[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

§2. He then explains the phrase of S. Peter, “Him God made Lord and Christ.” And herein he sets forth the opposing statement of Eunomius, which he made on account of such phrase against S. Basil, and his lurking revilings and insults.

Now that we have had presented to us this preliminary view of existences, it may be opportune to examine the passage before us. It is said, then, by Peter to the Jews, “Him God made Lord and Christ, this Jesus Whom ye crucified642    Cf. Col. i. 15Πρωτότοκος may be, as it is in the Authorized Version, translated either by “first born,” or by “first-begotten.” Compare with this passage Book II. §8, where the use of the word in Holy Scripture is discussed.    Acts ii. 36.    The passage in S. Peter’s speech (Acts ii. 36) discussed in the preceding book.,” while on our part it is said that it is not pious to refer the word “made” to the Divine Nature of the Only-begotten, but that it is to be referred to that “form of a servant643    Cf. Col. i. 15    Phil. ii. 7.    Cf. Gal. i. 8, 9,” which came into being by the Incarnation644    Rom. viii. 29.    οἰκονομικῶς γενομένην    1 Cor. i. 13., in the due time of His appearing in the flesh; and, on the other hand, those who press the phrase the contrary way say that in the word “made” the Apostle indicates the pretemporal generation of the Son. We shall, therefore, set forth the passage in the midst, and after a detailed examination of both the suppositions, leave the judgment of the truth to our reader. Of our adversaries’ view Eunomius himself may be a sufficient advocate, for he contends gallantly on the matter, so that in going through his argument word by word we shall completely follow out the reasoning of those who strive against us: and we ourselves will act as champion of the doctrine on our side as best we may, following so far as we are able the line of the argument previously set forth by the great Basil. But do you, who by your reading act as judges in the cause, “execute true judgment,” as one of the prophets645    Col. i. 18.    Zech. vii. 9.    The sense of this passage is rather obscure. S. Gregory intends, it would seem, to point out that, although an acknowledgment that the suffering Christ was more than man may seem at first sight to support the Eunomian view of the passibility of the Godhead of the Son, this is not its necessary effect. Apparently either οὐ μὴν must be taken as equivalent to οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ, or a clause such as that expressed in the translation must be supplied before τοῖς μὲν γὰρ κ.τ.λ. says, not awarding the victory to contentious preconceptions, but to the truth as it is manifested by examination. And now let the accuser of our doctrines come forward, and read his indictment, as in a court of law.

“In addition, moreover, to what we have mentioned, by his refusal to take the word ‘made’ as referring to the essence of the Son, and withal by his being ashamed of the Cross, he ascribes to the Apostles what no one even of those who have done their best to speak ill of them on the score of stupidity, lays to their charge; and at the same time he clearly introduces, by his doctrines and arguments, two Christs and two Lords; for he says that it was not the Word Who was in the beginning Whom God made Lord and Christ, but He Who ‘emptied Himself to take the form of a servant646    Cf. Heb. i. 6    Cf. Phil. ii. 7    Altering Oehler’s punctuation, which here follows that of the earlier editions.,’ and ‘was crucified through weakness647    Ps. xcviii. 10.    Cf. 2 Cor. xiii. 4.    Cf. S. John i. 1.’ At all events the great Basil writes expressly as follows648    Cf. Phil. ii. 10    The quotations are from S. Basil c. Eunomius II. 3. (pp. 239–40 in the Benedictine edition.)    Cf. Bar. iii. 37:—‘Nor, moreover, is it the intention of the Apostle to present to us that existence of the Only-begotten which was before the ages (which is now the subject of our argument), for he clearly speaks, not of the very essence of God the Word, Who was in the beginning with God, but of Him Who emptied Himself to take the form of a servant, and became conformable to the body of our humiliation649    Oehler’s punctuation, which is probably due to a printer’s error, is here a good deal altered.    Cf. Phil. iii. 21.    Rom. viii. 32., and was crucified through weakness.’ And again, ‘This is known to any one who even in a small degree applies his mind to the meaning of the Apostle’s words, that he is not setting forth to us the mode of the Divine existence, but is introducing the terms which belong to the Incarnation; for he says, Him God made Lord and Christ, this Jesus Whom ye crucified, evidently laying stress by the demonstrative word on that in Him which was human and was seen by all650    Cf. Rom. viii. 19–23.    The latter part of the quotation from S. Basil does not exactly agree with the Benedictine text, but the variations are not material.    Cf. Rom. viii. 3.’

