PG026.0145.36\
PG026.0145.37\
PG026.0145.39\
PG026.0145.40\
PG026.0148.01\
enough had been said already against the hollow professors PG026.0148.02\
of Arius's madness, whether for their PG026.0148.03\
refutation or in the truth's behalf, to insure a cessation PG026.0148.04\
and repentance of their evil thoughts and words PG026.0148.05\
about the Saviour. They, however, for whatever reason, PG026.0148.06\
still do not succumb; but, as swine and dogs wallow PG026.0148.07\
in their own vomit and their own mire, rather PG026.0148.08\
invent new expedients for their irreligion. Thus PG026.0148.09\
they misunderstand the passage in the Proverbs, 'The PG026.0148.10\
Lord hath created me a beginning of His ways for PG026.0148.11\
His works ,' and the words of the Apostle, 'Who was PG026.0148.12\
faithful to Him that made Him ,' and straightway argue, PG026.0148.13\
that the Son of God is a work and a creature. PG026.0148.14\
But although they might have learned from what is PG026.0148.15\
said above, had they not utterly lost their power of PG026.0148.16\
apprehension, that the Son is not from nothing nor PG026.0148.17\
in the number of things originate at all, the Truth PG026.0148.18\
witnessing it (for, being God, He cannot be a work, PG026.0148.19\
and it is impious to call Him a creature, and it is PG026.0148.20\
of creatures and works that we say, 'out of nothing,' PG026.0148.21\
and 'it was not before its generation'), yet since, PG026.0148.22\
as if dreading to desert their own fiction, they PG026.0148.23\
are accustomed to allege the aforesaid passages of PG026.0148.24\
divine Scripture, which have a good meaning, but are PG026.0148.25\
by them practised on, let us proceed afresh to take PG026.0148.26\
up the question of the sense of these, to remind the PG026.0148.27\
faithful, and to shew from each of these passages PG026.0148.28\
that they have no knowledge at all of Christianity. PG026.0148.29\
Were it otherwise, they would not have shut themselves PG026.0148.30\
up in the unbelief of the present Jews , but would PG026.0148.31\
have inquired and learned that, whereas 'In PG026.0148.32\
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, PG026.0148.33\
and the Word was God,' in consequence, it was when PG026.0148.34\
at the good pleasure of the Father the Word became PG026.0148.35\
man, that it was said of Him, as by John, 'The Word PG026.0148.36\
became flesh ;' so by Peter, 'He hath made Him Lord PG026.0148.37\
and Christ ';-as by means of Solomon in the Person PG026.0148.38\
of the Lord Himself, 'The Lord created me a beginning PG026.0148.39\
of His ways for His works ;' so by Paul, 'Become PG026.0149.01\
so much better than the Angels ;' and again, 'He PG026.0149.02\
emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a PG026.0149.03\
servant ;' and again, 'Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers PG026.0149.04\
of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle PG026.0149.05\
and High Priest of our profession, Jesus, who was PG026.0149.06\
faithful to Him that made Him .' For all these texts PG026.0149.07\
have the same force and meaning, a religious one, PG026.0149.08\
declarative of the divinity of the Word, even those PG026.0149.09\
of them which speak humanly concerning Him, as having PG026.0149.10\
become the Son of man. But, though this distinction PG026.0149.11\
is sufficient for their refutation, still, since PG026.0149.12\
from a misconception of the Apostle's words (to PG026.0149.13\
mention them first), they consider the Word of God to PG026.0149.14\
be one of the works, because of its being written, PG026.0149.15\
'Who was faithful to Him that made Him,' I have thought PG026.0149.16\
it needful to silence this further argument of PG026.0149.17\
theirs, taking in hand , as before, their statement. 2. If then He be not a Son, let Him be called PG026.0149.18\
PG026.0149.19\
a work, and let all that is said of works be said of PG026.0149.20\
Him, nor let Him and Him alone be called Son, nor Word, PG026.0149.21\
nor Wisdom; neither let God be called Father, but PG026.0149.22\
only Framer and Creator of things which by Him come PG026.0149.23\
to be; and let the creature be Image and Expression PG026.0149.24\
of His framing will, and let Him, as they would PG026.0149.25\
have it, be without generative nature, so that there PG026.0149.26\
be neither Word, nor Wisdom, no, nor Image, of His PG026.0149.27\
proper substance. For if He be not Son , neither PG026.0149.28\
is He Image . But if there be not a Son, how then PG026.0149.29\
say you that God is a Creator? since all things that PG026.0149.30\
come to be are through the Word and in Wisdom, and PG026.0149.31\
without This nothing can be, whereas you say He hath PG026.0149.32\
not That in and through which He makes all things. PG026.0149.33\
For if the Divine Essence be not fruitful itself , PG026.0149.34\
but barren, as they hold, as a light that lightens PG026.0149.35\
not, and a dry fountain, are they not ashamed to speak PG026.0149.36\
of His possessing framing energy? and whereas they PG026.0149.37\
deny what is by nature, do they not blush to place PG026.0149.38\
before it what is by will ? But if He frames things PG026.0149.39\
that are external to Him and before were not, by PG026.0149.40\
willing them to he, and becomes their Maker, much more PG026.0149.41\
will He first be Father of an Offspring from His PG026.0149.42\
proper Essence. For if they attribute to God the willing PG026.0149.43\
about things which are not, why recognise they PG026.0149.44\
not that in God which lies above the will? now it is PG026.0149.45\
a something that surpasses will, that He should be PG026.0149.46\
by nature, and should be Father of His proper Word. PG026.0152.01\
If then that which comes first, which is according PG026.0152.02\
to nature, did not exist, as they would have it in PG026.0152.03\
their folly, how could that which is second come to be, PG026.0152.04\
which is according to will? for the Word is first, and PG026.0152.05\
then the creation. On the contrary the Word exists, whatever PG026.0152.06\
they affirm, those irreligious ones; for through PG026.0152.07\
Him did creation come to be, and God, as being Maker, PG026.0152.08\
plainly has also His framing Word, not external, but PG026.0152.09\
proper to Him;-for this must be repeated. If He has the PG026.0152.10\
power of will, and His will is effective, and suffices PG026.0152.11\
for the consistence of the things that come to be, and PG026.0152.12\
His Word is effective, and a Framer, that Word must PG026.0152.13\
surely be the living Will of the Father, and an essential PG026.0152.14\
energy, and a real Word, in whom all things both PG026.0152.15\
consist and are excellently governed. No one can even PG026.0152.16\
doubt, that He who disposes is prior to the disposition PG026.0152.17\
and the things disposed. And thus, as I said, God's PG026.0152.18\
creating is second to His begetting; for Son implies PG026.0152.19\
something proper to Him and truly from that blessed and PG026.0152.20\
everlasting Essence; but what is from His will, comes PG026.0152.21\
into consistence from without, and is framed through His PG026.0152.22\
proper Offspring who is from It. 3. As we have shewn PG026.0152.23\
then they are guilty of great extravagance who say PG026.0152.24\
that the Lord is not Son of God, but a work, and it follows PG026.0152.25\
that we all of necessity confess that He is Son. PG026.0152.26\
And if He be Son, as indeed He is, and a son is confessed PG026.0152.27\
to be not external to his father but from him, let PG026.0152.28\
them not question about the terms, as I said before, which PG026.0152.29\
the sacred writers use of the Word Himself, viz. not PG026.0152.30\
'to Him that begat Him,' but 'to Him that made Him;' PG026.0152.31\
for while it is confessed what His nature is, what word PG026.0152.32\
is used in such instances need raise no question PG026.0152.33\
. For terms do not disparage His Nature; rather that PG026.0152.34\
Nature draws to Itself those terms and changes them. PG026.0152.35\
For terms are not prior to essences, but essences are PG026.0152.36\
first, and terms second. Wherefore also when the essence PG026.0152.37\
is a work or creature, then the words 'He made,' PG026.0152.38\
and 'He became,' and 'He created,' are used of it properly, PG026.0152.39\
and designate the work. But when the Essence is an PG026.0152.40\
Offspring and Son, then 'He made,' and 'He became,' and PG026.0152.41\
'He created,' no longer properly belong to it, nor PG026.0152.42\
designate a work; but 'He made' we use without question PG026.0152.43\
for 'He begat.' Thus fathers often call the sons born PG026.0152.44\
of them their servants, yet without denying the genuineness PG026.0152.45\
of their nature; and often they affectionately call PG026.0152.46\
their own servants children, yet without putting out PG026.0152.47\
of sight their purchase of them originally; for they PG026.0153.01\
use the one appellation from their authority as being PG026.0153.02\
fathers, but in the other they speak from affection. PG026.0153.03\
Thus Sara called Abraham lord, though not a servant PG026.0153.04\
but a wife; and while to Philemon the master the Apostle PG026.0153.05\
joined Onesimus the servant as a brother, Bathsheba, PG026.0153.06\
although mother, called her son servant, PG026.0153.07\
saying to his father, 'Thy servant Solomon ;'-afterwards PG026.0153.08\
also Nathan the Prophet came in and repeated PG026.0153.09\
her words to David, 'Solomon thy servant .' Nor PG026.0153.10\
did they mind calling the son a servant, for while PG026.0153.11\
David heard it, he recognised the 'nature,' and PG026.0153.12\
while they spoke it, they forgot not the 'genuineness,' PG026.0153.13\
praying that he might be made his father's PG026.0153.14\
heir, to whom they gave the name of servant; for to PG026.0153.15\
David he was son by nature. 4. As then, when we PG026.0153.16\
read this, we interpret it fairly, without accounting PG026.0153.17\
Solomon a servant because we hear him so called, PG026.0153.18\
but a son natural and genuine, so also, if, concerning PG026.0153.19\
the Saviour, who is confessed to be in truth PG026.0153.20\
the Son, and to be the Word by nature, the saints PG026.0153.21\
say, 'Who was faithful to Him that made Him,' or if PG026.0153.22\
He say of Himself, 'The Lord created me,' and, 'I PG026.0153.23\
am Thy servant and the Son of Thine handmaid ,' PG026.0153.24\
and the like, let not any on this account deny that PG026.0153.25\
He is proper to the Father and from Him; but, as PG026.0153.26\
in the case of Solomon and David, let them have a PG026.0153.27\
right idea of the Father and the Son. For if, PG026.0153.28\
though they hear Solomon called a servant, they acknowledge PG026.0153.29\
him to be a son, are they not deserving of PG026.0153.30\
many deaths , who, instead of preserving the same PG026.0153.31\
explanation in the instance of the Lord, whenever PG026.0153.32\
they hear 'Offspring,' and 'Word,' and 'Wisdom,' PG026.0153.33\
forcibly misinterpret and deny the generation, PG026.0153.34\
natural and genuine, of the Son from the Father; but PG026.0153.35\
on hearing words and terms proper to a work, forthwith PG026.0153.36\
drop down to the notion of His being by nature PG026.0153.37\
a work, and deny the Word; and this, though it PG026.0153.38\
is possible, from His having been made man, to refer PG026.0153.39\
all these terms to His humanity? And are they not PG026.0153.40\
proved to be 'an abomination' also 'unto the Lord,' PG026.0153.41\
as having 'diverse weights ' with them, and with PG026.0153.42\
this estimating those other instances, and with PG026.0153.43\
that blaspheming the Lord? But perhaps they grant PG026.0153.44\
that the word 'servant' is used under a certain understanding, PG026.0153.45\
but lay stress upon 'Who made' as some PG026.0156.01\
great support of their heresy. But PG026.0156.02\
this stay of theirs also is but a broken reed; PG026.0156.03\
for if they are aware of the style of Scripture, they PG026.0156.04\
must at once give sentence against themselves. PG026.0156.05\
For as Solomon, though a son, is called a servant, PG026.0156.06\
so, to repeat what was said above, although parents PG026.0156.07\
call the sons springing from themselves 'made' PG026.0156.08\
and 'created' and 'becoming,' for all this they do PG026.0156.09\
not deny their nature. Thus Hezekiah, as it is PG026.0156.10\
written in Isaiah, said in his prayer, 'From this PG026.0156.11\
day I will make children, who shall declare Thy righteousness, PG026.0156.12\
