[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

§3. He then gives a notable explanation of the saying of the Lord to Philip, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father;” and herein he excellently discusses the suffering of the Lord in His love to man, and the impassibility, creative power, and providence of the Father, and the composite nature of men, and their resolution into the elements of which they were composed.

Sufficient defence has been offered on these points, and as for that which Eunomius says by way of calumny against our doctrine, that “Christ was emptied to become Himself” there has been sufficient discussion in what has been said above, where he has been shown to be attributing to our doctrine his own blasphemy.726    See above, Book V. §4. For it is not one who confesses that the immutable Nature has put on the created and perishable, who speaks of the transition from like to like, but one who conceives that there is no change from the majesty of Nature to that which is more lowly. For if, as their doctrine asserts, He is created, and man is created also, the wonder of the doctrine disappears, and there is nothing marvellous in what is alleged, since the created nature comes to be in itself727    That is, in a nature created like itself.. But we who have learnt from prophecy of “the change of the right hand of the Most High728    Ps. lxxvii. 10 (LXX.). This application of the passage is also made by Michael Ayguan (the “Doctor Incognitus”), who is the only commentator mentioned by Neale and Littledale as so interpreting the text.,”—and by the “Right Hand” of the Father we understand that Power of God, which made all things, which is the Lord (not in the sense of depending upon Him as a part upon a whole, but as being indeed from Him, and yet contemplated in individual existence),—say thus: that neither does the Right Hand vary from Him Whose Right Hand It is, in regard to the idea of Its Nature, nor can any other change in It be spoken of besides the dispensation of the Flesh. For verily the Right Hand of God was God Himself; manifested in the flesh, seen through that same flesh by those whose sight was clear; as He did the work of the Father, being, both in fact and in thought, the Right Hand of God, yet being changed, in respect of the veil of the flesh by which He was surrounded, as regarded that which was seen, from that which He was by Nature, as a subject of contemplation. Therefore He says to Philip, who was gazing only at that which was changed, “Look through that which is changed to that which is unchangeable, and if thou seest this, thou hast seen that Father Himself, Whom thou seekest to see; for he that hath seen Me—not Him Who appears in a state of change, but My very self, Who am in the Father—will have seen that Father Himself in Whom I am, because the very same character of Godhead is beheld in both729    Cf. S. John xiv. 9, 10..” If, then, we believe that the immortal and impassible and uncreated Nature came to be in the passible Nature of the creature, and conceive the “change” to consist in this, on what grounds are we charged with saying that He “was emptied to become Himself,” by those who keep prating their own statements about our doctrines? For the participation of the created with the created is no “change of the Right Hand.” To say that the Right Hand of the uncreated Nature is created belongs to Eunomius alone, and to those who adopt such opinions as he holds. For the man with an eye that looks on the truth will discern the Right Hand of the Highest to be such as he sees the Highest to be,—Uncreated of Uncreated, Good of Good, Eternal of Eternal without prejudice to Its eternity by Its being in the Father by way of generation. Thus our accuser has unawares been employing against us reproaches that properly fall upon himself.

