has given equal rights should be excluded from power, but her impulse is instinct in all to make themselves equal with the dominant party, when all are of the same blood.

How, too, will it be true that “all things were made by Him,” if it is true that the Son Himself is one of the things made? Either He must have made Himself, for that text to be true, and so this unreasonableness which they have devised to harm our Faith will recoil with all its force upon themselves; or else, if this is absurdly unnatural, that affirmation that the whole creation was made by Him will be proved to have no ground to stand on. The withdrawal of one makes “all” a false statement. So that, from this definition of the Son as a created being, one of two vicious and absurd alternatives is inevitable; either that He is not the Author of all created things, seeing that He, who, they insist, is one of those works, must be withdrawn from the “all;” or else, that He is exhibited as the maker of Himself, seeing that the preaching that ‘without Him was not anything (made) that was made’ is not a lie. So much for their teaching.

Ἀκούσαντες τοίνυν ὅτι Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν, τό τε ἐξ αἰτίου τὸν κύριον καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἀπαράλλακτον τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς ἐπαιδεύθημεν, οὐκ εἰς μίαν ὑπόστασιν τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν ἔννοιαν συναλείφοντες, ἀλλὰ φυλάσσοντες μὲν διῃρημένην τὴν τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἰδιότητα, οὐ συνδιαιροῦντες δὲ τοῖς προσώποις τὴν τῆς οὐσίας ἑνότητα, ὡς ἂν μὴ δύο ἑτερογενῆ πράγματα ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς λόγῳ ὑπολαμβάνοιτο καὶ διὰ τούτου πάροδον λάβοι τῶν Μανιχαίων τὸ δόγμα. τὸ γὰρ κτιστὸν καὶ τὸ ἄκτιστον ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς ἄλληλα τὴν κατὰ τὸ σημαινόμενον ἐναντίωσιν ἔχει. εἰ οὖν τὰ δύο « ἐν » ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ταχθείη, κατὰ τὸ λεληθὸς ἡμῖν ὁ μανιχαϊσμὸς εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσφθαρήσεται. λέγω δὲ ταῦτα ζήλῳ τῶν ἐναντίων περιεργότερον κατεξετάζων τὸν λόγον. καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν ἴσως ἀντείποι μὴ ἐγγὺς τοῦ εἰκότος τὴν θεωρίαν προάγεσθαι, ὅτι δυνατοῦ ὄντος τοῦ κτιστοῦ κατὰ τὸ ἴσον τῷ ἀκτίστῳ ἀντιστήσεταί πως τὸ ἑτερογενὲς τῇ φύσει τῷ μὴ ὡσαύτως κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν ἔχοντι, καὶ ἕως ἂν μηθετέρῳ αὐτῶν ἐπιλίπῃ ἡ δύναμις, εἰς ἀσύμφωνόν τινα στάσιν πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ δύο διενεχθήσεται: πᾶσα γὰρ ἀνάγκη κατάλληλον εἶναι καὶ οἰκείαν ὁμολογεῖν τῇ φύσει καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν, καὶ εἰ ἀνομοίως ἔχοιεν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν, ἀνόμοια εἶναι καὶ τὰ θελήματα. τῆς δὲ δυνάμεως ἐφ' ἑκατέρων ἱκανῶς ἐχούσης, οὐθέτερον ἀτονήσει πρὸς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος: καὶ εἰ τοσοῦτον ἑκάτερον δύναιτο, ὅσον καὶ βούλεται, εἰς ἀμφήριστον ἑκατέροις ἡ ἀρχὴ καταστήσεται, τῷ ἀνενδεεῖ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς τὸ ἀντίπαλον προϊοῦσα. καὶ οὕτω τὸ τῶν Μανιχαίων δόγμα παρεισδύσεται, δύο τινῶν ἐναντίων ἀλλήλοις ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀντιφανέντων, τῷ διαλλάσσοντι τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως πρὸς τὸ ἀντικείμενον διατμηθέντων. καὶ γίνεται αὐτοῖς ἡ τῆς ἐλαττώσεως κατασκευὴ τῶν Μανιχαϊκῶν δογμάτων ἀρχή. τὸ γὰρ τῆς οὐσίας ἀσύμφωνον εἰς δύο ἀρχὰς περιΐστησι τὸ δόγμα, καθὼς ὁ λόγος ὑπέδειξε, τῷ κτιστῷ καὶ τῷ ἀκτίστῳ διῃρημένας.
Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἴσως βεβιασμένην ἔχοντα τὴν τοῦ ἀτόπου κατασκευὴν οἱ πολλοὶ αἰτιάσονται καὶ οὐδὲ γεγράφθαι τὸ παράπαν μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀξιώσουσιν. ἔστω ταῦτα: οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀντιλέγομεν. οὐδὲ γὰρ κατ' οἰκείαν ὁρμήν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ἀντιμαχομένους εἰς τὴν τοιαύτην περιεργίαν ἐκβαλεῖν τὸν λόγον ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας προήχθημεν. εἰ δὲ οὐ χρὴ ταῦτα λέγειν, πολὺ πρότερον σιωπᾶσθαι προσήκει τῶν ἐναντίων τὸν λόγον τὸν τῆς τοιαύτης ἀντιρρήσεως τὰς ἀφορμὰς παρεχόμενον. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἑτέρως ἐπισχεῖν τὸν τοῖς πονηροῖς ἀντιλέγοντα, μὴ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἐξελόντα τῆς ἀντιρρήσεως. πλὴν ἡδέως ἂν συμβουλεύσαιμι τοῖς οὕτω διακειμένοις μικρόν τι τῆς φιλονεικίας ἔξω γενέσθαι καὶ μὴ λίαν ἐκθύμως τῶν οἰκείων ὑπερμαχεῖν ὑπολήψεων, αἷς ἤδη προειλημμένοι τυγχάνουσι, μηδὲ πανταχόθεν ἀναζητεῖν, ὅπως ἂν τὸ πλέον ἔχοιεν τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων, ἀλλ' ὡς ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς ὄντος τοῦ δρόμου, μόνῳ τῷ συμφέροντι πείθεσθαι καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ διδόναι τὰ νικητήρια. εἰ τοίνυν τοῦ φιλονεικεῖν τις ἀποστὰς αὐτὸν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ διασκοποῖτο τὸν λόγον, οὐ χαλεπῶς εὑρήσει τὴν ἐμφαινομένην ἀτοπίαν τῷ δόγματι.
Ὑποθώμεθα γὰρ συγχωρεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῶν ὑπεναντίων τὴν « ἀγεννησίαν » οὐσίαν εἶναι καὶ πάλιν ὡσαύτως τὴν γέννησιν εἰς οὐσίαν ἀναλαμβάνεσθαι. οὐκοῦν εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς τῇ διανοίᾳ τῶν λεγομένων ἀκολουθήσειε, τὸ Μανιχαϊκὸν αὐτοῖς δόγμα διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης ἀναπλασθήσεται, εἴπερ κακοῦ πρὸς ἀγαθὸν καὶ φωτὸς πρὸς σκότος καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων κατὰ τὸ ἐναντίον τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἀντίθεσιν δογματίζειν τοῖς Μανιχαίοις δοκεῖ. καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα ἀληθῆ λέγω, ῥᾳδίως οἶμαι συνθήσεσθαι τὸν μὴ ῥᾳθύμως παραδραμόντα τὸν λόγον. οὑτωσὶ δὲ διασκεψώμεθα. ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὑποκειμένων προσφυῆ τινα πάντως ἐπιθεωρεῖται γνωρίσματα, δι' ὧν τὸ ἰδιάζον τῆς ὑποκειμένης ἐπιγινώσκεται φύσεως, εἴτε ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν ζῴων διαφορᾶς ἐξετάζοις τὸν λόγον εἴτε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. οὐ γὰρ τοῖς αὐτοῖς τὸ ξύλον καὶ τὸ ζῷον χαρακτηρίζεται, οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ζῴοις ἐπικοινωνεῖ τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γνωριστικὰ σημεῖα πρὸς τὴν ἄλογον φύσιν, οὐδ' αὖ πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ δείκνυσι τήν τε ζωὴν καὶ τὸν θάνατον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πάντων ἁπαξαπλῶς, καθὼς εἴρηται, ἄμικτός τίς ἐστι καὶ ἀκοινώνητος ἡ τῶν ὑποκειμένων διάκρισις, οὐδὲν τοῖς τῶν ἐπιθεωρουμένων γνωρίσμασι διά τινος κοινωνίας συγχεομένη. κατὰ τοίνυν τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ταύτην ἐξετασθήτω τῶν ὑπεναντίων ὁ λόγος. τὴν « ἀγεννησίαν » οὐσίαν φασὶ καὶ τὴν γέννησιν ὡσαύτως εἰς οὐσίαν ἀνάγουσιν. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἀνθρώπου καὶ λίθου ἕτερα καὶ οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ γνωρίσματα (οὐ γὰρ ἂν τὸν αὐτὸν ἀποδοίης ἑκατέρου λόγον ἐμψύχου τε καὶ ἀψύχου τὸ τί ἐστιν ὁριζόμενος), οὕτω πάντως ἄλλοις μὲν γνωρίζεσθαι τὸν ἀγέννητον σημείοις δώσουσιν, ἑτέροις δὲ τὸν γεννητόν. οὐκοῦν θεωρήσωμεν τὰ ἰδιάζοντα τοῦ ἀγεννήτου θεοῦ ὅσα εὐσεβῶς λέγειν τε καὶ νοεῖν παρὰ τῆς ἁγίας γραφῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν.
Τίνα οὖν ἔστι ταῦτα; οὐδένα οἶμαι τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι ἀγαθὸς ὅτι χρηστὸς ὅτι ἅγιος δίκαιός τε καὶ ὅσιος ἀόρατός τε καὶ ἀθάνατος, φθορᾶς τε καὶ τροπῆς καὶ ἀλλοιώσεως ἀνεπίδεκτος, δυνατὸς σοφὸς εὐεργέτης κύριος κριτὴς πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα. τί γὰρ δεῖ τοῖς ὁμολογουμένοις ἐνδιατρίβοντα παρατείνειν τὸν λόγον; εἰ οὖν ταῦτα ἐν τῇ ἀγεννήτῳ φύσει καταλαμβάνομεν, τὸ δὲ γεννηθῆναι τῷ μὴ γεννηθῆναι ὑπεναντίως ἔχει κατὰ τὴν ἔννοιαν, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα συνθέσθαι τοὺς τὴν ἀγεννησίαν καὶ τὴν γέννησιν οὐσίαν εἶναι ὁριζομένους κατὰ λόγον τῆς τοῦ γεννητοῦ πρὸς τὸ ἀγέννητον ἀντιθέσεως καὶ τὰ γνωριστικὰ σημεῖα τῆς γεννητῆς οὐσίας ὑπεναντίως ἔχειν τοῖς ἐπιθεωρουμένοις τῇ ἀγεννήτῳ φύσει. εἰ γὰρ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγοιεν, οὐκέτι τὸ ἑτεροῖον τῆς τῶν ὑποκειμένων φύσεως διὰ τῆς ταὐτότητος τῶν ἐπιθεωρουμένων συστήσεται. τῶν γὰρ ἑτεροίως ἐχόντων ἕτερα χρὴ πάντως εἶναι καὶ τὰ γνωρίσματα οἴεσθαι, ὅσα δὲ ὡσαύτως κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς οὐσίας ἔχει, τοῖς αὐτοῖς δηλαδὴ σημείοις χαρακτηρίζεται. εἰ μὲν οὖν τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ προσμαρτυροῦσιν, οὐδεμίαν, καθὼς εἴρηται, περὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον διαφορὰν ἐννοοῦσιν. εἰ δὲ τοῖς βλασφήμοις ἐπιμένοιεν λόγοις καὶ τὸ παρηλλαγμένον τῆς φύσεως ἐν τῇ διαφορᾷ τοῦ γεννητοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου κατασκευάζοιεν, εὔκολον συνιδεῖν πάντως τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἀναφαινόμενον, ὅτι, κατὰ τὴν τῶν ὀνομάτων ἀντίθεσιν καὶ τῆς φύσεως τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων σημαινομένων ὑπεναντίως ἔχειν πρὸς ἑαυτὴν νομισθείσης, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα καὶ τὰ ἐπιθεωρούμενα ἑκατέροις πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον διενεχθῆναι, ὥστε τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς λεγομένων τὰ ἀντικείμενα τῷ μονογενεῖ ἐφαρμόζεσθαι, θεότητος ἁγιασμοῦ ἀγαθότητος ἀφθαρσίας ἀϊδιότητος καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸν διὰ τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἡμῖν νοημάτων παρίστησιν: ὥστε πάντα τὰ ἀπεμφαίνοντα καὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ὑπειλημμένων ἀντιδιαστελλόμενα τῆς γεννητῆς ἴδια νομίζειν οὐσίας εἶναι.