O God of my salvation .' He then said, PG026.0156.13\
'I will make;' but the Prophet in that very book PG026.0156.14\
and the Fourth of Kings, thus speaks, 'And the sons PG026.0156.15\
who shall come forth of thee .' He uses then 'make' PG026.0156.16\
for 'beget,' and he calls them who were to spring PG026.0156.17\
from him, 'made,' and no one questions whether PG026.0156.18\
the term has reference to a natural offspring. Again, PG026.0156.19\
Eve on bearing Cain said, 'I have gotten a man PG026.0156.20\
from the Lord ;' thus she too used 'gotten' for PG026.0156.21\
'brought forth.' For, first she saw the child, yet PG026.0156.22\
next she said, 'I have gotten.' Nor would any one PG026.0156.23\
consider, because of 'I have gotten,' that Cain was PG026.0156.24\
purchased from without, instead of being born of PG026.0156.25\
her. Again, the Patriarch Jacob said to Joseph, 'And PG026.0156.26\
now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which became PG026.0156.27\
thine in Egypt, before I came unto thee into PG026.0156.28\
Egypt, are mine .' And Scripture says about Job, PG026.0156.29\
'And there came to him seven sons and three daughters .' Here PG026.0156.30\
PG026.0156.31\
PG026.0156.32\
again they speak of those who are begotten, as PG026.0156.33\
'become' and 'made,' knowing that, while they are PG026.0156.34\
acknowledged to be sons, we need not make a question PG026.0156.35\
of 'they became,' or 'I have gotten,' or 'I made PG026.0156.36\
.' For nature and truth draw the meaning to themselves. PG026.0156.37\
5. This being so , when persons ask whether PG026.0156.38\
the Lord is a creature or work, it is proper PG026.0156.39\
to ask of them this first, whether He is Son and Word PG026.0156.40\
and Wisdom. For if this is shewn, the surmise PG026.0156.41\
about work and creation falls to the ground at once PG026.0156.42\
and is ended. For a work could never be Son and PG026.0156.43\
Word; nor could the Son be a work. And again, this PG026.0156.44\
being the state of the case, the proof is plain PG026.0156.45\
to all, that the phrase, 'To Him who made Him' does PG026.0156.46\
not serve their heresy, but rather condemns it. For PG026.0156.47\
it has been shewn that the expression 'He made' PG026.0157.01\
is applied in divine Scripture even to children genuine PG026.0157.02\
and natural; whence, the Lord being proved PG026.0157.03\
to be the Father's Son naturally and genuinely, and Word, PG026.0157.04\
and Wisdom, though 'He made' be used concerning Him, or PG026.0157.05\
'He became,' this is not said of Him as if a work, but the PG026.0157.06\
saints make no question about using the expression,-for PG026.0157.07\
instance in the case of Solomon, and Hezekiah's children. For if the Son be a creature, PG026.0157.08\
PG026.0157.09\
PG026.0157.10\
PG026.0157.11\
PG026.0157.12\
PG026.0157.13\
PG026.0157.14\
PG026.0157.15\
PG026.0157.16\
by what word then and by what wisdom was He made Himself PG026.0157.17\
? for all the works were made through the Word and the PG026.0157.18\
Wisdom, as it is written, 'In wisdom hast Thou made them PG026.0157.19\
all,' and, 'All things were made by Him, and without PG026.0157.20\
Him was not anything made .' But if it be He who is the PG026.0157.21\
Word and the Wisdom, by which all things come to be, it PG026.0157.22\
follows that He is not in the number of works, nor in PG026.0157.23\
short of things originate, but the Offspring of the Father. 6. For consider how grave an error it is, to call God's PG026.0157.24\
PG026.0157.25\
Word a work. Solomon says in one place in Ecclesiastes, PG026.0157.26\
that 'God shall bring every work into judgment, with PG026.0157.27\
every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be PG026.0157.28\
evil .' If then the Word be a work, do you mean that PG026.0157.29\
He as well as others will be brought into judgment? and PG026.0157.30\
what room is there for judgment, when the Judge is on trial? PG026.0157.31\
who will give to the just their blessing, who to the PG026.0157.32\
unworthy their punishment, the Lord, as you must suppose, PG026.0157.33\
standing on trial with the rest? by what law shall He, PG026.0157.34\
the Lawgiver, Himself be judged? These things are proper PG026.0157.35\
to the works, to be on trial, to be blessed and to be PG026.0157.36\
punished by the Son. Now then fear the Judge, and let Solomon's PG026.0157.37\
words convince you. For if God shall bring the works PG026.0157.38\
one and all into judgment, but the Son is not in the PG026.0157.39\
number of things put on trial, but rather is Himself the PG026.0157.40\
Judge of works one and all, is not the proof clearer than PG026.0157.41\
the sun, that the Son is not a work but the Father's Word, PG026.0157.42\
in whom all the works both come to be and come into PG026.0157.43\
judgment? Further, if the expression, 'Who was faithful,' PG026.0160.01\
is a difficulty to them, from the thought that 'faithful' PG026.0160.02\
is used of Him as of others, as if He exercises PG026.0160.03\
faith and so receives the reward of faith, they must PG026.0160.04\
proceed at this rate to find fault with Moses for PG026.0160.05\
saying, 'God faithful and true ,' and with St. Paul PG026.0160.06\
for writing, 'God is faithful, who will not suffer PG026.0160.07\
you to be tempted above that ye are able .' But PG026.0160.08\
when the saints spoke thus, they were not thinking PG026.0160.09\
of God in a human way, but they acknowledged two PG026.0160.10\
senses of the word 'faithful' in Scripture, first PG026.0160.11\
'believing,' then 'trustworthy,' of which the former PG026.0160.12\
belongs to man, the latter to God. Thus Abraham was PG026.0160.13\
faithful, because He believed God's word; and God PG026.0160.14\
faithful, for, as David says in the Psalm, 'The PG026.0160.15\
Lord is faithful in all His words ,' or is trustworthy, PG026.0160.16\
and cannot lie. Again, 'If any faithful woman PG026.0160.17\
have widows ,' she is so called for her right faith; PG026.0160.18\
but, 'It is a faithful saying ,' because what PG026.0160.19\
He hath spoken has a claim on our faith, for it PG026.0160.20\
is true, and is not otherwise. Accordingly the words, PG026.0160.21\
'Who is faithful to Him that made Him,' implies PG026.0160.22\
no parallel with others, nor means that by having faith PG026.0160.23\
He became well-pleasing; but that, being Son PG026.0160.24\
of the True God, He too is faithful, and ought to be PG026.0160.25\
believed in all He says and does, Himself remaining PG026.0160.26\
unalterable and not changed in His human Economy PG026.0160.27\
and fleshly presence. 7. Thus then we may meet PG026.0160.28\
these men who are shameless, and from the single expression PG026.0160.29\
'He made,' may shew that they err in thinking PG026.0160.30\
that the Word of God is a work. But further, PG026.0160.31\
since the drift also of the context is orthodox, shewing PG026.0160.32\
the time and the relation to which this expression PG026.0160.33\
points, I ought to shew from it also how the PG026.0160.34\
heretics lack reason; viz. by considering, as we have PG026.0160.35\
done above, the occasion when it was used and for PG026.0160.36\
what purpose. Now the Apostle is not discussing PG026.0160.37\
things before the creation when he thus speaks, but PG026.0160.38\
when 'the Word became flesh;' for thus it is written, PG026.0160.39\
'Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly PG026.0160.40\
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest PG026.0161.01\
of our profession Jesus, who was faithful to Him PG026.0161.02\
that made Him.' Now when became He 'Apostle,' but PG026.0161.03\
when He put on our flesh? and when became He 'High Priest PG026.0161.04\
of our profession,' but when, after offering PG026.0161.05\
Himself for us, He raised His Body from the dead, and, PG026.0161.06\
as now, Himself brings near and offers to the Father PG026.0161.07\
those who in faith approach Him, redeeming all, PG026.0161.08\
and for all propitiating God? Not then as wishing PG026.0161.09\
to signify the Essence of the Word nor His natural PG026.0161.10\
generation from the Father, did the Apostle say, PG026.0161.11\
'Who was faithful to Him that made Him'-(perish PG026.0161.12\
the thought! for the Word is not made, but makes)-but PG026.0161.13\
as signifying His descent to mankind and High-priesthood PG026.0161.14\
which did 'become'-as one may easily see PG026.0161.15\
from the account given of the Law and of Aaron. I mean, PG026.0161.16\
Aaron was not born a high-priest, but a man; and PG026.0161.17\
in process of time, when God willed, he became a PG026.0161.18\
high-priest; yet became so, not simply, nor as betokened PG026.0161.19\
by his ordinary garments, but putting over them PG026.0161.20\
the ephod, the breastplate , the robe, which PG026.0161.21\
the women wrought at God's command, and going in them PG026.0161.22\
into the holy place, he offered the sacrifice for PG026.0161.23\
the people; and in them, as it were, mediated between PG026.0161.24\
the vision of God and the sacrifices of men. Thus PG026.0161.25\
then the Lord also, 'In the beginning was the PG026.0161.26\
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;'. PG026.0161.27\
PG026.0161.28\
PG026.0161.29\
PG026.0161.30\
PG026.0161.31\
PG026.0161.32\
PG026.0161.33\
PG026.0161.34\
PG026.0161.35\
8. For what happened of old was a shadow of this; PG026.0161.36\
and what the Saviour did on His coming, this Aaron PG026.0161.37\
shadowed out according to the Law. As then Aaron was PG026.0161.38\
the same and did not change by putting on the high-priestly PG026.0161.39\
dress , but remaining the same was only PG026.0161.40\
robed, so that, had any one seen him offering, and PG026.0161.41\
had said, 'Lo, Aaron has this day become high-priest,' PG026.0161.42\
he had not implied that he then had been born PG026.0161.43\
man, for man he was even before he became high-priest, PG026.0161.44\
but that he had been made high-priest in his PG026.0161.45\
ministry, on putting on the garments made and prepared PG026.0161.46\
for the high-priesthood; in the same way it is PG026.0164.01\
possible in the Lord's instance also to understand PG026.0164.02\
aright, that He did not become other than Himself PG026.0164.03\
on taking the flesh, but, being the same as before, He PG026.0164.04\
was robed in it; and the expressions 'He became' and 'He PG026.0164.05\
was made,' must not be understood as if the Word, considered PG026.0164.06\
as the Word , were made, but that the Word, PG026.0164.07\
being Framer of all, afterwards was made High Priest, PG026.0164.08\
by putting on a body which was originate and made, and PG026.0164.09\
such as He can offer for us; wherefore He is said to PG026.0164.10\
be made. If then indeed the Lord did not become man PG026.0164.11\
, that is a point for the Arians to battle; but if PG026.0164.12\
the 'Word became flesh,' what ought to have been said PG026.0164.13\
concerning Him when become man, but 'Who was faithful PG026.0164.14\
to Him that made Him?' for as it is proper to the Word PG026.0164.15\
to have it said of Him, 'In the beginning was the Word,' PG026.0164.16\
so it is proper to man to 'become' and to be 'made.' PG026.0164.17\
Who then, on seeing the Lord as a man walking about, PG026.0164.18\
and yet appearing to be God from His works, would not PG026.0164.19\
have asked, Who made Him man? and who again, on such PG026.0164.20\
a question, would not have answered, that the Father made PG026.0164.21\
Him man, and sent Him to us as High Priest? And PG026.0164.22\
this meaning, and time, and character, the Apostle himself, PG026.0164.23\
the writer of the words, 'Who is faithful to Him PG026.0164.24\
that made Him,' will best make plain to us, if we attend PG026.0164.25\
to what goes before them. For there is one train PG026.0164.26\
of thought, and the lection is all about One and the Same. PG026.0164.27\
He writes then in the Epistle to the Hebrews thus; PG026.0164.28\
'Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh PG026.0164.29\
and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the PG026.0164.30\
same; that through death He might destroy him that had PG026.0164.31\
the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver PG026.0164.32\
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime PG026.0164.33\
subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the PG026.0164.34\
nature of Angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. PG026.0164.35\
Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made PG026.0164.36\