“This, then, is what the man has to say who substitutes,—for we may not speak of it as ‘application,’ lest any one should blame for such madness men holy and chosen for the preaching of godliness, so as to reproach their doctrine with a fall into such extravagance,—who substitutes his own mind651    This interpretation is of course common to many of the Fathers, though S. Augustine, for instance, explains the “ninety and nine” otherwise, and his explanation has been often followed by modern writers and preachers. The present interpretation is assumed in a prayer, no doubt of great antiquity, which is found in the Liturgy of S. James, both in the Greek and the Syriac version, and also in the Greek form of the Coptic Liturgy of S. Basil, where it is said to be “from the Liturgy of S. James.”    Reading ἑαυτοῦ for the ἑαυτῶν of Oehler’s text, for which no authority is alleged by the editor, and which is probably a mere misprint.    1 Cor. xv. 21. for the intention of the Apostles! With what confusion are they not filled, who refer their own nonsense to the memory of the saints! With what absurdity do they not abound, who imagine that the man ‘emptied himself’ to become man, and who maintain that He Who by obedience ‘humbled himself’ to take the form of a servant was made conformable to men even before He took that form upon Him! Who, pray, ye most reckless of men, when he has the form of a servant, takes the form of a servant? and how can any one ‘empty himself’ to become the very thing which he is? You will find no contrivance to meet this, bold as you are in saying or thinking things uncontrivable. Are you not verily of all men most miserable, who suppose that a man has suffered death for all men, and ascribe your own redemption to him? For if it is not of the Word Who was in the beginning and was God that the blessed Peter speaks, but of him who was ‘seen,’ and who ‘emptied Himself,’ as Basil says, and if the man who was seen ‘emptied Himself’ to take ‘the form of a servant,’ and He Who ‘emptied Himself’ to take ‘the form of a servant,’ emptied Himself to come into being as man, then the man who was seen emptied himself to come into being as man652    Acts ii. 24.    The argument here takes the form of a reductio ad absurdum; assuming that S. Peter’s reference is to the “visible man,” and bearing in mind S. Basil’s words that S. Peter refers to Him Who “emptied Himself,” it is said “then it was the ‘visible man’ who ‘emptied himself.’ But the purpose of that ‘emptying’ was the ‘taking the form of a servant,’ which again is the coming into being as man: therefore the ‘visible man’ ‘emptied himself,’ to come into being as man, which is absurd.” The wording of S. Basil’s statement makes the argument in a certain degree plausible;—if he had said that S. Peter referred to the Son, not in regard to his actual essence, but in regard to the fact that He “emptied Himself” to become man, and as so having “emptied Himself” (which is no doubt what he intended his words to mean), then the reductio ad absurdum would not apply; nor would the later arguments, by which Eunomius proceeds to prove that He Who “emptied Himself” was no mere man, but the Word Who was in the beginning, have any force as against S. Basil’s statement.    Cf. Rom. viii. 3. The very nature of things is repugnant to this; and it is expressly contradicted by that writer653    See Book II. §§4 and 8, and note on the former passage.    S. John i. 1 sqq.    2 Cor. xiii. 4. who celebrates this dispensation in his discourse concerning the Divine Nature, when he says not that the man who was seen, but that the Word Who was in the beginning and was God took upon Him flesh, which is equivalent in other words to taking ‘the form of a servant.’ If, then, you hold that these things are to be believed, depart from your error, and cease to believe that the man ‘emptied himself’ to become man. And if you are not able to persuade those who will not be persuaded, destroy their incredulity by another saying, a second decision against them. Remember him who says, ‘Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.’ There is none among men who will appropriate this phrase to himself. None of the saints that ever lived was the Only-begotten God and became man:—for that is what it means to ‘take the form of a servant,’ ‘being in the form of God.’ If, then, the blessed Peter speaks of Him Who ‘emptied Himself’ to ‘take the form of a servant,’ and if He Who was ‘in the form of God’ did ‘empty Himself’ to ‘take the form of a servant,’ and if He Who in the beginning was God, being the Word and the Only-begotten God, is He Who was ‘in the form of God,’ then the blessed Peter speaks to us of Him Who was in the beginning and was God, and expounds to us that it was He Who became Lord and Christ. This, then, is the conflict which Basil wages against himself, and he clearly appears neither to have ‘applied his own mind to the intention of the Apostles’, nor to be able to preserve the sequence of his own arguments; for, according to them, he must, if he is conscious of their irreconcilable character, admit that the Word Who was in the beginning and was God became Lord; or if he tries to fit together statements that are mutually conflicting, and contentiously stands by them, he will add to them others yet more hostile, and maintain that there are two Christs and two Lords. For if the Word that was in the beginning and was God be one, and He Who ‘emptied Himself’ and ‘took the form of a servant’ be another, and if God the Word, by Whom are all things, be Lord, and this Jesus, Who was crucified after all things had come into being, be Lord also, there are, according to his view, two Lords and Christs. Our author, then, cannot by any argument clear himself from this manifest blasphemy. But if any one were to say in support of him that the Word Who was in the beginning is indeed the same Who became Lord, but that He became Lord and Christ in respect of His presence in the flesh, He will surely be constrained to say that the Son was not Lord before His presence in the flesh. At all events, even if Basil and his faithless followers falsely proclaim two Lords and two Christs, for us there is one Lord and Christ, by Whom all things were made, not becoming Lord by way of promotion, but existing before all creation and before all ages, the Lord Jesus, by Whom are all things, while all the saints with one harmonious voice teach us this truth and proclaim it as the most excellent of doctrines. Here the blessed John teaches us that God the Word, by Whom all things were made, has become incarnate, saying, ‘And the Word was made flesh654    With this passage may be compared the parallel passage in Bk. II. §8. The interpretation of the “many brethren” of those baptized suggests that Gregory understood the “predestination” spoken of in Rom. viii. 29 to be predestination to baptism.    S. John i. 14    Rom. vi. 10.’; here the most admirable Paul, urging those who attend to him to humility, speaks of Christ Jesus, Who was in the form of God, and emptied Himself to take the form of a servant, and was humbled to death, even the death of the Cross655    Cf. Col. iii. 9, and Eph. iv. 24.    Cf. Phil. ii. 7, 8.    2 Cor. v. 21.; and again in another passage calls Him Who was crucified ‘the Lord of Glory’: ‘for had they known it,’ he says, ‘they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory656    Cf. 2 Cor. v. 17    1 Cor. ii. 8.’. Indeed, he speaks far more openly than this of the very essential nature by the name of ‘Lord,’ where he says, ‘Now the Lord is the Spirit657    Rom. xiv. 9.    2 Cor. iii. 17.’. If, then, the Word Who was in the beginning, in that He is Spirit, is Lord, and the Lord of glory, and if God made Him Lord and Christ, it was the very Spirit and God the Word that God so made, and not some other Lord Whom Basil dreams about.”

Ταύτης τοίνυν προεκτεθείσης ἡμῖν τῆς περὶ τῶν ὄντων θεωρίας, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη τὸν προκείμενον ἐξετάσαι λόγον. οὐκοῦν εἴρηται μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Πέτρου πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ὅτι Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε. λέγεται δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν οὐ πρὸς τὸ θεῖον τοῦ μονογενοῦς εὐσεβὲς εἶναι τὸ Ἐποίησεν ἀναφέρειν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν τὴν κατὰ καιρὸν τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ παρουσίας οἰκονομικῶς γενομένην. οἱ δὲ πρὸς τοὐναντίον τὸν λόγον βιαζόμενοι τὴν προαιώνιον τοῦ υἱοῦ γέννησιν τῇ Ἐποίησεν φωνῇ παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου διασημαίνεσθαι λέγουσι. προθέντες τοίνυν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τὸν λόγον καὶ δι' ἀκριβείας ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ὑπολήψεις ἐπισκεψάμενοι τῷ ἀκροατῇ τὴν κρίσιν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς καταλείψομεν. ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν τῶν ἐναντίων διανοίας ἱκανὸς ἂν εἴη συνήγορος αὐτὸς ὁ Εὐνόμιος οὐκ ἀγεννῶς ἐν τούτοις ἀγωνισάμενος, ὥστε τὸν ἐκείνου λόγον ἐπὶ λέξεως διεξελθόντες ἐντελῶς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν μαχομένων ἡμῖν λόγον διελευσόμεθα: τοῦ δὲ καθ' ἡμᾶς δόγματος ἡμεῖς κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν προστησόμεθα, τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου προεκτεθεῖσιν ὅπως ἂν οἷοί τε ὦμεν κατ' ἴχνος ἑπόμενοι. οἱ δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ διὰ τῆς ἀναγνώσεως δικάζοντες, καθώς φησί τις τῶν προφητῶν, Κρίμα δίκαιον κρίνατε, μὴ ταῖς φιλονείκοις προλήψεσιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ δεικνυμένῃ διὰ τῆς ἐξετάσεως ἀληθείᾳ δόντες τὰ νικητήρια. καὶ παρίτω γε πρῶτος ὁ τῶν ἡμετέρων κατήγορος, ὥσπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ τὰ γεγραμμένα λέγων.
« Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τὸ Ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ υἱοῦ λαβεῖν παραιτούμενος ὁμοῦ τε τῷ σταυρῷ ἐπαισχυνόμενος τίθησι μὲν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἃ μηδεὶς μηδὲ τῶν εἰς σκαιὰ βλασφημεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐσπουδακότων, δύο δὲ σαφῶς Χριστοὺς καὶ δύο κυρίους ἐπεισάγει τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δόγμασι καὶ λόγοις: φησὶ γὰρ ὡς οὐ τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντα λόγον κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κενώσαντα ἑαυτὸν εἰς μορφὴν δούλου καὶ σταυρωθέντα ἐξ ἀσθενείας. γράφει δὲ διαρρήδην οὕτως: »ἔτι δὲ „οὐδὲ ἡ τοῦ ἀποστόλου διάνοια τὴν πρὸ αἰ”ῶνος ὑπόστασιν τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἡμῖν παρί„στησι, περὶ ἧς ὁ λόγος ἐν τῷ παρόντι: οὐ γὰρ ”περὶ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῆς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τοῦ ἐν „ἀρχῇ ὄντος πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ ”κενώσαντος ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ „καὶ γενομένου συμμόρφου τῷ σώματι τῆς τα”πεινώσεως ἡμῶν καὶ σταυρωθέντος ἐξ ἀσθε„νείας σαφῶς διαλέγεται. καίτοι τοῦτο παντὶ ”γνώριμον τῷ καὶ μικρὸν ἐπιστήσαντι τῆς ἀποστο„λικῆς λέξεως τῷ βουλήματι, ὅτι οὐχὶ θεολογίας ”ἡμῖν παραδίδωσι τρόπον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τῆς οἰκονο„μίας λόγους παρεισάγει. Κύριον γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησί, ”καὶ Χριστὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησε, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν „ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, τῇ δεικτικῇ φωνῇ πρὸς τὸ ”ἀνθρώπινον αὐτοῦ καὶ βλεπόμενον πᾶσι προδή„λως ἐπερειδόμενος.„ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ τῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων βουλήματι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν ὑπαλλάξας, οὐ γὰρ δὴ θέμις εἰπεῖν ἐπιστήσας: μή ποτέ τις τοσαύτην καταψηφίσαιτο παράνοιαν ἀνδρῶν ὁσίων καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας κήρυγμα λογάδων, ὥστε τὴν ἐκείνων διδασκαλίαν εἰς τοσαύτην ὑπερβολὴν † ἀπολείπουσαν εἰς ὕβριν ***. οἱ τὸν ἑαυτῶν λῆρον εἰς τὴν τῶν ὁσίων μνήμην ἀναφέροντες ποίας οὐ μεστοὶ ταραχῆς; ποίας οὐκ ἀτοπίας γέμοντες οἱ τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς ἄνθρωπον κεκενῶσθαι δοξάζοντες καὶ διὰ τούτου τὸν ἐξ ὑπακοῆς ἑαυτὸν ταπεινώσαντα τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ σύμμορφον εἶναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ πρὶν ταύτην ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν μορφὴν κατασκευάζοντες; καὶ τίς, ὦ πάντων ὑμεῖς ῥᾳθυμότατοι, μορφὴν ἔχων δούλου μορφὴν ἀναλαμβάνει δούλου; πῶς δ' ἄν τις ἑαυτὸν εἰς τοῦτο κενώσειεν ὅπερ ἐστίν; οὐ μὲν οὖν εὑρήσετε τούτων τινὰ μηχανὴν καίπερ ὄντες τολμηροὶ λέγειν καὶ φρονεῖν ἀμήχανα. πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἐλεεινότατοι πάντων ὑμεῖς ἄνθρωπον ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων πεπονθέναι δοξάζοντες καὶ τούτῳ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀνατιθέντες λύτρωσιν; εἰ γὰρ μὴ περὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντος λόγου καὶ θεοῦ ὄντος ὁ μακάριος διαλέγεται Πέτρος, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ βλεπομένου καὶ κενώσαντος ἑαυτόν, καθώς φησι Βασίλειος, ἐκένωσεν δὲ ὁ βλεπόμενος ἄνθρωπος ἑαυτὸν εἰς δούλου μορφήν, ὁ δὲ κενώσας ἑαυτὸν εἰς δούλου μορφὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπου γένεσιν ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτόν, ὁ βλεπόμενος ἄνθρωπος εἰς ἀνθρώπου γένεσιν ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτόν. ἀλλ' ἀντιμάχεται μὲν τούτοις καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φύσις, ἀντιφθέγγεται δὲ περιφανῶς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τῇ θεολογίᾳ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταύτην ὑμνήσας, οὐ τὸν βλεπόμενον ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντα λόγον καὶ θεὸν ὄντα σάρκα ἀνειληφέναι λέγων, ὅπερ ἄλλαις φωναῖς ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ μορφὴν δούλου λαβεῖν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα νομίζετε πιστά, μετάθεσθε τοῦ πλάνου, παύσασθε τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς ἄνθρωπον κεκενῶσθαι δοξάζοντες. εἰ δὲ οὐχ ἱκανοί ἐστε πείθειν ἀπείστους, ἑτέρᾳ φωνῇ καὶ δευτέρᾳ ψήφῳ τὴν ἀπιστίαν λύσατε. ὑπομνήσθητε τοῦ φήσαντος Ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβών. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπων οὐδεὶς ὃς τοῦτον οἰκειώσεται τὸν λόγον. οὐδεὶς τῶν πώποτε γενομένων ἁγίων μονογενὴς ἦν θεός, γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος. τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ τυγχάνοντα μορφὴν δούλου λαβεῖν. εἰ τοίνυν περὶ τοῦ κενώσαντος ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν ὁ μακάριος διαλέγεται Πέτρος, ἐκένωσεν δὲ ἑαυτὸν εἰς δούλου μορφὴν ὁ ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, ὁ δὲ ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὢν λόγος καὶ θεὸς ὢν μονογενής, περὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντος καὶ θεοῦ ὄντος ὁ μακάριος διαλέγεται Πέτρος, καὶ τοῦτον ἐκδιδάσκει γεγονέναι κύριον καὶ Χριστόν. ταύτην μέντοι τὴν μάχην αὐτὸς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀναστρέφει Βασίλειος καὶ δείκνυται σαφῶς οὔτε τῷ βουλήματι τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν ἐπιστήσας οὔτε τῶν οἰκείων λόγων φυλάττων τὴν ἀκολουθίαν: ἐξ ὧν ἢ συναισθόμενος τῆς ἀνωμαλίας συγχωρήσει τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντα λόγον καὶ θεὸν ὄντα γεγονέναι κύριον, ἢ μαχομένοις μαχόμενα συνάπτων καὶ τούτοις παραμένων φιλονείκως ἕτερα προσθήσει πολεμιώτερα, δύο κατασκευάζων εἶναι Χριστοὺς καὶ δύο κυρίους. εἰ γὰρ ἕτερος μὲν ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὢν θεὸς λόγος, ἕτερος δὲ ὁ κενώσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, κύριος δὲ καὶ ὁ θεὸς λόγος δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα, κύριος δὲ καὶ Χριστὸς οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ σταυρωθεὶς μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὰ πάντα, δύο κατ' αὐτὸν κύριοι καὶ Χριστοί. τοῦτον μὲν οὖν οὐδεὶς παραιτήσεται λόγος τῆς οὕτως περιφανοῦς βλασφημίας. εἰ δέ τις τούτῳ συνιστάμενος φαίη τὸν αὐτὸν μὲν εἶναι τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ λόγον καὶ γενόμενον κύριον, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν σαρκὶ παρουσίαν γεγενῆσθαι κύριον καὶ Χριστόν, ἀναγκασθήσεται πάντως εἰπεῖν πρὸ τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ παρουσίας μὴ εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν κύριον. ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰ καὶ Βασιλείῳ καὶ τοῖς κατ' αὐτὸν ἀπίστοις δύο κύριοι καὶ Χριστοὶ καταγγέλλονται ψευδῶς, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν γε εἷς κύριος καὶ Χριστὸς δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα γέγονεν, οὐ κατὰ προκοπὴν γενόμενος κύριος, ἀλλὰ πρὸ πάσης κτίσεως καὶ πρὸ πάντων αἰώνων ὑποστὰς κύριος Ἰησοῦς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα, τοῦτο πάντων ἡμᾶς τῶν ἁγίων συμφώνως ἐκδιδασκόντων καὶ καταγγειλάντων τῶν δογμάτων τὸ κάλλιστον. ὅ τε γὰρ μακάριος Ἰωάννης τὸν θεὸν λόγον δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα γέγονεν ἐν σαρκὶ γεγενῆσθαι διδάσκει λέγων Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ὅ τε θαυμασιώτατος Παῦλος εἰς ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐνάγων τοὺς προσέχοντας αὐτῷ τὸν νοῦν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν λέγει τὸν ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ κενώσαντα ἑαυτὸν εἰς δούλου μορφὴν καὶ ταπεινωθέντα μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ, καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἑτέροις κύριον τῆς δόξης ὀνομάζει τὸν σταυρωθέντα. Εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, φησίν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν. καὶ πολύ γε τούτου γυμνότερον αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν ὀνομάζει κύριον εἰπὼν Ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν. εἰ τοίνυν ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ λόγος, καθὸ πνεῦμα, κύριος καὶ τῆς δόξης κύριος, τοῦτον δὲ τὸν κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸν θεὸν λόγον ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ οὐκ ἄλλον τινὰ κύριον, ὃν ὀνειροπολεῖ Βασίλειος”.