Σαφηνείας δὲ χάριν προσδιατριπτέον ἡμῖν ἐστι τῷ τόπῳ. ὥσπερ τῷ θερμῷ καὶ τῷ ψυχρῷ ἐναντίοις οὖσι κατὰ τὴν φύσιν (ὑποκείσθω δὲ τῷ λόγῳ πῦρ τε καὶ κρύσταλλος, ἐκεῖνο ἑκάτερον ὂν ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστι τὸ ἕτερον) καὶ τὰ ἰδίως ἑκατέρῳ τούτων ἐπιφαινόμενα παρηλλαγμένως ἔχει πάντως πρὸς ἄλληλα (ἴδιον γὰρ τοῦ μὲν κρυστάλλου ἡ ψῦξις, τοῦ δὲ πυρὸς ἡ θερμότης), οὕτως εἴπερ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὀνόμασιν ἐναντίωσιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου καὶ γεννητοῦ καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν ὀνομάτων δηλουμένη φύσις πρὸς τὸ ἀντικείμενον διασταίη, οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὰς δυνάμεις τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ὑπεναντίων ὁμοίας ἀλλήλαις εἶναι, ὡς οὐκ ἐνδέχεται οὔτε ἐν πυρὶ τὴν ψύξιν οὔτε ἐν κρυστάλλῳ γενέσθαι τὴν πύρωσιν. εἰ οὖν ἐν τῇ ἀγεννήτῳ οὐσίᾳ ἡ ἀγαθότης νοεῖται, διέστηκε δέ, καθὼς ἐκεῖνοί φασιν, ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς φύσεως πρὸς τὴν γεννητὴν ἡ ἀγέννητος, συνδιαστήσεται πάντως καὶ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου τὸ ἴδιον ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὸ γεννητὸν ἰδιάζοντος: ὥστε εἰ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἐν τούτῳ νοεῖσθαι τὸ τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἀντικείμενον. καὶ οὕτως ἡμῖν διὰ τῶν σοφῶν τούτων δογματιστῶν πάλιν ὁ Μάνης ἀναβιώσεται, τὴν τῆς κακίας φύσιν ἀντιπαρεξάγων τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ τῇ τῶν οὐσιῶν ἑτερότητι δογματίζων τὸ ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν αὐτῶν ἀντικείμενον.