like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and PG026.0164.37\
faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to PG026.0164.38\
make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in PG026.0164.39\
that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able PG026.0164.40\
to succour them that are tempted. Wherefore, holy brethren, PG026.0164.41\
partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the PG026.0164.42\
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus; who PG026.0164.43\
was faithful to Him that made Him .' 9. Who can read PG026.0165.01\
this whole passage without condemning the Arians, and PG026.0165.02\
admiring the blessed Apostle, who has spoken well? PG026.0165.03\
for when was Christ 'made,' when became He 'Apostle,' PG026.0165.04\
except when, like us, He 'took part in flesh and blood?' PG026.0165.05\
And when became He 'a merciful and faithful High Priest,' PG026.0165.06\
except when 'in all things He was made like unto PG026.0165.07\
His brethren?' And then was He 'made like,' when PG026.0165.08\
He became man, having put upon Him our flesh. Wherefore PG026.0165.09\
Paul was writing concerning the Word's human Economy, PG026.0165.10\
when he said, 'Who was faithful to Him that made Him,' PG026.0165.11\
and not concerning His Essence. Have not therefore PG026.0165.12\
any more the madness to say that the Word of God is PG026.0165.13\
a work; whereas He is Son by nature Only-begotten, and PG026.0165.14\
then had 'brethren,' when He took on Him flesh like PG026.0165.15\
ours; which moreover, by Himself offering Himself, PG026.0165.16\
He was named and became 'merciful and faithful,'-merciful, PG026.0165.17\
because in mercy to us He offered Himself for us, PG026.0165.18\
and faithful, not as sharing faith with us, nor as PG026.0165.19\
having faith in any one as we have, but as deserving PG026.0165.20\
to receive faith in all He says and does, and as offering PG026.0165.21\
a faithful sacrifice, one which remains and does PG026.0165.22\
not come to nought. For those which were offered according PG026.0165.23\
to the Law, had not this faithfulness, passing PG026.0165.24\
away with the day and needing a further cleansing; but PG026.0165.25\
the Saviour's sacrifice, taking place once, has perfected PG026.0165.26\
everything, and is become faithful as remaining PG026.0165.27\
for ever. And Aaron had successors, and in a word the PG026.0165.28\
priesthood under the Law exchanged its first ministers PG026.0165.29\
as time and death went on; but the Lord having a high PG026.0165.30\
priesthood without transition and without succession, PG026.0165.31\
has become a 'faithful High Priest,' as continuing PG026.0165.32\
for ever; and faithful too by promise, that He may PG026.0165.33\
hear and not mislead those who come to Him. This may PG026.0165.34\
be also learned from the Epistle of the great Peter, PG026.0165.35\
who says, 'Let them that suffer according to the will PG026.0165.36\
of God, commit their souls to a faithful Creator 10. Now the PG026.0165.37\
PG026.0165.38\
PG026.0165.39\
so-called gods of the Greeks, unworthy the name, are PG026.0165.40\
faithful neither in their essence nor in their promises; PG026.0165.41\
for the same are not everywhere, nay, the local deities PG026.0165.42\
come to nought in course of time, and undergo PG026.0165.43\
a natural dissolution; wherefore the Word cries out against PG026.0165.44\
them, that 'faith is not strong in them,' but PG026.0165.45\
they are 'waters that fail,' and 'there is no faith in PG026.0168.01\
them.' But the God of all, being one really and indeed PG026.0168.02\
and true, is faithful, who is ever the same, and PG026.0168.03\
says, 'See now, that I, even I am He,' and I 'change PG026.0168.04\
not ;' and therefore His Son is 'faithful,' being PG026.0168.05\
ever the same and unchanging, deceiving neither PG026.0168.06\
in His essence nor in His promise;-as again says PG026.0168.07\
the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians, 'Faithful PG026.0168.08\
is He who calleth you, who also will do it;' for PG026.0168.09\
in doing what He promises, 'He is faithful to His PG026.0168.10\
words.' And he thus writes to the Hebrews as to PG026.0168.11\
the word's meaning 'unchangeable;' 'If we believe PG026.0168.12\
not, yet He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself And as the Apostle makes PG026.0168.13\
PG026.0168.14\
PG026.0168.15\
PG026.0168.16\
PG026.0168.17\
PG026.0168.18\
PG026.0168.19\
mention in his Epistle of His being made man when PG026.0168.20\
mentioning His High Priesthood, so too he kept no PG026.0168.21\
long silence about His Godhead, but rather mentions PG026.0168.22\
it forthwith, furnishing to us a safeguard on every PG026.0168.23\
side, and most of all when he speaks of His humility, PG026.0168.24\
that we may forthwith know His loftiness and PG026.0168.25\
His majesty which is the Father's. For instance, PG026.0168.26\
he says, 'Moses as a servant, but Christ as a Son in order to sanctify the PG026.0168.27\
PG026.0168.28\
PG026.0168.29\
PG026.0168.30\
PG026.0168.31\
PG026.0168.32\
PG026.0168.33\
PG026.0168.34\
PG026.0168.35\
PG026.0168.36\
PG026.0168.37\
PG026.0168.38\
flesh, and, though He was Lord, was in the form of PG026.0168.39\
a servant; for the whole creature is the Word's servant, PG026.0168.40\
which by Him came to be, and was made. 11. PG026.0168.41\
Hence it holds that the Apostle's expression, 'He PG026.0168.42\
made,' does not prove that the Word is made, but PG026.0168.43\
that body, which He took like ours; and in consequence PG026.0168.44\
He is called our brother, as having become man. PG026.0168.45\
But if it has been shewn, that, even though the PG026.0169.01\
word 'made' be referred to the Very Word, it is used PG026.0169.02\
for 'begat,' what further perverse expedient PG026.0169.03\
will they be able to fall upon, now that the present discussion PG026.0169.04\
has cleared up the word in every point of view, and PG026.0169.05\
shewn that the Son is not a work, but in Essence indeed PG026.0169.06\
the Father's offspring, while in the Economy, according to PG026.0169.07\
the good pleasure of the Father, He was on our behalf PG026.0169.08\
made, and consists as man? For this reason then it is said PG026.0169.09\
by the Apostle, 'Who was faithful to Him that made Him;' PG026.0169.10\
and in the Proverbs, even creation is spoken of. For so PG026.0169.11\
long as we are confessing that He became man, there is PG026.0169.12\
no question about saying, as was observed before, whether PG026.0169.13\
'He became,' or 'He has been made,' or 'created,' or 'formed,' PG026.0169.14\
or 'servant,' or 'son of an handmaid,' or 'son of PG026.0169.15\
man,' or 'was constituted,' or 'took His journey,' or 'bridegroom,' PG026.0169.16\
or 'brother's son,' or 'brother.' All these terms PG026.0169.17\
happen to be proper to man's constitution; and such as PG026.0169.18\
these do not designate the Essence of the Word, but that PG026.0169.19\
He has become man. 11(continued). THE same is the meaning PG026.0169.20\
of the passage in the Acts which they also allege, PG026.0169.21\
that in which Peter says, that 'He hath made both Lord and PG026.0169.22\
Christ that same Jesus whom ye have crucified.' For PG026.0169.23\
here too it is not written, 'He made for Himself a Son,' PG026.0169.24\
or 'He made Himself a Word,' that they should have such notions. PG026.0169.25\
If then it has not escaped their memory, that they PG026.0169.26\
speak concerning the Son of God, let them make search whether PG026.0169.27\
it is anywhere written. 'God made Himself a Son,' or PG026.0169.28\
'He created for Himself a Word;' or again, whether it is PG026.0169.29\
anywhere written in plain terms, 'The Word is a work or PG026.0169.30\
creation;' and then let them proceed to make their case, PG026.0169.31\
the insensate men, that here too they may receive their PG026.0169.32\
answer. But if they can produce nothing of the kind, and PG026.0169.33\
only catch at such stray expressions as 'He made' and 'He PG026.0169.34\
has been made,' I fear lest, from hearing, 'In the beginning PG026.0169.35\
God made the heaven and the earth,' and 'He made the PG026.0169.36\
sun and the moon,' and 'He made the sea,' they should come PG026.0169.37\
in time to call the Word the heaven, and the Light which PG026.0169.38\
took place on the first day, and the earth, and each particular PG026.0169.39\
thing that has been made, so as to end in resembling PG026.0169.40\
the Stoics, as they are called, the one drawing out PG026.0169.41\
their God into all things , the other ranking God's Word PG026.0169.42\
with each work in particular; which they have well nigh PG026.0172.01\
done already, saying that He is one of His works. 12. PG026.0172.02\
But here they must have the same answer as before, and PG026.0172.03\
first be told that the Word is a Son, as has been said PG026.0172.04\
above , and not a work, and that such terms PG026.0172.05\
are not to be understood of His Godhead, but the reason PG026.0172.06\
and manner of them investigated. To persons PG026.0172.07\
who so inquire, the human Economy will plainly present PG026.0172.08\
itself, which He undertook for our sake. For PG026.0172.09\
Peter, after saying, 'He hath made Lord and Christ,' PG026.0172.10\
straightway added, 'this Jesus whom ye crucified;' PG026.0172.11\
which makes it plain to any one, even, if so PG026.0172.12\
be, to them, provided they attend to the context, PG026.0172.13\
that not the Essence of the Word, but He according PG026.0172.14\
to His manhood is said to have been made. For what PG026.0172.15\
was crucified but the body? and how could be signified PG026.0172.16\
what was bodily in the Word, except by saying PG026.0172.17\
'He made?' Especially has that phrase, 'He made,' PG026.0172.18\
a meaning consistent with orthodoxy; in that PG026.0172.19\
he has not said, as I observed before, 'He made Him PG026.0172.20\
Word,' but 'He made Him Lord,' nor that in general PG026.0172.21\
terms , but 'towards' us, and 'in the midst of' PG026.0172.22\
us, as much as to say, 'He manifested Him.' And PG026.0172.23\
this Peter himself, when he began this primary teaching, PG026.0172.24\
carefully expressed, when he said to them, PG026.0172.25\
'Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, PG026.0172.26\
a man manifested of God towards you by miracles, PG026.0172.27\
and wonders, and signs, which God did by Him PG026.0172.28\
in the midst of you, as ye yourselves know .' PG026.0172.29\
Consequently the term which he uses in the end, 'made', PG026.0172.30\
this He has explained in the beginning by 'manifested,' PG026.0172.31\
for by the signs and wonders which the PG026.0172.32\
Lord did, He was manifested to be not merely man, PG026.0172.33\
but God in a body and Lord also, the Christ. Such PG026.0172.34\
also is the passage in the Gospel according to John, PG026.0172.35\
'Therefore the more did the Jews persecute Him, PG026.0172.36\
because He not only broke the Sabbath, but said PG026.0172.37\
also that God was His own Father, making Himself equal PG026.0172.38\
with God .' For the Lord did not then fashion PG026.0172.39\
Himself to be God, nor indeed is a made God conceivable, PG026.0172.40\
but He manifested it by the works, saying, PG026.0172.41\
'Though ye believe not Me, believe My works, that PG026.0172.42\
ye may know that I am in the Father, and the Father PG026.0172.43\
in Me .' Thus then the Father has 'made' Him PG026.0172.44\
Lord and King in the midst of us, and towards us PG026.0173.01\
who were once disobedient; and it is plain that He PG026.0173.02\
who is now displayed as Lord and King, does not PG026.0173.03\
then begin to be King and Lord, but begins to shew PG026.0173.04\
His Lordship, and to extend it even over the disobedient. 13. If then they suppose that the Saviour PG026.0173.05\
PG026.0173.06\
was not Lord and King, even before He became PG026.0173.07\
man and endured the Cross, but then began to be Lord, PG026.0173.08\
let them know that they are openly reviving the PG026.0173.09\
statements of the Samosatene. But if, as we have PG026.0173.10\
quoted and declared above, He is Lord and King PG026.0173.11\
everlasting, seeing that Abraham worships Him as PG026.0173.12\
Lord, and Moses says, 'Then the Lord rained upon PG026.0173.13\
Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the PG026.0173.14\
Lord out of heaven ;' and David in the Psalms, PG026.0173.15\
'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right PG026.0173.16\
hand ;' and, 'Thy Throne, O God, is for ever PG026.0173.17\