But with reference730    Oehler’s punctuation, while it does not exactly follow that of the earlier editions, still seems to admit of emendation here. to those who stumble at the idea of “passion,” and on this ground maintain the diversity of the Essences,—arguing that the Father, by reason of the exaltation of His Nature, does not admit passion, and that the Son on the other hand condescended, by reason of defect and divergence, to the partaking of His sufferings,—I wish to add these remarks to what has been already said:—That nothing is truly “passion” which does not tend to sin, nor would one strictly call by the name of “passion” the necessary routine of nature, regarding the composite nature as it goes on its course in a kind of order and sequence. For the mutual concurrence of heterogeneous elements in the formation of our body is a kind of a combination harmoniously conjoined out of several dissimilar elements; but when, at the due time, the tie is loosed which bound together this concurrence of the elements, the combined nature is once more dissolved into the elements of which it was composed. This then is rather a work than a passion of the nature731    The word πάθος, like the English word “passion,” has a double sense: in one sense it connotes a tendency to evil action or evil habit—and in this sense Christ was not subject to passion. In another sense it has no such connotation, and it is in this sense (a sense, Gregory would say, somewhat inexact), that the term is used to express the sufferings of Christ:—to this case, it may be said, the inexact use of the English word is for the most part restricted.. For we give the name of “passion” only to that which is opposed to the virtuous unimpassioned state and of this we believe that He Who granted us salvation was at all times devoid, Who “was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin732    Heb. iv. 15..” Of that, at least, which is truly passion, which is a diseased condition of the will, He was not a partaker; for it says “He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth733    1 Pet. ii. 22.”; but the peculiar attributes of our nature, which, by a kind of customary abuse of terms, are called by the same name of “passion,”—of these, we confess, the Lord did partake,—of birth, nourishment, growth, of sleep and toil, and all those natural dispositions which the soul is wont to experience with regard to bodily inconveniences,—the desire of that which is lacking, when the longing passes from the body to the soul, the sense of pain, the dread of death, and all the like, save only such as, if followed, lead to sin. As, then, when we perceive His power extending through all things in heaven, and air, and earth, and sea, whatever there is in heaven, whatever there is beneath the earth, we believe that He is universally present, and yet do not say that He is any of those things in which He is (for He is not the Heaven, Who has marked it out with His enfolding span, nor is He the earth, Who upholds the circle of the earth, nor yet is He the water, Who encompasses the liquid nature), so neither do we say that in passing through those sufferings of the flesh of which we speak He was “subject to passion,” but, as we say that He is the cause of all things that are, that He holds the universe in His grasp, that He directs all that is in motion and keeps upon a settled foundation all that is stationary, by the unspeakable power of His own majesty, so we say that He was born among us for the cure of the disease of sin, adapting the exercise of His healing power in a manner corresponding to the suffering, applying the healing in that way which He knew to be for the good of that part of the creation which He knew to be in infirmity. And as it was expedient that He should heal the sufferings by touch, we say that He so healed it; yet is He not, because He is the Healer of our infirmity, to be deemed on this account to have been Himself passible. For even in the case of men, ordinary use does not allow us to affirm such a thing. We do not say that one who touches a sick man to heal him is himself partaker of the infirmity, but we say that he does give the sick man the boon of a return to health, and does not partake of the infirmity: for the suffering does not touch him, it is he who touches the disease. Now if he who by his art works any good in men’s bodies is not called dull or feeble, but is called a lover of men and a benefactor and the like, why do they slander the dispensation to usward as being mean and inglorious, and use it to maintain that the essence of the Son is “divergent by way of inferiority,” on the ground that the Nature of the Father is superior to sufferings, while that of the Son is not pure from passion? Why, if the aim of the dispensation of the Incarnation was not that the Son should be subject to suffering, but that He should be manifested as a lover of men, while the Father also is undoubtedly a lover of men, it follows that if one will but regard the aim, the Son is in the same case with the Father. But if it was not the Father Who wrought the destruction of death, marvel not,—for all judgment also He hath committed unto the Son, Himself judging no man734    Cf. S. John v. 22; not doing all things by the Son for the reason that He is unable either to save the lost or judge the sinner, but because He does these things too by His own Power, by which He works all things. Then they who were saved by the Son were saved by the Power of the Father, and they who are judged by Him undergo judgment by the Righteousness of God. For “Christ,” as the Apostle says, “is the Righteousness of God735    Rom. i. 17.,” which is revealed by the Gospel; and whether you look at the world as a whole, or at the parts of the world which make up that complete whole, all these are works of the Father, in that they are works of His Power; and thus the word which says both that the Father made all things, and that none of these things that are came into being without the Son, speaks truly on both points; for the operation of the Power bears relation to Him Whose Power It is. Thus, since the Son is the Power of the Father, all the works of the Son are works of the Father. That He entered upon the dispensation of the Passion not by weakness of nature but by the power of His will, one might bring countless passages of the Gospel to show; but these, as the matter is clear, I will pretermit, that my discourse may not be prolonged by dwelling on points that are admitted. If, then, that which comes to pass is evil, we have to separate from that evil not the Father only, but the Son also; but if the saving of them that were lost is good, and if that which took place is not “passion736    That is, “passion” in the sense defined above, as something with evil tendency. If the γινόμενον (i.e. the salvation of men) is evil, then Father and Son alike must be “kept clear” from any participation in it. If it is good, and if, therefore, the means (the actual events) are not “passion” as not tending to evil, while, considered in regard to their aim, they are φιλανθρωπία, then there is no reason why a share in their fulfilment should be denied to the Father, Who, as well as the Son, is φιλάνθρωπος, and Who by His own Power (that is, by Christ) wrought the salvation of men.,” but love of men, why do you alienate from our thanksgiving for our salvation the Father, Who by His own Power, which is Christ, wrought for men their freedom from death?