Εἰ δὲ χρὴ μηδὲν ὑποστειλάμενον μετὰ παρρησίας εἰπεῖν, συγγνωστότερος τούτων ὁ Μάνης εἰκότως ἂν εἶναι νομίζοιτο, ὃν πρῶτόν φασι τοῖς δόγμασι τῶν Μανιχαίων ἐπιτολμήσαντα ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ κατονομάσαι τὴν αἵρεσιν. λέγω δὲ ταῦτα, ὡς ἂν εἴ τις ἐχίδνης καὶ ἀσπίδος τὴν φιλανθρωποτέραν ἐκλέγοιτο: πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδή ἐστι καὶ ἐν θηρίοις τοῦ χείρονος κρίσις, οὐχὶ τούτων ἐκείνους ἀνεκτοτέρους εἶναι δοκιμαζόμενα τὰ δόγματα δείκνυσιν; ὁ μὲν γὰρ συναγορεύειν ᾤετο τῷ τῶν ἀγαθῶν αἰτίῳ, ὡς οὐδεμιᾶς κακῶν αἰτίας ἀπ' ἐκείνου τὴν ἀρχὴν λαβούσης, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰς ἑτέραν ἀρχὴν ἰδιάζουσαν τῶν πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἀριθμουμένων πάντων τὴν αἰτίαν ἀνῆψεν οἷον ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ὡς οὐκ εὐαγὲς ὂν τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν πηγὴν καὶ τῶν παρὰ λόγον πλημμελουμένων ἐπαιτιᾶσθαι, οὐ συνιεὶς ὑπὸ μικροψυχίας, ὅτι δυνατὸν ἦν μήτε κακῶν δημιουργὸν τὸν θεὸν οἴεσθαι μήτε ἄλλο τι ἄναρχον παρὰ τὸν θεὸν φαντασθῆναι. περὶ ὧν πολὺς ὁ λόγος καὶ οὐ τοῦ παρόντος ἂν εἴη καιροῦ. καὶ οὗ χάριν τῶν εἰρημένων ἐμνήσθημεν, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἀφιστᾶν ᾤετο δεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τὴν τῆς κακίας ἀρχήν, οὗτοι δὲ κἀκείνων χαλεπωτέραν κατασκευάζουσι τὴν ἔκτοπον ταύτην κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ βλασφημίαν. τῶν μὲν γὰρ κακῶν τὴν φύσιν παραπλησίως ἐκείνοις διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν ἐναντιότητος δογματίζουσιν [ὃν υἱὸν ὀνομάζουσιν:] ἐν ᾧ δὲ πάλιν τοῦ τοιούτου πλάσματος τὸν θεὸν τῶν ὅλων δημιουργὸν ἀποφαίνονται, παρ' οὗ φασι τὴν « γέννησιν » ἐργασθεῖσαν οὐσίαν ἀλλοτρίως ἔχειν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν πρὸς τὸν ποιήσαντα, ἐν τούτῳ τὸ πλέον εἰς ἀσέβειαν παρὰ τοὺς μνημονευθέντας ἔχουσιν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ὑπόστασιν διδόασι τῷ ἐναντίως πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἔχοντι, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸν ἀγαθὸν θεὸν ἄλλου θεοῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν διηλλαγμένου λέγουσιν αἴτιον εἶναι, μονονουχὶ φανερῶς βοῶντες ἐν τῷ δόγματι, ὅτι ἔστι τι ὑπεναντίον τῇ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ φύσει, παρ' αὐτοῦ ἔχον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τὴν ὑπόστασιν. τῆς γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίας ἀγαθῆς εἶναι πεπιστευμένης, τῆς δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ διὰ τὸ μὴ ὡσαύτως ἔχειν τῷ πατρὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς φύσεως λόγον, καθὼς δοκεῖ τῇ αἱρέσει, ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον εὑρισκομένης, τί διὰ τούτων κατασκευάζεται; τὸ καὶ ὑφεστάναι τὸ τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἀντικείμενον καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ὑποστῆναι τὸ ὑπεναντίον τῇ φύσει. τοῦτό φημι καὶ τῆς τῶν Μανιχαίων ἀτοπίας εἶναι φρικτότερον.