and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre PG026.0173.18\
of Thy Kingdom ;' and, 'Thy Kingdom is an everlasting PG026.0173.19\
Kingdom ;' it is plain that even before PG026.0173.20\
He became man, He was King and Lord everlasting, PG026.0173.21\
being Image and Word of the Father. And the Word PG026.0173.22\
being everlasting Lord and King, it is very plain PG026.0173.23\
again that Peter said not that the Essence of PG026.0173.24\
the Son was made, but spoke of His Lordship over us, PG026.0173.25\
which 'became' when He became man, and, redeeming PG026.0173.26\
all by the Cross, became Lord of all and King. PG026.0173.27\
But if they continue the argument on the ground PG026.0173.28\
of its being written, 'He made,' not willing that PG026.0173.29\
'He made' should be taken in the sense of 'He manifested,' PG026.0173.30\
either from want of apprehension, or from PG026.0173.31\
their Christ-opposing purpose, let them attend PG026.0173.32\
to another sound exposition of Peter's words. PG026.0173.33\
For he who becomes Lord of others, comes into the PG026.0173.34\
possession of beings already in existence; but if PG026.0173.35\
the Lord is Framer of all and everlasting King, PG026.0173.36\
and when He became man, then gained possession of PG026.0173.37\
us, here too is a way in which Peter's language PG026.0173.38\
evidently does not signify that the Essence of the PG026.0173.39\
Word is a work, but the after-subjection of all PG026.0173.40\
things, and the Saviour's Lordship which came to PG026.0173.41\
be over all. And this coincides with what we said PG026.0173.42\
before ; for as we then introduced the words, PG026.0176.01\
'Become my God and defence,' and 'the Lord became PG026.0176.02\
a refuge for the oppressed ,' and it stood to PG026.0176.03\
reason that these expressions do not shew that God PG026.0176.04\
is originate, but that His beneficence 'becomes' towards PG026.0176.05\
each individual, the same sense has the expression PG026.0176.06\
of Peter also. 14. For the Son of God indeed, PG026.0176.07\
being Himself the Word, is Lord of all; but PG026.0176.08\
we once were subject from the first to the slavery PG026.0176.09\
of corruption and the curse of the Law, then by degrees PG026.0176.10\
fashioning for ourselves things that were not, PG026.0176.11\
we served, as says the blessed Apostle, 'them PG026.0176.12\
which by nature are no Gods ,' and, ignorant of PG026.0176.13\
the true God, we preferred things that were not to PG026.0176.14\
the truth; but afterwards, as the ancient people when PG026.0176.15\
oppressed in Egypt groaned, so, when we too had PG026.0176.16\
the Law 'engrafted ' in us, and according to the PG026.0176.17\
unutterable sighings of the Spirit made our intercession, PG026.0176.18\
'O Lord our God, take possession of us For PG026.0176.19\
PG026.0176.20\
PG026.0176.21\
PG026.0176.22\
PG026.0176.23\
PG026.0176.24\
PG026.0176.25\
PG026.0176.26\
PG026.0176.27\
PG026.0176.28\
PG026.0176.29\
PG026.0176.30\
PG026.0176.31\
PG026.0176.32\
PG026.0176.33\
PG026.0176.34\
PG026.0176.35\
PG026.0176.36\
though the Word existing in the form of God took a PG026.0176.37\
servant's form, yet the assumption of the flesh did PG026.0176.38\
not make a servant of the Word, who was by nature PG026.0176.39\
Lord; but rather, not only was it that emancipation PG026.0176.40\
of all humanity which takes place by the Word, PG026.0176.41\
but that very Word who was by nature Lord, and PG026.0176.42\
was then made man, hath by means of a servant's form PG026.0176.43\
been made Lord of all and Christ, that is, in order PG026.0176.44\
to hallow all by the Spirit. And as God, when PG026.0176.45\
'becoming a God and defence,' and saying, 'I will PG026.0177.01\
be a God to them,' does not then become God more PG026.0177.02\
than before, nor then begins to become God, but, PG026.0177.03\
what He ever is, that He then becomes to those who PG026.0177.04\
need Him, when it pleaseth Him, so Christ also PG026.0177.05\
being by nature Lord and King everlasting, does not PG026.0177.06\
become Lord more than He was at the time He is PG026.0177.07\
sent forth, nor then begins to be Lord and King, PG026.0177.08\
but what He is ever, that He then is made according PG026.0177.09\
to the flesh; and, having redeemed all, He PG026.0177.10\
becomes thereby again Lord of quick and dead. For PG026.0177.11\
Him henceforth do all things serve, and this is PG026.0177.12\
David's meaning in the Psalm, 'The Lord said unto PG026.0177.13\
my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make PG026.0177.14\
Thine enemies Thy footstool .' For it was fitting PG026.0177.15\
that the redemption should take place through PG026.0177.16\
none other than Him who is the Lord by nature, PG026.0177.17\
lest, though created by the Son, we should name PG026.0177.18\
another Lord, and fall into the Arian and Greek PG026.0177.19\
folly, serving the creature beyond the all-creating PG026.0177.20\
God . 15. This, at least according to my PG026.0177.21\
nothingness, is the meaning of this passage; moreover, PG026.0177.22\
a true and a good meaning have these words PG026.0177.23\
of Peter as regards the Jews. For Jews, astray PG026.0177.24\
from the truth, expect indeed the Christ as coming, PG026.0177.25\
but do not reckon that He undergoes a passion, PG026.0177.26\
saying what they understand not; 'We know that, PG026.0177.27\
when the Christ cometh, He abideth for ever, and PG026.0177.28\
how sayest Thou, that He must be lifted up ?' PG026.0177.29\
Next they suppose Him, not the Word coming in PG026.0177.30\
flesh, but a mere man, as were all the kings. PG026.0177.31\
The Lord then, admonishing Cleopas and the other, PG026.0177.32\
taught them that the Christ must first suffer; PG026.0177.33\
and the rest of the Jews that God was come among PG026.0177.34\
them, saying, 'If He called them gods to whom the PG026.0177.35\
word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be PG026.0177.36\
broken, say ye of Him whom the Father hath sanctified PG026.0177.37\
and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, PG026.0177.38\
because I said, I am the Son of God ?' 16. Peter PG026.0177.39\
then, having learned this from the Saviour, PG026.0177.40\
in both points set the Jews right, saying, "O Jews, PG026.0177.41\
the divine Scriptures announce that Christ cometh, PG026.0177.42\
and you consider Him a mere man as one of PG026.0177.43\
David's descendants, whereas what is written of Him PG026.0177.44\
shews Him to be not such as you say, but rather PG026.0177.45\
announces Him as Lord and God, and immortal, and PG026.0180.01\
dispenser of life. For Moses has said, 'Ye shall PG026.0180.02\
see your Life hanging before your eyes .' PG026.0180.03\
And David in the hundred and ninth Psalm, 'The Lord PG026.0180.04\
said unto My Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, PG026.0180.05\
till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool ;' PG026.0180.06\
and in the fifteenth, 'Thou shalt not leave my PG026.0180.07\
soul in hades, neither shalt Thou suffer Thy Holy PG026.0180.08\
One to see corruption .' Now that these PG026.0180.09\
passages have not David for their scope he himself PG026.0180.10\
witnesses, avowing that He who was coming was PG026.0180.11\
His own Lord. Nay you yourselves know that He PG026.0180.12\
is dead, and His remains are with you. That the PG026.0180.13\
Christ then must be such as the Scriptures say, PG026.0180.14\
you will plainly confess yourselves. For those PG026.0180.15\
announcements come from God, and in them falsehood PG026.0180.16\
cannot be. If then ye can state that such PG026.0180.17\
a one has come before, and can prove him God from PG026.0180.18\
the signs and wonders which he did, ye have reason PG026.0180.19\
for maintaining the contest, but if ye are PG026.0180.20\
not able to prove His coming, but are expecting PG026.0180.21\
such an one still, recognise the true season PG026.0180.22\
from Daniel, for his words relate to the present PG026.0180.23\
time. But if this present season be that which PG026.0180.24\
was of old, afore-announced, and ye have seen PG026.0180.25\
what has taken place among us, be sure that this PG026.0180.26\
Jesus, whom ye crucified, this is the expected PG026.0180.27\
Christ. For David and all the Prophets died, and PG026.0180.28\
the sepulchres of all are with you, but that PG026.0180.29\
Resurrection which has now taken place, has shewn PG026.0180.30\
that the scope of these passages is Jesus. For PG026.0180.31\
the crucifixion is denoted by 'Ye shall see PG026.0180.32\
your Life hanging,' and the wound in the side by PG026.0180.33\
the spear answers to 'He was led as a sheep to PG026.0180.34\
the slaughter ,' and the resurrection, nay more, PG026.0180.35\
the rising of the ancient dead from out their PG026.0180.36\
sepulchres (for these most of you have seen), PG026.0180.37\
this is, 'Thou shall not leave My soul in hades,' PG026.0180.38\
and 'He swallowed up death in strength ,' PG026.0180.39\
and again, 'God will wipe away.' For the signs PG026.0180.40\
which actually took place shew that He who was PG026.0180.41\
in a body was God, and also the Life and Lord of PG026.0180.42\
death. For it became the Christ, when giving PG026.0180.43\
life to others, Himself not to be detained by death; PG026.0181.01\
but this could not have happened, had He, PG026.0181.02\
as you suppose, been a mere man. But in truth PG026.0181.03\
He is the Son of God, for men are all subject to death. PG026.0181.04\
Let no one therefore doubt, but the whole PG026.0181.05\
house of Israel know assuredly that this Jesus, whom PG026.0181.06\
ye saw in shape a man, doing signs and such PG026.0181.07\
works, as no one ever yet had done, is Himself the PG026.0181.08\
Christ and Lord of all. For though made man, and PG026.0181.09\
called JESUS, as we said before, He received no PG026.0181.10\
loss by that human passion, but rather, in being PG026.0181.11\
made man, He is manifested as Lord of quick and PG026.0181.12\
dead. For since, as the Apostle said, 'in the wisdom PG026.0181.13\
of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it PG026.0181.14\
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to PG026.0181.15\
save them that believe .' And so, since we men PG026.0181.16\
would not acknowledge God through His Word, nor PG026.0181.17\
serve the Word of God our natural Master, it pleased PG026.0181.18\
God to shew in man His own Lordship, and so PG026.0181.19\
to draw all men to Himself. But to do this by a mere PG026.0181.20\
man be-seemed not ; lest, having man for our PG026.0181.21\
Lord, we should become worshippers of man . PG026.0181.22\
Therefore the Word Himself became flesh, and the PG026.0181.23\
Father called His Name Jesus, and so 'made' Him PG026.0181.24\
Lord and Christ, as much as to say, 'He made Him PG026.0181.25\
to rule and to reign;' that while in the Name of PG026.0181.26\
Jesus, whom ye crucified, every knee bows, we may PG026.0181.27\
acknowledge as Lord and King both the Son and PG026.0181.28\
through Him the Father." 17. The Jews then, most PG026.0181.29\
of them , hearing this, came to themselves and PG026.0181.30\
forthwith acknowledged the Christ, as it is written PG026.0181.31\
in the Acts. But, the Ario-maniacs on the PG026.0181.32\
contrary choose to remain Jews, and to contend with PG026.0181.33\
Peter; so let us proceed to place before them PG026.0181.34\
some parallel phrases; perhaps it may have some PG026.0181.35\
effect upon them, to find what the usage is of divine PG026.0181.36\
Scripture. Now that Christ is everlasting PG026.0181.37\
Lord and King, has become plain by what has gone PG026.0181.38\
before, nor is there a man to doubt about it; PG026.0181.39\
for being Son of God, He must be like Him , and PG026.0181.40\
being like, He is certainly both Lord and King, PG026.0181.41\
for He says Himself, 'He that hath seen Me, hath PG026.0181.42\
seen the Father.' On the other hand, that Peter's PG026.0181.43\
there words, 'He hath made Him both Lord and PG026.0181.44\
Christ,' do not imply the Son to be a creature, PG026.0181.45\
may be seen from Isaac's blessing, though this PG026.0181.46\
illustration is but a faint one for our subject. PG026.0181.47\
Now he said to Jacob, 'Become thou lord over thy PG026.0181.48\
brother;' and to Esau, 'Behold, I have made him PG026.0184.01\
thy lord .' Now though the word 'made' had implied PG026.0184.02\
Jacob's essence and the coming into being, PG026.0184.03\
even then it would not be right in them as much as to imagine PG026.0184.04\
the same of the Word of God, for the Son of God PG026.0184.05\