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 διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐξήτασται, δι' ὧν ἀποδέδεικται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βλασφημίαν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ δόγματι προστριβόμενος. οὐ γὰρ ὁ τὴν ἄτρεπτον φύσιν ὁμολογῶν ὑποδῦναι τὴν κτιστὴν καὶ ἐπίκηρον τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοίου πρὸς τὸ ὅμοιον μεταχώρησιν λέγει, ἀλλ' ὁ μηδεμίαν μετάστασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγαλείου τῆς φύσεως ἐπὶ τὸ ταπεινότερον ἐννοῶν. εἰ γὰρ κτιστὸς μὲν ἐκεῖνος κατὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτῶν, κτιστὸς δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, διεκλάπη πάντως τὸ θαῦμα τοῦ λόγου καὶ παράδοξον ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις ἔστιν οὐδέν, τῆς κτίσεως αὐτῆς ἐν ἑαυτῇ γενομένης. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς μεμαθηκότες παρὰ τῆς προφητείας τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ ὑψίστου_δεξιὰν δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ λέγομεν δύναμιν τὴν ποιητικὴν τοῦ παντός, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ κύριος, οὐχ ὡς μέρος ἐξηρτημένη τοῦ ὅλου, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ ἐκείνου μὲν οὖσα, ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς δὲ κατ' ἰδίαν ὑπόστασιν θεωρουμένη_τοῦτό φαμεν ὅτι οὔτε ἡ δεξιὰ κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς φύσεως ἐκείνου παρήλλακται, οὗ ἐστι δεξιά, οὔτε ἀλλοίωσις αὐτῆς ἄλλη τις παρὰ τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς οἰκονομίαν λέγεσθαι δύναται. ἦν γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡ δεξιὰ τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτὸς ὁ ἐν σαρκὶ φανερωθεὶς θεός, δι' αὐτῆς τῆς σαρκὸς τοῖς διορατικοῖς καθορώμενος, καθὸ μὲν ἐποίει τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατρός, δεξιὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὢν καὶ νοούμενος, ἐν ᾧ δὲ περιείχετο τῷ τῆς σαρκὸς προκαλύμματι κατὰ τὸ βλεπόμενον, ἀλλοῖος παρ' ὃ τῇ φύσει ἦν θεωρούμενος. διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς Φίλιππον λέγει τὸν πρὸς μόνον τὸ ἀλλοιωθὲν ἀτενίζοντα ὅτι βλέπε διὰ τοῦ ἀλλοιωθέντος τὸ ἀναλλοίωτον, κἂν τοῦτο ἴδῃς, αὐτὸν τὸν πατέρα, ὃν ζητεῖς ἰδεῖν, ἑωρακὼς ἔσῃ: ὁ γὰρ ἑωρακὼς ἐμέ, οὐ τὸν ἐν τῇ ἀλλοιώσει φαινόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀληθῶς ἐμὲ τὸν ἐν τῷ πατρὶ ὄντα, αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἑωρακὼς ἔσται τὸν ἐν ᾧ εἰμι, τῷ τὸν αὐτὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς θεότητος ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν καθορᾶσθαι. τὴν οὖν ἀκήρατον καὶ ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἄκτιστον φύσιν ἐν τῷ παθητῷ τῆς κτίσεως γεγενῆσθαι πιστεύοντες καὶ ἐν τούτῳ νοοῦντες τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν, πῶς « αὐτὸν εἰς ἑαυτὸν κεκενῶσθαι » λέγειν κατηγορούμεθα παρὰ τῶν τὸν ἴδιον λόγον τοῖς ἡμετέροις δόγμασιν ἐπιθρυλούντων; τοῦ γὰρ κτιστοῦ πρὸς τὸ κτιστὸν ἡ κοινωνία οὐδεμία δεξιᾶς ἐστιν ἀλλοίωσις. κτιστὴν γὰρ « τὴν » δεξιὰν τῆς ἀκτίστου φύσεως λέγειν Εὐνομίου μόνου καὶ τῶν τὰ ὅμοια τούτῳ φρονούντων ἐστίν. ὁ γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸν ἔχων πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν βλέποντα οἷον τὸν ὕψιστον ὁρᾷ, τοιαύτην καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν τοῦ ὑψίστου κατόψεται, ἄκτιστον ἀκτίστου, ἀγαθοῦ ἀγαθήν, ἀϊδίου ἀΐδιον, μηδὲν τὴν ἀϊδιότητα τοῦ γεννητῶς εἶναι αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καταβλάπτοντος: ὥστε λέληθεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ κατήγορος τοῖς ἰδίοις ὀνείδεσι καθ' ἡμῶν χρώμενος.
Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς τῷ πάθει προσπταίοντας καὶ διὰ τούτου κατασκευάζοντας τὴν τῶν οὐσιῶν ἑτερότητα, ὡς τοῦ πατρὸς μὲν διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς φύσεως οὐ παραδεχομένου τὸ πάθος, τοῦ υἱοῦ δὲ διὰ τὸ καταδεὲς καὶ παρηλλαγμένον πρὸς τὴν τῶν παθημάτων κοινωνίαν συγκατιόντος, ταῦτα προσθεῖναι βούλομαι τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ὅτι οὐδὲν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν πάθος ἐστίν, ὃ μὴ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν φέρει, οὐδὲ κυρίως ἄν τις τὸν ἀναγκαῖον τῆς φύσεως εἱρμὸν πάθος λέγοι, βλέπων ὁδῷ προϊοῦσαν ἐν τάξει τινὶ καὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ τὴν σύνθετον φύσιν. ἡ γὰρ τῶν ἑτεροφυῶν στοιχείων πρὸς ἄλληλα συνδρομὴ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν κατασκευὴν σύνθεσίς τίς ἐστι διὰ πλειόνων ἀνομοίων ἁρμοζομένη. ἐκλυθείσης δὲ τῷ καθήκοντι καιρῷ τῆς συνδεούσης τὴν τῶν στοιχείων συνδρομὴν ἁρμονίας πάλιν τὸ σύνθετον εἰς τὰ ἐξ ὧν συνέστηκεν ἀναλύεται. ἔργον οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο μᾶλλον καὶ οὐχὶ πάθος τῆς φύσεως. μόνον γὰρ τὸ ἐξ ἐναντίου τῇ κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀπαθείᾳ νοούμενον κυρίως προσαγορεύομεν πάθος, οὐ καὶ ἐν τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως ἀμέτοχον διαμεῖναι τὸν τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν χαριζόμενον πεπιστεύκαμεν, τὸν Πεπειραμένον κατὰ πάντα καθ' ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. τοῦ μὲν οὖν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν πάθους, ὃ προαιρέσεώς ἐστι νόσος, οὐκ ἐκοινώνησεν. Ἁμαρτίαν γάρ, φησίν, οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ: τῶν δὲ τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν ἰδιωμάτων, ἃ διά τινος συνηθείας καὶ καταχρήσεως ὁμωνύμως λέγεται πάθη, τούτων μετασχεῖν ὁμολογοῦμεν τὸν κύριον, γεννήσεως καὶ τροφῆς καὶ αὐξήσεως ὕπνου τε καὶ κόπου καὶ ὅσα πρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς ἀχθηδόνας ἡ ψυχὴ φυσικῶς συνδιατίθεσθαι πέφυκε, τὴν τοῦ ἐνδέοντος ἔφεσιν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῆς ὀρέξεως διατεινούσης, καὶ λύπης αἴσθησιν καὶ δειλίαν πρὸς θάνατον καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, πλὴν εἰ μή τι πρὸς ἁμαρτίας ἀκολουθίαν φέρει. ὥσπερ τοίνυν τὴν διὰ πάντων αὐτοῦ διήκουσαν δύναμιν κατανοοῦντες ἐν οὐρανῷ τε καὶ ἀέρι καὶ γῇ καὶ θαλάσσῃ καὶ εἴ τι ἐπουράνιον καὶ εἴ τι καταχθόνιον, πανταχοῦ μὲν καὶ διὰ πάντων αὐτὸν εἶναι πιστεύομεν, οὐδὲν δὲ τούτων τῶν ἐν οἷς ἐστιν ἐκεῖνον εἶναί φαμεν (οὐ γὰρ οὐρανός ἐστιν ὁ διειληφὼς αὐτὸν τῇ περικρατητικῇ τοῦ παντὸς σπιθαμῇ οὐδὲ γῆ ὁ κατέχων τὸν γῦρον τῆς γῆς οὐδὲ ὕδωρ πάλιν ὁ τὴν ὑγρὰν περιέχων φύσιν), οὕτως οὐδὲ διὰ τῶν λεγομένων τῆς σαρκὸς παθημάτων ἐλθόντα ἐμπαθῆ αὐτὸν εἶναί φαμεν, ἀλλ' ὡς τῶν ὄντων αἴτιον καὶ τοῦ παντὸς περιδεδραγμένον καὶ τῇ ἀφράστῳ δυνάμει τῆς ἰδίας μεγαλειότητος πᾶν τό τε κινούμενον οἰακίζοντα καὶ τὸ ἑστὼς ἐν παγίᾳ συντηροῦντα τῇ βάσει, καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν γεγενῆσθαί φαμεν ἐπὶ θεραπείᾳ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν νόσου, καταλλήλως τῷ πάθει τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς ἰατρικῆς ἁρμοσάμενον, ὡς ᾔδει συμφέρειν τῷ ἀρρωστοῦντι μέρει τῆς κτίσεως, οὕτως ἐπαγαγόντα τὴν ἴασιν. συνέφερε δὲ τῇ ἐπαφῇ τὸ πάθος ἰάσασθαι: [οὕτω καὶ ἰασάμενον] οὐ μὴν ἐπειδὴ ἰατρεύει τὴν ἀρρωστίαν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμπαθὴς γεγενῆσθαι νομίζεται: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ τοιοῦτον λέγειν ἡ συνήθεια δίδωσι. τὸν γὰρ θεραπευτικῶς ἁπτόμενον τοῦ νενοσηκότος οὐκ αὐτὸν μετέχειν τῆς ἀρρωστίας φαμέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ νοσοῦντι χαρίζεσθαι τὴν εἰς ὑγίειαν ἐπάνοδον καὶ μὴ μετέχειν τῆς ἀρρωστίας φαμέν: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκείνου τὸ πάθος, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἐκεῖνος τοῦ ἀρρωστήματος ἅπτεται. εἰ οὖν ὁ διὰ τῆς τέχνης ἀγαθόν τι τοῖς σώμασιν ἐνεργῶν οὐχὶ νωθρός τε καὶ ἄρρωστος, ἀλλὰ φιλάνθρωπός τε καὶ εὐεργέτης καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα κατονομάζεται, τί ὡς ταπεινόν τε καὶ ἄδοξον τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίαν διαβάλλοντες διὰ ταύτης πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον παρηλλάχθαι τοῦ υἱοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν κατασκευάζουσιν, ὡς τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς μὲν φύσεως ἀνωτέρας τῶν παθημάτων οὔσης, τῆς δὲ τοῦ μονογενοῦς οὐ καθαρευούσης τοῦ πάθους; εἰ γὰρ ὁ σκοπὸς τῆς διὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας οὐ τὸ ἐμπαθῆ γενέσθαι τὸν κύριον, ἀλλὰ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον ἐπιδειχθῆναι, φιλάνθρωπος δὲ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ εἶναι οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλεται, ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἄρα τῷ υἱῷ ὁ πατήρ, εἰ πρὸς τὸν σκοπόν τις ἐθέλοι βλέπειν. εἰ δὲ οὐχ ὁ πατὴρ ἐνήργησε τὴν τοῦ θανάτου κατάλυσιν, θαυμάσῃς μηδέν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὴν κρίσιν πᾶσαν δέδωκε τῷ υἱῷ αὐτὸς κρίνων οὐδένα, οὐ τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι ἢ σῶσαι τὸν ἀπολόμενον ἢ κρῖναι τὸν ἁμαρτήσαντα διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ ταῦτα ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ τῷ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως, δι' ἧς τὰ πάντα ἐργάζεται, καὶ ταῦτα ποιεῖν: δύναμις δὲ τοῦ πατρός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός. οὐκοῦν οἱ διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ σωθέντες τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πατρὸς ἐσώθησαν, καὶ οἱ παρὰ τούτου κρινόμενοι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν κρίσιν ὑπέχουσιν. Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη ἡ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἀποκαλυπτομένη, καθώς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, κἂν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἴδῃς ὅλον κἂν εἰς τὰ μέρη τοῦ κόσμου τὰ συμπληροῦντα τὸ ὅλον, πάντα ταῦτα τοῦ πατρός ἐστιν ἔργα, τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ ἔργα γενόμενα, καὶ οὕτως ἀληθεύει δι' ἀμφοτέρων ὁ λόγος καὶ πάντα τὸν πατέρα ἐργάζεσθαι λέγων καὶ χωρὶς τοῦ υἱοῦ γίνεσθαι τῶν ὄντων οὐδέν: ἡ γὰρ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐνέργεια εἰς τὸν οὗ ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἔχει. ἐπεὶ οὖν δύναμις τοῦ πατρὸς ὁ υἱός, πάντα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρός ἐστιν ἔργα. ὅτι γὰρ οὐχὶ φύσεως ἀσθενείᾳ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πάθους οἰκονομίαν, ἀλλ' ἐξουσίᾳ θελήματος ἔρχεται, μυρίας ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου παραθέσθαι φωνάς, ἃς παρήσω διὰ τὸ πρόδηλον, ὡς ἂν μὴ τοῖς ὁμολογουμένοις ἐνδιατρίβων ὁ λόγος μηκύνοιτο. εἰ μὲν οὖν κακὸν τὸ γενόμενον, οὐ τὸν πατέρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ κακοῦ χωριστέον: εἰ δὲ ἀγαθὸν ἡ σωτηρία τῶν ἀπολωλότων καὶ οὐ πάθος, ἀλλὰ φιλανθρωπία τὸ γεγενημένον ἐστί, τί ἀλλοτριοῖς τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίας, τὸν διὰ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου ἐλευθερίαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις κατεργασάμενον;