Εἰ δὲ ἀρνοῦνται τῷ λόγῳ τὸ βλάσφημον, ὅπερ ἡ ἀκολουθία τοῦ δόγματος δείκνυσι, φασὶ δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ κεκληρονομηκέναι, μὴ υἱὸν ἀληθῶς ὄντα κατὰ τὴν τῶν εὐσεβῶν δόξαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ κτίσεως τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔχοντα, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν κατεξετάσωμεν, εἰ δυνατόν ἐστι συστῆναι κατὰ τὸν εἰκότα λόγον τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόνοιαν. ἐὰν γὰρ δοθῇ κατὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτὼν μὴ ἀληθῶς υἱὸν ὄντα κεκληρονομηκέναι τῶν πάντων τὸν κύριον, ἀλλὰ κτισθέντα καὶ ποιηθέντα τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἄρχειν, πῶς καταδέξεται καὶ οὐ συστασιάσει ἡ λοιπὴ κτίσις ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοφύλου πρὸς τὸ ὑποχείριον ἀπωσθεῖσα, εἰ μηδὲν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἔλαττον ἔχουσα (κτιστὴ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴ ὥσπερ κἀκεῖνος) ἔπειτα τῷ ὁμοφύλῳ δουλεύειν καὶ ὑποκύπτειν καταδικάζοιτο; τυραννίδι γὰρ ὅμοιον τὸ τοιοῦτο, μὴ τῇ τῆς οὐσίας ὑπεροχῇ τὸ κράτος νέμειν, ἀλλὰ μενούσης ἐν τῷ ὁμοτίμῳ τῆς φύσεως μερισθῆναι τὴν κτίσιν εἰς δουλείαν καὶ κυριότητα, ὥστε ἐν αὐτῇ τὸ μέν τι ἄρχειν, τὸ δὲ ὑποχείριον εἶναι, καθάπερ ἐκ διακληρώσεως τούτου τοῦ ἀξιώματος συντυχικῶς προσγενομένου τῷ κατὰ τὸν κλῆρον λαβόντι τὴν τῶν ὁμοίων προτίμησιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ὁμοτίμως ἔχων πρὸς τὴν ὑποχείριον φύσιν τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ἀρχὴν ἐκληρώσατο, ἀλλὰ προτερεύων τῷ λόγῳ κυριεύει τῶν ἄλλων, τῷ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον αὐτῷ παρηλλάχθαι τὴν φύσιν προτεταγμένος. αἱ δὲ ἀνθρώπιναι δυναστεῖαι τούτου χάριν ἀγχιστρόφους ἔχουσι τὰς μεταβολάς, ὅτι οὐ δέχεται τὸ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ὁμότιμον μὴ ἰσομοιρεῖν [ἐν] τῷ κρείττονι, ἀλλά τις ἔγκειται φυσικὴ πᾶσιν ἐπιθυμία πρὸς τὸ ἐπικρατοῦν ἐξισάζεσθαι, ὅταν ὁμόφυλον ᾖ. πῶς δὲ ἀληθὲς ἔσται τὸ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι, ἐὰν ἀληθὲς ᾖ τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν νὸν υἱὸν ἕν τι τῶν γεγονότων εἶναι; ἤτοι γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὸν πεποιηκὼς ἔσται, ἵνα μὴ ψεῦδος τὸ γεγραμμένον ᾖ ὅτι Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ οὕτω κατ' αὐτῶν ἰσχύσει τὸ ἄτοπον ὃ κατὰ τοῦ δόγματος ἡμῶν ἐσοφίσαντο τὸ αὐτὸν ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι λέγειν, ἢ εἴπερ τοῦτο παράλογον καὶ φύσιν οὐκ ἔχον, ἀσύστατον πάντως ἐκεῖνο δειχθήσεται, τὸ τὴν κτίσιν πᾶσαν δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι διϊσχυρίζεσθαι. ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ἑνὸς ὑπεξαίρεσις ψευδῆ τὸν περὶ πάντων κατασκευάζει λόγον, ὥστε ἐκ μὲν τοῦ κτιστὸν εἶναι τὸν μονογενῆ διορίζεσθαι δύο πονηρῶν καὶ ἀτόπων τὸ ἕτερον πάντως ὁ λόγος οὐ διαφεύξεται, ἢ τὸ μὴ εἶναι πάντων αὐτὸν τῶν γεγονότων αἴτιον, εἴπερ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ὑπεξαιροῖτο τῶν πάντων, ὃν ἓν τῶν ἔργων διϊσχυρίζονται, ἢ τὸ καὶ ἑαυτοῦ ποιητὴν ἀποδείκνυσθαι, εἴπερ μὴ ψεύδεται ὁ μηδὲν τῶν γεγονότων χωρὶς ἐκείνου γεγενῆσθαι κηρύξας.