is no creature as Jacob was; besides, they might inquire PG026.0184.06\
and so rid themselves of that extravagance. But if PG026.0184.07\
they, do not understand it of his essence nor of his PG026.0184.08\
coming into being, though Jacob was by nature creature PG026.0184.09\
and work, is not their madness worse than the Devil's PG026.0184.10\
, if what they dare not ascribe in consequence of PG026.0184.11\
a like phrase even to things by nature originate, that PG026.0184.12\
they attach to the Son of God, saying that He is a PG026.0184.13\
creature? For Isaac said 'Become' and 'I have made,' PG026.0184.14\
signifying neither the coming into being nor the essence PG026.0184.15\
of Jacob (for after thirty years and more from his PG026.0184.16\
birth he said this); but his authority over his brother, PG026.0184.17\
which came to pass subsequently. 18. Much more then PG026.0184.18\
did Peter say this without meaning that the Essence PG026.0184.19\
of the Word was a work; for he knew Him to be God's PG026.0184.20\
Son, confessing, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the PG026.0184.21\
Living God ;' but he meant His Kingdom and Lordship PG026.0184.22\
which was formed and came to be according to grace, PG026.0184.23\
and was relatively to us. For while saying this, he was PG026.0184.24\
not silent about the Son of God's everlasting Godhead PG026.0184.25\
which is the Father's; but He had said already, that PG026.0184.26\
He had poured the Spirit on us; now to give the Spirit PG026.0184.27\
with authority, is not in the power of creature or PG026.0184.28\
work, but the Spirit is God's Gift . For the creatures PG026.0184.29\
are hallowed by the Holy Spirit; but the Son, in PG026.0184.30\
that He is not hallowed by the Spirit, but on the contrary PG026.0184.31\
Himself the Giver of it to all , is therefore PG026.0184.32\
no creature, but true Son of the Father. And yet He who PG026.0184.33\
gives the Spirit, the same is said also to be made; PG026.0184.34\
that is, to be made among us Lord because of His manhood, PG026.0184.35\
while giving the Spirit because He is God's Word. PG026.0184.36\
For He ever was and is, as Son, so also Lord and Sovereign PG026.0184.37\
of all, being like in all things to the Father, PG026.0184.38\
and having all that is the Father's as He Himself PG026.0184.39\
has said . 18. (continued). Now in the next place PG026.0184.40\
let us consider the passage in the Proverbs, 'The PG026.0184.41\
Lord created me a beginning of His ways for His works Whereas one may marvel at these men, thus devising PG026.0184.42\
PG026.0184.43\
PG026.0184.44\
PG026.0185.01\
PG026.0185.02\
PG026.0185.03\
excuses to be irreligious, and nothing daunted at the refutations PG026.0185.04\
which meet them upon every point. For first PG026.0185.05\
they set about deceiving the simple by their questions PG026.0185.06\
'Did He who is make from that which was not one that PG026.0185.07\
was not or one that was?'and, 'Had you a son before PG026.0185.08\
begetting him?'And when this had been proved worthless,next PG026.0185.09\
they invented the question, 'Is the Unoriginate PG026.0185.10\
one or two?' Then, when in this they had been confuted, PG026.0185.11\
straightway they formed another, 'Has He free-will PG026.0185.12\
and an alterable nature?' But being forced to give PG026.0185.13\
up this, next they set about saying, 'Being made so much PG026.0185.14\
better than the Angels;' and when the truth exposed PG026.0185.15\
this pretence, now again, collecting them all together, PG026.0185.16\
they think to recommend their heresy by 'work' and PG026.0185.17\
'creature.' For they mean those very things over again, PG026.0185.18\
and are true to their own perverseness, putting into PG026.0185.19\
various shapes and turning to and fro the same errors, PG026.0185.20\
if so be to deceive some by that variousness. Although PG026.0185.21\
then abundant proof has been given above of this PG026.0185.22\
their reckless expedient, yet, since they make all PG026.0185.23\
places sound with this passage from the Proverbs, and PG026.0185.24\
to many who are ignorant of the faith of Christians, seem PG026.0185.25\
to say somewhat it is necessary to examine separately, PG026.0185.26\
'He created' as well as 'Who was faithful to Him PG026.0185.27\
that made Him ;' that, as in all others, so in this PG026.0185.28\
text also, they may be proved to have got no further than PG026.0185.29\
a fantasy. 19. And first let us see the answers, PG026.0185.30\
which they returned to Alexander of blessed memory, PG026.0185.31\
in the outset, while their heresy was in course of PG026.0185.32\
formation. They wrote thus: 'He is a creature, but not PG026.0185.33\
as one of the creatures; a work, but not as one of the PG026.0185.34\
works; an offspring, but not as one of the offsprings PG026.0185.35\
.' Let every one consider the profligacy and craft PG026.0185.36\
of this heresy; for knowing the bitterness of its own PG026.0185.37\
malignity, it makes an effort to trick itself out with PG026.0185.38\
fair words, and says, what indeedit means, that He PG026.0185.39\
is a creature, yet thinks to be able to screen itself PG026.0185.40\
by adding, 'but not as one of the creatures.' However, PG026.0185.41\
in thus writing, they rather convict themselves of PG026.0185.42\
irreligion; for if, in your opinion, He is simply a creature, PG026.0188.01\
why add the pretence , 'but not as one of the PG026.0188.02\
creatures?' And if He is simply a work, how 'not as PG026.0188.03\
one of the works?' In which we may see the poison of the PG026.0188.04\
heresy. For by saying, 'offspring, but not as one of PG026.0188.05\
the offsprings,' they reckon many sons, and one of these PG026.0188.06\
they pronounce to be the Lord; so that according to them PG026.0188.07\
He is no more Only begotten, but one out of many brethren, PG026.0188.08\
and is called offspring and son. What use then PG026.0188.09\
is this pretence of saying that He is a creature and not PG026.0188.10\
a creature? for though ye shall say, Not as 'one of the PG026.0188.11\
creatures,' I will prove this sophism of yours to be foolish. PG026.0188.12\
For still ye pronounce Him to be one of the creatures; PG026.0188.13\
and whatever a man might say of the other creatures, PG026.0188.14\
such ye hold concerning the Son, ye truly 'fools and PG026.0188.15\
blind .' For is any one of the creatures just what another PG026.0188.16\
is , that ye should predicate this of the Son PG026.0188.17\
as some prerogative ? And all the visible creation PG026.0188.18\
was made in six days:-in the first, the light which He PG026.0188.19\
called day; in the second the firmament; in the third, gathering PG026.0188.20\
together the waters, He bared the dry land, and PG026.0188.21\
brought out the various fruits that are in it; and in the PG026.0188.22\
fourth, He made the sun and the moon and all the host PG026.0188.23\
of the stars; and on the fifth, He created the race of PG026.0188.24\
living things in the sea, and of birds in the air; and PG026.0188.25\
on the sixth, He made the quadrupeds on the earth, and at PG026.0188.26\
length man. And 'the invisible things of Him from the PG026.0188.27\
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood PG026.0188.28\
by the things that are made ;' and neither the light PG026.0188.29\
is as the night, nor the sun as the moon; nor the irrational PG026.0188.30\
as rational man; nor the Angels as the Thrones, nor PG026.0188.31\
the Thrones as the Authorities, yet they are all creatures, PG026.0188.32\
but each of the things made according to its kind PG026.0188.33\
exists and remains in its own essence, as it was made. PG026.0188.34\
20. Let the Word then be excepted from the works, and PG026.0188.35\
as Creator be restored to the Father, and be confessed to PG026.0189.01\
be Son by nature; or if simply He be a creature, then PG026.0189.02\
let Him be assigned the same condition as the rest one PG026.0189.03\
with another, and let them as well as He be said every one PG026.0189.04\
of them to be 'a creature but not as one of the creatures, PG026.0189.05\
offspring or work, but not as one of the works or PG026.0189.06\
offsprings.' For ye say that an offspring is the same PG026.0189.07\
as a work, writing 'generated or made .' For though PG026.0189.08\
the Son excel the rest on a comparison, still a creature PG026.0189.09\
He is nevertheless, as they are; since in those which PG026.0189.10\
are by nature creatures one may find some excelling PG026.0189.11\
others. Star, for instance, differs from star in glory, PG026.0189.12\
and the rest have all of them their mutual differences PG026.0189.13\
when compared together; yet it follows not for all this PG026.0189.14\
that some are lords, and others servants to the superior, PG026.0189.15\
nor that some are efficient causes , others by them PG026.0189.16\
come into being, but all have a nature which comes PG026.0189.17\
to be and is created, confessing in their own selves their PG026.0189.18\
Framer: as David says in the Psalms, 'The heavens declare PG026.0189.19\
the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His handy PG026.0189.20\
work ;' and as Zorobabel the wise says, 'All the PG026.0189.21\
earth calleth upon the Truth, and the heaven blesseth PG026.0189.22\
it: all works shake and tremble at it .' But if the PG026.0189.23\
whole earth hymns the Framer and the Truth, and blesses, PG026.0189.24\
and fears it, and its Framer is the Word, and He Himself PG026.0189.25\
says, 'I am the Truth ,' it follows that the Word PG026.0189.26\
is not a creature, but alone proper to the Father, in PG026.0189.27\
whom all things are disposed, and He is celebrated by PG026.0189.28\
all, as Framer; for 'I was by Him disposing ;' and PG026.0189.29\
'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work .' And the word PG026.0189.30\
'hitherto' shews His eternal existence in the Father PG026.0189.31\
as the Word; for it is proper to the Word to work the PG026.0189.32\
Father's works and not to be external to Him. 21. But PG026.0189.33\
if what the Father worketh, that the Son worketh also for else PG026.0189.34\
PG026.0189.35\
PG026.0189.36\
PG026.0189.37\
PG026.0189.38\
PG026.0189.39\
PG026.0189.40\
PG026.0189.41\
being Himself an efficient cause , He may cause that PG026.0189.42\
to be in the case of things caused, which He Himself has PG026.0189.43\
become, or rather He may have no power to cause at all. PG026.0192.01\
For how, if, as you hold, He is come of nothing, is PG026.0192.02\
He able to frame things that are nothing into being? PG026.0192.03\
or if He, a creature, withal frames a creature, the same PG026.0192.04\
will be conceivable in the case of every creature, viz. PG026.0192.05\
the power to frame others. And if this pleases you, PG026.0192.06\
what is the need of the Word, seeing that things inferior PG026.0192.07\
can be brought to be by things superior? or at all PG026.0192.08\
events, every thing that is brought to be could have PG026.0192.09\
heard in the beginning God's words,'Become' and 'be made,' PG026.0192.10\
and so would have been framed. But this is not so written, PG026.0192.11\
nor could it be. For none of things which are PG026.0192.12\
brought to be is an efficient cause, but all things were PG026.0192.13\
made through the Word: who would not have wrought all PG026.0192.14\
things, were He Himself in the number of the creatures. PG026.0192.15\
For neither would the Angels be able to frame, since PG026.0192.16\
they too are creatures, though Valentinus, and Marcion, PG026.0192.17\
and Basilides think so, and you are their copyists; nor PG026.0192.18\
will the sun, as being a creature, ever make what is PG026.0192.19\
not into what is; nor will man fashion man, nor stone PG026.0192.20\
devise stone, nor wood give growth to wood. But God PG026.0192.21\
is He who fashions man in the womb, and fixes the mountains, PG026.0192.22\
and makes wood grow; whereas man, as being capable PG026.0192.23\
of science, puts together and arranges that material, PG026.0192.24\
and works things that are, as he has learned; and is PG026.0192.25\
satisfied if they are but brought to be, and being conscious PG026.0192.26\
of what his nature is, if he needs aught, knows PG026.0192.27\
to ask it of God. 22. If then God also wrought and PG026.0192.28\
compounded out of materials, this indeed is a gentile PG026.0192.29\
thought, according to which God is an artificer and not PG026.0192.30\
a Maker, but yet even in that case let the Word work PG026.0192.31\
