First of all, however, I think it advisable to run briefly over our own doctrinal views and our opponent’s disagreement with them, so that our review of the propositions in question may proceed methodically. Now the main point of Christian orthodoxy6    εὐσεβείας. That this is the predominant idea in the word will be seen from the following definitions: “Piety is a devout life joined with a right faith” (Œcumenius on 1 Tim. iv. p. 754). “Piety is the looking up to the one only God, Who is believed to be and is the true God, and the life in accordance with this” (Eusebius, P. E. i. p. 3). “Piety is the science of adoration” (Suidas). is to believe that the Only-begotten God, Who is the truth and the true light, and the power of God and the life, is truly all that He is said to be, both in other respects and especially in this, that He is God and the truth, that is to say, God in truth, ever being what He is conceived to be and what He is called, Who never at any time was not, nor ever will cease to be, Whose being, such as it is essentially, is beyond the reach of the curiosity that would try to comprehend it. But to us, as saith the word of Wisdom,7    Wisdom of Solomon xiii. 5. “For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionately (ἀναλόγως) the maker of them is seen.” Compare Romans i. 20. He makes Himself known that He is “by the greatness and beauty of His creatures proportionately” to the things that are known, vouchsafing to us the gift of faith by the operations of His hands, but not the comprehension of what He is. Whereas, then, such is the opinion prevailing among all Christians, (such at least as are truly worthy of the appellation, those, I mean, who have been taught by the law to worship nothing that is not very God, and by that very act of worship confess that the Only-begotten is God in truth, and not a God falsely so called,) there arose this deadly blight of the Church, bringing barrenness on the holy seeds of the faith, advocating as it does the errors of Judaism, and partaking to a certain extent in the impiety of the Greeks. For in its figment of a created God it advocates the error of the Greeks, and in not accepting the Son it supports that of the Jews. This school, then, which would do away with the very Godhead of the Lord and teach men to conceive of Him as a created being, and not that which the Father is in essence and power and dignity, since these misty ideas find no support when exposed on all sides to the light of truth, have overlooked all those names supplied by Scripture for the glorification of God, and predicated in like manner of the Father and of the Son, and have betaken themselves to the word “ungenerate,” a term fabricated by themselves to throw contempt on the greatness of the Only-begotten God. For whereas an orthodox confession teaches us to believe in the Only-begotten God so that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father, these men, rejecting the orthodox terms whereby the greatness of the Son is signified as on a par with the dignity of the Father, draw from thence the beginnings and foundations of their heresy in regard to His Divinity. For as the Only-begotten God, as the voice of the Gospel teaches, came forth from the Father and is of Him, misrepresenting this doctrine by a change of terms, they make use of them to rend the true faith in pieces. For whereas the truth teaches that the Father is from no pre-existing cause, these men have given to such a view the name of “ungeneracy,” and signify the substance of the Only-begotten from the Father by the term “generation,”—then comparing the two terms “ungenerate” and “generate” as contradictories to each other, they make use of the opposition to mislead their senseless followers. For, to make the matter clearer by an illustration, the expressions, He was generated and He was not generated, are much the same as, He is seated and He is not seated, and all such-like expressions. But they, forcing these expressions away from the natural significance of the terms, are eager to put another meaning upon them with a view to the subversion of orthodoxy. For whereas, as has been said, the words “is seated” and “is not seated” are not equivalent in meaning (the one expression being contradictory of the other), they pretend that this formal contradiction in expression indicates an essential difference, ascribing generation to the Son and non-generation to the Father as their essential attributes. Yet, as it is impossible to regard a man’s sitting down or not as the essence of the man (for one would not use the same definition for a man’s sitting as for the man himself), so, by the analogy of the above example, the non-generated essence is in its inherent idea something wholly different from the thing expressed by “not having been generated.” But our opponents, with an eye to their evil object, that of establishing their denial of the Godhead of the Only-begotten, do not say that the essence of the Father is ungenerate, but, conversely, they declare ungeneracy to be His essence, in order that by this distinction in regard to generation they may establish, by the verbal opposition, a diversity of natures. In the direction of impiety they look with ten thousand eyes, but with regard to the impracticability of their own contention they are as incapable of vision as men who deliberately close their eyes. For who but one whose mental optics are utterly purblind can fail to discern the loose and unsubstantial character of the principle of their doctrine, and that their argument in support of ungeneracy as an essence has nothing to stand upon? For this is the way in which their error would establish itself.