the materials, at the bidding and in the service of God PG026.0192.32\
. But if He calls into existence things which existed PG026.0192.33\
not by His proper Word, then the Word is not in the PG026.0192.34\
number of things non-existing and called; or we have PG026.0192.35\
to seek another Word , through whom He too was called; PG026.0192.36\
for by the Word the things which were not have come PG026.0192.37\
to be. And if through Him He creates and makes He is not PG026.0192.38\
Himself of things created and made but rather He is PG026.0192.39\
the Word of the Creator God and is known from the Father's PG026.0192.40\
works which He Himself worketh, to be 'in the Father PG026.0192.41\
and the Father in Him,' and 'He that hath seen Him hath PG026.0192.42\
seen the Father ,' because the Son's Essence is PG026.0192.43\
proper to the Father, and He in all points like Him PG026.0192.44\
. How then does He create through Him, unless it be His PG026.0192.45\
Word and His Wisdom? and how can He be Word and Wisdom, PG026.0193.01\
unless He be the proper offspring of His Essence PG026.0193.02\
, and did not come to be, as others, out of nothing? PG026.0193.03\
And whereas all things are from nothing, and are creatures, PG026.0193.04\
and the Son, as they say, is one of the creatures PG026.0193.05\
too and of things which once were not, how does PG026.0193.06\
He alone reveal the Father, and none else but He PG026.0193.07\
know the Father? For could He, a work possibly know PG026.0193.08\
the Father, then must the Father be also known by all PG026.0193.09\
according to the proportion of the measures of each: PG026.0193.10\
for all of them are works as He is. But if it be impossible PG026.0193.11\
for things originate either to see or to know, PG026.0193.12\
for the sight and the knowledge of Him surpasses PG026.0193.13\
all (since God Himself says, 'No one shall see My PG026.0193.14\
face and live '), yet the Son has declared, 'No one PG026.0193.15\
knoweth the Father, save the Son ,' therefore PG026.0193.16\
the Word is different from all things originate, in that PG026.0193.17\
He alone knows and alone sees the Father, as He PG026.0193.18\
says, 'Not that any one hath seen the Father, save He PG026.0193.19\
that is from the Father,' and 'no one knoweth the PG026.0193.20\
Father save the Son ,' though Arius think otherwise. PG026.0193.21\
How then did He alone know, except that He alone PG026.0193.22\
was proper to Him? and how proper, if He were a creature, PG026.0193.23\
and not a true Son from Him? (For one must not PG026.0193.24\
mind saying often the same thing for religion's sake.) PG026.0193.25\
Therefore it is irreligious to think that the Son PG026.0193.26\
is one of all things; and blasphemous and unmeaning PG026.0193.27\
to call Him 'a creature, but not as one of the creatures, PG026.0193.28\
and a work, but not as one of the works, an offspring, PG026.0193.29\
but not as one of the offsprings;' for how PG026.0193.30\
not as one of these, if, as they say, He was not before PG026.0193.31\
His generation ? for it is proper to the creatures PG026.0193.32\
and works not to be before their origination, PG026.0193.33\
and to subsist out of nothing, even though they excel PG026.0193.34\
other creatures in glory; for this difference of one PG026.0193.35\
with another will be found in all creatures, which PG026.0193.36\
appears in those which are visible . 23. Moreover PG026.0193.37\
if, as the heretics hold, the Son were creature PG026.0196.01\
or work, but not as one of the creatures, because of PG026.0196.02\
His excelling them in glory, it were natural that PG026.0196.03\
Scripture should describe and display Him by a comparison PG026.0196.04\
in His favour with the other works; for instance, that PG026.0196.05\
it should say that He is greater than Archangels, PG026.0196.06\
and more honourable than the Thrones, and both brighter PG026.0196.07\
than sun and moon, and greater than the heavens. But PG026.0196.08\
he is not in fact thus referred to; but the Father shews PG026.0196.09\
Him to be His own proper and only Son, saying, 'Thou PG026.0196.10\
art My Son,' and 'This is My beloved Son, in whom PG026.0196.11\
I am well pleased ' Accordingly the Angels ministered PG026.0196.12\
unto Him, as being one beyond themselves; and they PG026.0196.13\
worship Him, not as being greater in glory, but as PG026.0196.14\
being some one beyond all the creatures, and beyond themselves, PG026.0196.15\
and alone the Father's proper Son according PG026.0196.16\
to essence . For if He was worshipped as excelling PG026.0196.17\
them in glory, each of things subservient ought to worship PG026.0196.18\
what excels itself. But this is not the case PG026.0196.19\
; for creature does not worship creature, but servant PG026.0196.20\
Lord, and creature God. Thus Peter the Apostle hinders PG026.0196.21\
Cornelius who would worship him, saying, 'I myself also PG026.0196.22\
am a man .' And an Angel, when John would worship PG026.0196.23\
him in the Apocalypse, hinders him, saying, 'See thou PG026.0196.24\
do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren PG026.0196.25\
the Prophets, and of them that keep the sayings PG026.0196.26\
of this book: worship God .' Therefore to God alone PG026.0196.27\
appertains worship, and this the very Angels know, PG026.0196.28\
that though they excel other beings in glory, yet they PG026.0196.29\
are all creatures and not to be worshipped , but PG026.0196.30\
worship the Lord. Thus Manoah, the father of Samson, wishing PG026.0196.31\
to offer sacrifice to the Angel, was thereupon PG026.0196.32\
hindered by him, saying, 'Offer not to me, but to God ;' and by all the Gentiles, as Isaiah PG026.0196.33\
PG026.0196.34\
PG026.0196.35\
PG026.0196.36\
says, 'The labour of Egypt and merchandize of Ethiopia PG026.0196.37\
and of the Subeans, men of stature, shall come PG026.0196.38\
over unto thee, and they shall be thy servants;' and then, PG026.0196.39\
'they shall fall down unto thee, and shall make supplication PG026.0197.01\
unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, PG026.0197.02\
and there is none else, there is no God .' And He PG026.0197.03\
accepts His disciples' worship, and certifies them who He PG026.0197.04\
is, saying, 'Call ye Me not Lord and Master? and ye say PG026.0197.05\
well, for so I am.' And when Thomas said to Him, 'My PG026.0197.06\
Lord and my God ,' He allows his words, or rather accepts PG026.0197.07\
him instead of hindering him. For He is, as the other PG026.0197.08\
Prophets declare, and David says in the Psalm, 'the PG026.0197.09\
Lord of hosts, the Lord of Sabaoth,' which is interpreted, PG026.0197.10\
'the Lord of Armies,' and God True and Almighty, though PG026.0197.11\
the Arians burst at the tidings. 24. But He had PG026.0197.12\
not been thus worshipped, nor been thus spoken of, were PG026.0197.13\
He a creature merely. But now since He is not a creature, PG026.0197.14\
but the proper offspring of the Essence of that God PG026.0197.15\
who is worshipped, and His Son by nature, therefore PG026.0197.16\
He is worshipped and is believed to be God, and is Lord PG026.0197.17\
of armies, and in authority, and Almighty, as the Father PG026.0197.18\
is; for He has said Himself, 'All things that the Father PG026.0197.19\
hath, are Mine .' For it is proper to the Son, to PG026.0197.20\
have the things of the Father, and to be such that the PG026.0197.21\
Father is seen in Him, and that through Him all things PG026.0197.22\
were made, and that the salvation of all comes to pass PG026.0197.23\
and consists in Him. 24 (continued). AND here it were PG026.0197.24\
well to ask them also this question , for a still PG026.0197.25\
clearer refutation of their heresy;-Wherefore, when all PG026.0197.26\
things are creatures, and all are brought into consistence PG026.0197.27\
from nothing, and the Son Himself, according to you, PG026.0197.28\
is creature and work, and once was not, wherefore has PG026.0197.29\
He made 'all things through Him' alone, 'and without Him PG026.0197.30\
was made not one thing ?' or why is it, when 'all PG026.0197.31\
things' are spoken of, that no one thinks the Son is signified PG026.0197.32\
in the number, but only things originate; whereas PG026.0197.33\
when Scripture speaks of the Word, it does not understand PG026.0197.34\
Him as being in the number of 'all,' but places Him PG026.0197.35\
with the Father, as Him in whom Providence and salvation PG026.0197.36\
for 'all' are wrought and effected by the Father, though PG026.0197.37\
all things surely might at the same command have PG026.0197.38\
come to be, at which He was brought into being by God alone? For God is not wearied by commanding , nor is PG026.0197.39\
PG026.0197.40\
His strength unequal to the making of all things, that PG026.0197.41\
He should alone create the only Son , and need His PG026.0200.01\
ministry and aid for the framing of the rest. For He lets PG026.0200.02\
nothing stand over, which He wills to be done; but PG026.0200.03\
He willed only , and all things subsisted, and no PG026.0200.04\
one 'hath resisted His will .' Why then were not all PG026.0200.05\
things brought into being by God alone at that same PG026.0200.06\
command, at which the Son came into being? Or let PG026.0200.07\
them tell us, why did all things through Him come to PG026.0200.08\
be, who was Himself but originate? How void of reason! PG026.0200.09\
however, they say concerning Him, that 'God willing PG026.0200.10\
to create originate nature, when He saw that it PG026.0200.11\
could not endure the untempered hand of the Father, PG026.0200.12\
and to be created by Him, makes and creates first and PG026.0200.13\
alone one only, and calls Him Son and Word, that, through PG026.0200.14\
Him as a medium, all things might thereupon be PG026.0200.15\
brought to be .' This they not only have said, PG026.0200.16\
but they have dared to put it into writing, namely, Eusebius, PG026.0200.17\
Arius, and Asterius who sacrificed . 25. PG026.0200.18\
Is not this a full proof of that irreligion, with PG026.0200.19\
which they have drugged themselves with much madness, PG026.0200.20\
till they blush not to be intoxicate against the truth? PG026.0200.21\
For if they shall assign the toil of making all PG026.0200.22\
things as the reason why God made the Son only, the PG026.0200.23\
whole creation will cry out against them as saying PG026.0200.24\
unworthy things of God; and Isaiah too who has said in PG026.0200.25\
Scripture, 'The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator PG026.0200.26\
of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither PG026.0200.27\
is weary: there is no searching of His understanding And if God made the Son alone, as not deigning PG026.0200.28\
PG026.0200.29\
to make the rest, but committed them to the Son PG026.0200.30\
as an assistant, this on the other hand is unworthy PG026.0200.31\
of God, for in Him there is no pride. Nay the Lord PG026.0200.32\
reproves the thought, when He says, 'Are not two sparrows PG026.0200.33\
sold for a farthing?' and 'one of them shall not PG026.0200.34\
fall on the ground without your Father which is in PG026.0200.35\
heaven.' And again, 'Take no thought for your life, PG026.0200.36\
what ye shall eat, nor yet for your body, what ye shall PG026.0200.37\
put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the PG026.0200.38\
body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for PG026.0200.39\
they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into PG026.0200.40\
barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them; are ye PG026.0200.41\
not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought, PG026.0200.42\
can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take PG026.0200.43\
ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the PG026.0201.01\
field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they PG026.0201.02\
spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon PG026.0201.03\
in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore PG026.0201.04\
if God so clothe the grass of the field which PG026.0201.05\
to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall PG026.0201.06\
He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith 26. Next, PG026.0201.07\
PG026.0201.08\
PG026.0201.09\
PG026.0201.10\
PG026.0201.11\
PG026.0201.12\
PG026.0201.13\
PG026.0201.14\
PG026.0201.15\
PG026.0201.16\
PG026.0201.17\
PG026.0201.18\
PG026.0201.19\
PG026.0201.20\
their folly may be exposed thus:-if even the Word be of PG026.0201.21\
originated nature, how, whereas this nature is too feeble PG026.0201.22\
to be God's own handy work, could He alone of all PG026.0201.23\
endure to be made by the unoriginate and unmitigated PG026.0201.24\
Essence of God, as ye say? for it follows either that, PG026.0201.25\
if He could endure it, all could endure it, or, it PG026.0201.26\
being endurable by none, it was not endurable by the PG026.0201.27\
Word, for you say that He is one of originate things. PG026.0201.28\
And again, if because originate nature could not endure PG026.0201.29\
to be God's own handiwork, there arose need of a mediator PG026.0201.30\
, it must follow, that, the Word being originate PG026.0201.31\
and a creature, there is need of medium in His PG026.0201.32\
framing also, since He too is of that originate nature PG026.0201.33\
which endures not to be made of God, but needs a medium. PG026.0201.34\
But if some being as a medium be found for Him, PG026.0201.35\
then again a fresh mediator is needed for that second, PG026.0201.36\
and thus tracing back and following out, we shall invent PG026.0201.37\
a vast crowd of accumulating mediators; and thus PG026.0201.38\
it will be impossible that the creation should subsist, PG026.0201.39\
as ever wanting a mediator, and that medium not coming PG026.0201.40\
into being without another mediator; for all of them PG026.0201.41\
will be of that originate nature which endures not PG026.0201.42\
to be made of God alone, as ye say. How abundant is PG026.0201.43\
that folly, which obliges them to hold that what has PG026.0201.44\
already come into being, admits not of coming! Or perhaps PG026.0204.01\
they opine that they have not even come to be, as PG026.0204.02\
still seeking their mediator; for, on the ground of PG026.0204.03\
their so irreligious and futile notion , what is PG026.0204.04\
would not have subsistence, for want of the medium. PG026.0204.05\
27. But again they allege this:-'Behold, through PG026.0204.06\
Moses too did He lead the people from Egypt, and through PG026.0204.07\
him He gave the Law, yet he was a man; so that PG026.0204.08\
it is possible for like to be brought into being by PG026.0204.09\
like.' They should veil their face when they say this, PG026.0204.10\
to save their much shame. For Moses was not sent PG026.0204.11\
to frame the world, nor to call into being things PG026.0204.12\
which were not, or to fashion men like himself, but PG026.0204.13\
only to be the minister of words to the people, and PG026.0204.14\
to King Pharaoh. And this is a very different thing, PG026.0204.15\
for to minister is of things originate as of servants, PG026.0204.16\
but to frame and to create is of God alone, and PG026.0204.17\
of His proper Word and His Wisdom. Wherefore, in PG026.0204.18\
the matter of framing, we shall find none but God's PG026.0204.19\
Word; for 'all things are made in Wisdom,' and 'without PG026.0204.20\
the Word was made not one thing.' But as regards PG026.0204.21\
ministrations there are, not one only, but many PG026.0204.22\
out of their whole number, whomever the Lord will send. PG026.0204.23\
For there are many Archangels, many Thrones, and PG026.0204.24\
Authorities, and Dominions, thousands of thousands, PG026.0204.25\
and myriads of myriads, standing before Him , PG026.0204.26\
ministering and ready to be sent. And many Prophets, PG026.0204.27\
and twelve Apostles, and Paul. And Moses himself was PG026.0204.28\
not alone, but Aaron with him, and next other seventy PG026.0204.29\
were filled with the Holy Ghost. And Moses was PG026.0204.30\
succeeded by Joshua the son of Nun, and he by the Judges, PG026.0204.31\
and they not by one, but by a number of Kings. PG026.0204.32\
If then the Son were a creature and one of things PG026.0204.33\
originate, there must have been many such sons, that PG026.0204.34\
God might have many such ministers, just as there PG026.0204.35\
is a multitude of those others. But if this is PG026.0204.36\
not to be seen, but while the creatures are many, the PG026.0204.37\
Word is one, any one will collect from this, that PG026.0204.38\
the Son differs from all, and is not on a level with PG026.0204.39\
the creatures, but proper to the Father. Hence there PG026.0204.40\
are not many Words, but one only Word of the one PG026.0204.41\
Father, and one Image of the one God . 'But behold,' PG026.0204.42\
they say, 'there is one sun only , and one PG026.0204.43\
earth.' Let them maintain, senseless as they are, that PG026.0205.01\
there is one water and one fire, and then they may PG026.0205.02\
be told that everything that is brought to be, PG026.0205.03\
is one in its own essence; but for the ministry and service PG026.0205.04\
committed to it, by itself it is not adequate PG026.0205.05\
nor sufficient alone. For God said, 'Let there be lights PG026.0205.06\
in the firmament of heaven, to give light upon PG026.0205.07\
the earth and to divide the day from the night; and PG026.0205.08\
let them be for signs and for seasons and for days PG026.0205.09\
and years.' And then he says, 'And God made two great PG026.0205.10\
lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the PG026.0205.11\
lesser light to rule the night He made the stars also. PG026.0205.12\
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, PG026.0205.13\
to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the PG026.0205.14\
day and over the night .' 28. Behold there are many PG026.0205.15\
lights, and not the sun only, nor the moon only, PG026.0205.16\
but each is one in essence, and yet the service of all PG026.0205.17\
is one and common; and what each lacks, is supplied PG026.0205.18\
by the other, and the office of lighting is performed PG026.0205.19\
by all . Thus the sun has authority to shine PG026.0205.20\
throughout the day and no more; and the moon through PG026.0205.21\
the night; and the stars together with them accomplish PG026.0205.22\
the seasons and years, and become for signs, each PG026.0205.23\
according to the need that calls for it. Thus too PG026.0205.24\
the earth is not for all things, but for the fruits PG026.0205.25\
only, and to be a ground to tread on for the living PG026.0205.26\
things that inhabit it. And the firmament is to divide PG026.0205.27\
between waters and waters, and to be a place to PG026.0205.28\
set the stars in. So also fire and water, with other PG026.0205.29\
things, have been brought into being to be the constituent PG026.0205.30\
parts of bodies; and in short no one thing is PG026.0205.31\
alone, but all things that are made, as if members PG026.0205.32\
of each other, make up as it were one body, namely, PG026.0205.33\
the world. If then they thus conceive of the Son, let PG026.0205.34\
all men throw stones at them, considering the PG026.0205.35\
Word to be a part of this universe, and a part insufficient PG026.0205.36\
without the rest for the service committed to PG026.0205.37\
Him. But if this be manifestly irreligious, let them PG026.0205.38\
acknowledge that the Word is not in the number of PG026.0205.39\
things originate, but the sole and proper Word of the PG026.0205.40\
Father, and their Framer. 'But,' say they, 'though PG026.0205.41\
He is a creature and of things originate; yet as PG026.0205.42\
from a master and artificer has He learned to frame, PG026.0205.43\
and thus ministered to God who taught Him.' PG026.0205.44\
For thus the Sophist Asterius, on the strength of having PG026.0205.45\
learned to deny the Lord, has dared to write, not PG026.0208.01\
observing the absurdity which follows. For if framing PG026.0208.02\
be a thing to be taught, let them beware lest PG026.0208.03\
they say that God Himself be a Framer not by nature PG026.0208.04\
but by science, so as to admit of His losing the power. PG026.0208.05\
Besides, if the Wisdom of God attained to frame PG026.0208.06\
by teaching, how is He still Wisdom, when He needs PG026.0208.07\
to learn? and what was He before He learned? For it PG026.0208.08\
was not Wisdom, if it needed teaching; it was surely PG026.0208.09\
but some empty thing, and not essential Wisdom PG026.0208.10\
, but from advancement it had the name of Wisdom, PG026.0208.11\
and will be only so long Wisdom as it can keep what PG026.0208.12\
it has learned. For what has accrued not by any nature, PG026.0208.13\
but from learning, admits of being one time unlearned. PG026.0208.14\
But to speak thus of the Word of God, is not PG026.0208.15\
the part of Christians but of Greeks. 29. For if PG026.0208.16\
the power of framing accrues to anyone from teaching, PG026.0208.17\
these insensate men are ascribing jealousy and PG026.0208.18\
weakness to God;-jealousy, in that He has not taught PG026.0208.19\
many how to frame, so that there may be around PG026.0208.20\
Him, as Archangels and Angels many, so framers many; PG026.0208.21\
and weakness, in that He could not make by Himself, PG026.0208.22\
but needed a fellow-worker, or under-worker; and PG026.0208.23\
that, though it has been already shewn that created PG026.0208.24\
nature admits of being made by God alone, since they PG026.0208.25\
consider the Son to be of such a nature and so made. PG026.0208.26\
But God is deficient in nothing: perish the thought! PG026.0208.27\
for He has said Himself, 'I am full .' Nor PG026.0208.28\
did the Word become Framer of all from teaching; but PG026.0208.29\
being the Image and Wisdom of the Father, He does PG026.0208.30\
the things of the Father. Nor hath He made the Son PG026.0208.31\
for the making of things created; for behold, though PG026.0208.32\
the Son exists, still the Father is seen to work, PG026.0208.33\
as the Lord Himself says, 'My Father worketh hitherto PG026.0208.34\
and I work .' If however, as you say, the PG026.0208.35\
Son came into being for the purpose of making the things PG026.0208.36\
after Him, and yet the Father is seen to work PG026.0208.37\
even after the Son, you must hold even in this light PG026.0208.38\
the making of such a Son to be superfluous. Besides, PG026.0208.39\
why, when He would create us, does He seek for a PG026.0208.40\
mediator at all, as if His will did not suffice to PG026.0208.41\
constitute whatever seemed good to Him? Yet the Scriptures PG026.0208.42\
say, 'He hath done whatsoever pleased Hires ?' And if PG026.0208.43\
PG026.0208.44\
His mere will is sufficient for the framing of all PG026.0209.01\
things, you make the office of a mediator superfluous; PG026.0209.02\
for your instance of Moses, and the sun and PG026.0209.03\
the moon has been shewn not to hold. And here again PG026.0209.04\
is an argument to silence you. You say that God, PG026.0209.05\
willing the creation of originated nature, and deliberating PG026.0209.06\
concerning it, designs and creates the Son, PG026.0209.07\
that through Him He may frame us; now, if so, consider PG026.0209.08\
how great an irreligion you have dared to utter. PG026.0209.09\
30. First, the Son appears rather to have been PG026.0209.10\
for us brought to be, than we for Him; for we were PG026.0209.11\
not created for Him, but He is made for us ; so PG026.0209.12\
that He owes thanks to us, not we to Him, as the woman PG026.0209.13\
to the man. 'For the man,' says Scripture, 'was PG026.0209.14\
not created for the woman, but the woman for the man.' PG026.0209.15\
Therefore, as 'the man is the image and glory of PG026.0209.16\
God, and the woman the glory of the man ,' so we PG026.0209.17\
are made God's image and to His glory; but the Son PG026.0209.18\
is our image, and exists for our glory. And we were PG026.0209.19\
brought into being that we might be; but God's Word PG026.0209.20\
was made, as you must hold, not that He might be PG026.0209.21\
; but as an instrument for our need, so that PG026.0209.22\
not we from Him, but He is constituted from our need. PG026.0209.23\
Are not men who even conceive such thoughts, more PG026.0209.24\
than insensate? For if for us the Word was made, He PG026.0209.25\
has not precedence of us with God; for He did not PG026.0209.26\
take counsel about us having Him within Him, but PG026.0209.27\
having us in Himself, counselled, as they say, concerning PG026.0209.28\
His own Word. But if so, perchance the Father PG026.0209.29\
had not even a will for the Son at all; for not as PG026.0209.30\
having a will for Him, did He create Him, but with PG026.0209.31\
a will for us, He formed Him for our sake; for He designed PG026.0209.32\
Him after designing us so that, according to PG026.0209.33\
these irreligious men, henceforth the Son, who was PG026.0209.34\
made as an instrument, is superfluous, now that they PG026.0209.35\
are made for whom He was created. But if the Son PG026.0209.36\