πρῶτον δέ φημι χρῆναι πᾶσαν ἐπὶ κεφαλαίῳ τὴν ἡμετέραν περὶ τῶν δογμάτων ὑπόληψιν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαφωνίαν ἐπιδραμεῖν, ὡς ἂν γένοιτο καθ' ὁδὸν ἡμῖν ἡ τῶν προκειμένων ἐξέτασις. ἔστι τοίνυν τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς τῶν Χριστιανῶν εὐσεβείας τὸ πιστεύειν τὸν μονογενῆ θεόν, ὅς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια καὶ φῶς ἀληθινὸν καὶ δύναμις θεοῦ καὶ ζωή, ἀληθῶς πάντα εἶναι ἃ λέγεται, τά τε ἄλλα καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ταῦτα: θεὸν καὶ ἀλήθειαν, τουτέστι θεὸν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἀεὶ ὄντα ὅπερ νοεῖται καὶ ὀνομάζεται καὶ οὔτε ποτὲ μὴ ὄντα οὔτε ποτὲ μὴ ἐσόμενον, οὗ τὸ εἶναι ὅ τι ποτὲ κατ' οὐσίαν ἐστὶ πᾶσαν ἐκφεύγει καταληπτικὴν ἔφοδον καὶ πολυπραγμοσύνην: ἡμῖν δέ, καθώς πού φησι τῆς σοφίας ὁ λόγος, ἐκ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων κατά τινα τῶν γινωσκομένων ἀναλογίαν εἰς γνῶσιν ἔρχεται τοῦ εἶναι, μόνον τὴν πίστιν διὰ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν, οὐ τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ τί ἐστι χαριζόμενος. ταύτης τοίνυν τῆς διανοίας παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς κεκρατηκυίας τοῖς γε τῆς ἐπωνυμίας ταύτης ἀληθῶς ἀξίοις, ἐκείνοις φημὶ οἳ προσκυνεῖν παρὰ τοῦ νόμου μεμαθηκότες μηδέν, ὃ μὴ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς θεός, αὐτῷ τῷ προσκυνεῖν τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν ὁμολογοῦσιν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ οὐ ψευδώνυμον εἶναι θεόν, ἦλθεν ἡ φθοροποιὸς ἐρυσίβη τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡ ἀχρειοῦσα τὰ εὐσεβῆ τῆς πίστεως σπέρματα, ἡ τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἀπάτης συνήγορος, ἔχουσά τι καὶ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἀθεΐας. τῷ μὲν γὰρ κτιστὸν ἀναπλάσσειν θεὸν τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀπάτης συνήγορος γίνεται, τῷ δὲ μὴ παραδέχεσθαι τὸν υἱὸν τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν συνίστησι πλάνην. αὕτη τοίνυν ἡ αἵρεσις ἡ παραγραφομένη τὴν ἀληθινὴν τοῦ κυρίου θεότητα καὶ κατασκευάζουσα κτιστὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι δεῖν ὑπολαμβάνειν, καὶ μὴ ἐκεῖνο ὅπερ κατ' οὐσίαν καὶ δύναμιν καὶ ἀξίαν ἐστὶν ὁ πατήρ, ἐπειδὴ πανταχόθεν τῆς ἀληθείας περιλαμπούσης οὐδεμίαν ἔχει κατασκευὴν τὰ ζοφώδη ταῦτα νοήματα, πάντων τῶν ὀνομάτων ὑπεριδόντες τῶν εἰς θεοπρεπῆ τινα δοξολογίαν παρὰ τῆς γραφῆς εὑρεθέντων, ὁμοίως ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ λεγομένων, ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς « ἀγεννησίας » ὄνομα τὸ παρ' αὐτῶν τούτων ἐπὶ ἀθετήσει τῆς μεγαλειότητος τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ συμπεπλασμένον. τῆς γὰρ εὐσεβοῦς ὁμολογίας τὴν εἰς τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν πίστιν δογματιζούσης, Ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα, πάσας οὗτοι τὰς εὐσεβεῖς φωνὰς αἷς ἡ τοῦ υἱοῦ μεγαλειότης ὁμοτίμως πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀξίαν διασημαίνεται παρωσάμενοι ἐντεῦθεν ἑαυτοῖς τῆς ἀθέου περὶ τὸ δόγμα παρανομίας τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις ἐπινοοῦσιν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, ὡς ἡ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου διδάσκει φωνή, ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐξῆλθε καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν, ἄλλοις ὀνόμασι τὴν διάνοιαν ταύτην μεταλαβόντες δι' ἐκείνων τὴν ἀληθῆ πίστιν κατασπαράσσουσι. τὸ γὰρ μὴ ἔκ τινος ὑπερκειμένης αἰτίας εἶναι τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἀληθείας διδασκούσης, οὗτοι ἀγεννησίαν ὠνόμασαν τὸ τοιοῦτον νόημα, καὶ τὴν ἐκ πατρὸς τοῦ μονογενοῦς ὑπόστασιν τῷ τῆς « γεννήσεως » διασημαίνουσι ῥήματι, εἶτα συνθέντες τὰς δύο φωνὰς τὴν « ἀγεννησίαν » τε καὶ τὴν « γέννησιν » ἀντιφατικῶς ἐναντιουμένας ἀλλήλαις ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς ἀνοήτους τῶν ἑπομένων αὐτοῖς παρακρούονται: τὸ γὰρ „ἐγεννήθη” καὶ ”οὐκ ἐγεννήθη„ ὡς ἄν τις ὑποδείγματι σαφηνίσειε, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν οἷον καὶ τὸ „κάθηται” καὶ ”οὐ κάθηται„ καὶ ὅσα τῷ τοιούτῳ λέγεται τρόπῳ. οἱ δὲ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν τῶν ῥημάτων ἐμφάσεως τὰς φωνὰς ταύτας παρακινήσαντες ἄλλην αὐτοῖς ἐφαρμόζειν διάνοιαν ἐπὶ καθαιρέσει τῆς εὐσεβείας φιλονεικοῦσιν. οὐκ ἰσοδυναμούσης γάρ, καθὼς εἴρηται, τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων σημασίας τοῦ κάθηται καὶ οὐ κάθηται (ἀναιρεῖται γάρ πως ἐν θατέρῳ τῶν σημαινομένων τὸ ἕτερον) ταύτην τὴν περὶ τὸ σχῆμα τῆς προφορᾶς ἐναντίωσιν τῆς κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν παραλλαγῆς ἐνδεικτικὴν εἶναι σοφίζονται, τῷ μὲν τὴν γέννησιν τῷ δὲ τὴν μὴ γέννησιν οὐσίαν εἶναι διοριζόμενοι. καίτοι ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐσίαν ἀνθρώπου νομίσαι τὸ καθῆσθαι ἢ μὴ καθῆσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον (οὐ γὰρ τὸν αὐτὸν ἄν τις ἀποδοίη λόγον καθέδραν τε ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ὁριζόμενος), οὕτως ἡ μὴ γεννηθεῖσα οὐσία κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τοῦ ῥηθέντος ἡμῖν ὑποδείγματος ἄλλο τι πάντως ἐστὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ πρὸς τὸ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ γεννηθῆναι δηλούμενον. ἀλλ' οὗτοι πρὸς τὸν πονηρὸν ἐκεῖνον σκοπὸν ἀφορῶντες, ὡς ἂν μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεότητος ἡ ἄρνησις αὐτοῖς κυρωθείη, οὐχὶ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀγεννήτως εἶναί φασιν, ἀλλ' ἀναστρέψαντες τὸν λόγον οὐσίαν τὴν ἀγεννησίαν ὁρίζονται, ἵνα τῇ πρὸς τὸ γεννητὸν ἀντιδιαστολῇ τὸ τῆς φύσεως παρηλλαγμένον διὰ τῆς ἐναντιώσεως τῶν ὀνομάτων κατασκευάσωσι. καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἀσέβειαν μυρίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς βλέπουσι, πρὸς δὲ τὸ ἀμήχανον τῆς περὶ τοῦτο σπουδῆς ὡς μεμυκότες τὰ ὄμματα τῆς ψυχῆς ἀμβλυώττουσι. τίς γὰρ μὴ παντάπασι λημῶν τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αἰσθητήρια οὐ διορᾷ τῆς τοῦ δόγματος αὐτῶν ἀρχῆς τὸ ἀπαγὲς καὶ ἀσύστατον καὶ ὡς ἐπ' οὐδενὸς βέβηκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος ὁ τὴν ἀγεννησίαν οὐσίαν ποιῶν; οὑτωσὶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἡ ἀπάτη κατασκευάζεται.