alone was made by God alone, because He could endure PG026.0209.37\
it, but we, because we could not, were made by the PG026.0209.38\
Word, why does He not first take counsel about the PG026.0209.39\
Word, who could endure His making, instead of taking PG026.0209.40\
counsel about us? or why does He not make more of PG026.0209.41\
Him who was strong, than of us who were weak? or why PG026.0209.42\
making Him first, does He not counsel about Him first? PG026.0212.01\
or why counselling about us first, does He not PG026.0212.02\
make us first, His will being sufficient for the PG026.0212.03\
constitution of all things? But He creates Him first, PG026.0212.04\
yet counsels first about us; and He wills us before the PG026.0212.05\
Mediator; and when He wills to create us, and counsels PG026.0212.06\
about us, He calls us creatures; but Him, whom He PG026.0212.07\
frames for us, He calls Son and proper Heir. But we, PG026.0212.08\
for whose sake He made Him, ought rather to be called PG026.0212.09\
sons; or certainly He, who is His Son, is rather the PG026.0212.10\
object of His previous thoughts and of His will, for PG026.0212.11\
whom He makes all us. Such the sickness, such the PG026.0212.12\
vomit of the heretics. 31. BUT the sentiment of PG026.0212.13\
Truth in this matter must not be hidden, but must PG026.0212.14\
have high utterance. For the Word of God was not made PG026.0212.15\
for us, but rather we for Him, and 'in Him all things PG026.0212.16\
were created .' Nor for that we were weak, was PG026.0212.17\
He strong and made by the Father alone, that He might PG026.0212.18\
frame us by means of Him as an instrument; perish the PG026.0212.19\
thought! it is not so. For though it had seemed good PG026.0212.20\
to God not to make things originate, still had the PG026.0212.21\
Word been no less with God, and the Father in Him. PG026.0212.22\
At the same time, things originate could not without PG026.0212.23\
the Word be brought to be; hence they were made through PG026.0212.24\
Him,-and reasonably. For since the Word is the Son PG026.0212.25\
of God by nature proper to His essence, and is from PG026.0212.26\
Him, and in Him , as He said Himself, the creatures PG026.0212.27\
could not have come to be, except through Him. For PG026.0212.28\
as the light enlightens all things by its radiance, PG026.0212.29\
and without its radiance nothing would be illuminated, PG026.0212.30\
so also the Father, as by a hand , in the Word PG026.0212.31\
wrought all things, and without Him makes nothing. PG026.0212.32\
For instance, God said, as Moses relates, 'Let there PG026.0212.33\
be light,' and 'Let the waters be gathered together,' PG026.0212.34\
and 'let the dry land appear,' and 'Let Us make man;' for what He thought good and counselled, PG026.0212.35\
PG026.0212.36\
PG026.0212.37\
PG026.0212.38\
PG026.0213.01\
PG026.0213.02\
PG026.0213.03\
PG026.0213.04\
PG026.0213.05\
PG026.0213.06\
PG026.0213.07\
PG026.0213.08\
PG026.0213.09\
PG026.0213.10\
that forthwith the Word began to do and to finish. PG026.0213.11\
For when God commands others, whether the Angels, PG026.0213.12\
or converses with Moses, or commands Abraham, PG026.0213.13\
then the hearer answers; and the one says, 'Whereby PG026.0213.14\
shall I know ?' and the other, 'Send some PG026.0213.15\
one else ;' and again, 'If they ask me, what PG026.0213.16\
is His Name, what shall I say to them ?' and PG026.0213.17\
the Angel said to Zacharias, 'Thus saith the Lord;' and 'By the PG026.0213.18\
PG026.0213.19\
PG026.0213.20\
PG026.0213.21\
PG026.0213.22\
PG026.0213.23\
PG026.0213.24\
PG026.0213.25\
PG026.0213.26\
PG026.0213.27\
PG026.0213.28\
PG026.0213.29\
PG026.0213.30\
PG026.0213.31\
PG026.0213.32\
PG026.0213.33\
Word of the Lord were the heavens made fast;' and PG026.0213.34\
'There is one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all PG026.0213.35\
things, and we by Him .' 32. It is plain from PG026.0213.36\
this that the Arians are not fighting with us about PG026.0213.37\
their heresy; but while they pretend us, their PG026.0213.38\
real fight is against the Godhead Itself. For if PG026.0213.39\
the voice were ours which says, 'This it My Son ,' are they not fighting PG026.0213.40\
PG026.0216.01\
PG026.0216.02\
PG026.0216.03\
PG026.0216.04\
against God, as the giants in story, having their PG026.0216.05\
tongue, as the Psalmist says, a sharp sword for PG026.0216.06\
irreligion? For they neither feared the voice of the PG026.0216.07\
Father, nor reverenced the Saviour's words, nor trusted PG026.0216.08\
the Saints, one of whom writes, 'Who being the PG026.0216.09\
Brightness of His glory and the Expression of His subsistence,' PG026.0216.10\
and 'Christ the power of God and the Wisdom PG026.0216.11\
of God ;' and another says in the Psalm, 'With PG026.0216.12\
Thee is the well of life, and in Thy Light shall PG026.0216.13\
we see light,' and 'Thou madest all things in Wisdom ;' and John, 'In the beginning was PG026.0216.14\
PG026.0216.15\
PG026.0216.16\
the Word;' and Luke, 'As they delivered them unto us PG026.0216.17\
which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers PG026.0216.18\
of the Word ;' and as David again says, 'He PG026.0216.19\
sent His Word and healed them .' All these passages PG026.0216.20\
proscribe in every light the Arian heresy, and PG026.0216.21\
signify the eternity of the Word, and that He is not PG026.0216.22\
foreign but proper to the Father's Essence. For PG026.0216.23\
when saw any one light without radiance? or who dares PG026.0216.24\
to say that the expression can be different from the PG026.0216.25\
subsistence? or has not a man himself lost his mind PG026.0216.26\
who even entertains the thought that God was ever PG026.0216.27\
without Reason and without Wisdom? For such illustrations PG026.0216.28\
and such images has Scripture proposed, that, PG026.0216.29\
considering the inability of human nature to comprehend PG026.0216.30\
God, we might be able to form ideas even from PG026.0216.31\
these however poorly and dimly, and as far as is attainable PG026.0216.32\
. And as the creation contains abundant PG026.0216.33\
matter for the knowledge of the being of a God and a PG026.0216.34\
Providence (' for by the greatness and beauty of the PG026.0216.35\
creatures proportionably the Maker of them is seen PG026.0216.36\
'), and we learn from them without asking for voices, PG026.0216.37\
but hearing the Scriptures we believe, and surveying PG026.0216.38\
the very order and the harmony of all things, PG026.0216.39\
we acknowledge that He is Maker and Lord and God of PG026.0216.40\
all, and apprehend His marvellous Providence and governance PG026.0216.41\
over all things; so in like manner about the PG026.0216.42\
Son's Godhead, what has been above said is sufficient, PG026.0216.43\
and it becomes superfluous, or rather it is very PG026.0217.01\
mad to dispute about it, or to ask in an heretical PG026.0217.02\
way, How can the Son be from eternity? or how can PG026.0217.03\
He be from the Father's Essence, yet not a part? since PG026.0217.04\
what is said to be of another, is a part of him; PG026.0217.05\
and what is divided, is not whole. 33. These are PG026.0217.06\
the evil sophistries of the heterodox; yet, though PG026.0217.07\
we have already shewn their shallowness, the exact PG026.0217.08\
sense of these passages themselves and the force PG026.0217.09\
of these illustrations will serve to shew the baseless PG026.0217.10\
nature of their loathsome tenet. For we see that PG026.0217.11\
reason is ever, and is from him and proper to his PG026.0217.12\
essence, whose reason it is, and does not admit PG026.0217.13\
a before and an after. So again we see that the radiance PG026.0217.14\
from the sun is proper to it, and the sun's PG026.0217.15\
essence is not divided or impaired; but its essence PG026.0217.16\
is whole and its radiance perfect and whole , PG026.0217.17\
yet without impairing the essence of light, but as PG026.0217.18\
a true offspring from it. We understand in like manner PG026.0217.19\
that the Son is begotten not from without but PG026.0217.20\
from the Father, and while the Father remains whole, PG026.0217.21\
the Expression of His Subsistence is ever, and preserves PG026.0217.22\
the Father's likeness and unvarying Image, PG026.0217.23\
so that he who sees Him, sees in Him the Subsistence PG026.0217.24\
too, of which He is the Expression. And from the PG026.0217.25\
operation of the Expression we understand the true PG026.0217.26\
Godhead of the Subsistence, as the Saviour Himself PG026.0217.27\
teaches when He says, 'The Father who dwelleth in PG026.0217.28\
Me, He doeth the works ' which I do; and 'I and PG026.0217.29\
the Father are one,' and 'I in the Father and the PG026.0217.30\
Father in Me .' Therefore let this Christ-opposing PG026.0217.31\
heresy attempt first to divide the examples PG026.0217.32\
found in things originate, and say, 'Once the sun PG026.0217.33\
was without his radiance,' or, 'Radiance is not proper PG026.0217.34\
to the essence of light,' or 'It is indeed proper, PG026.0217.35\
but it is a part of light by division; and then PG026.0217.36\
let it divide Reason, and pronounce that it is PG026.0217.37\
foreign to mind, or that once it was not, or that it PG026.0217.38\
was not proper to its essence, or that it is by PG026.0217.39\
division a part of mind.' And so of His Expression PG026.0217.40\
and the Light and the Power, let it do violence to PG026.0217.41\
these as in the case of Reason and Radiance; and instead PG026.0217.42\
let it imagine what it will . But if such PG026.0217.43\
extravagance be impossible for them, are they not PG026.0217.44\
greatly beside themselves, presumptuously intruding PG026.0220.01\
into what is higher than things originate and their PG026.0220.02\
own nature, and essaying impossibilities ? PG026.0220.03\
34. For if in the case of these originate and irrational PG026.0220.04\
things offsprings are found which are not parts PG026.0220.05\
of the essences from which they are, nor subsist PG026.0220.06\
with passion, nor impair the essences of their originals, PG026.0220.07\
are they not mad again in seeking and conjecturing PG026.0220.08\
parts and passions in the instance of the PG026.0220.09\
immaterial and true God, and ascribing divisions to PG026.0220.10\
Him who is beyond passion and change, thereby to perplex PG026.0220.11\
the ears of the simple and to pervert them PG026.0220.12\
from the Truth? for who hears of a son but conceives PG026.0220.13\
of that which is proper to the father's essence? who heard, in his first catechising , that God PG026.0220.14\
PG026.0220.15\
has a Son and has made all things by His proper PG026.0220.16\
Word, but understood it in that sense in which we now PG026.0220.17\
mean it? who on the rise of this odious heresy of PG026.0220.18\
the Arians, was not at once startled at what he heard, PG026.0220.19\
as strange , and a second sowing, besides PG026.0220.20\
that Word which had been sown from the beginning? For PG026.0220.21\
what is sown in every soul from the beginning is PG026.0220.22\
that God has a Son, the Word, the Wisdom, the Power, PG026.0220.23\
that is, His Image and Radiance; from which it at PG026.0220.24\
once follows that He is always; that He is from the PG026.0220.25\
Father; that He is like; that He is the eternal offspring PG026.0220.26\
of His essence; and there is no idea involved PG026.0220.27\
in these of creature or work. But when the man PG026.0220.28\
who is an enemy, while men slept, made a second sowing PG026.0220.29\
, of 'He is a creature,' and 'There was once PG026.0220.30\
when He was not,' and 'How can it be?' thenceforth PG026.0220.31\
the wicked heresy of Christ's enemies rose as tares, PG026.0220.32\
and forthwith, as bereft of every right thought, PG026.0220.33\
they meddle like robbers, and venture to say, 'How PG026.0220.34\
can the Son always exist with the Father?' for PG026.0220.35\
men come of men and are sons, after a time; and the PG026.0220.36\
father is thirty years old, when the son begins to PG026.0220.37\
be, being begotten; and in short of every son of man, PG026.0220.38\
it is true that he was not before his generation. PG026.0220.39\
And again they whisper, 'How can the Son be Word, PG026.0220.40\
or the Word be God's Image? for the word of men is PG026.0221.01\
composed of syllables , and only signifies the PG026.0221.02\
speaker's will, and then is over and is lost.' PG026.0221.03\
35. They then afresh, as if forgetting the proofs PG026.0221.04\
which have been already urged against them, 'pierce PG026.0221.05\
themselves through ' with these bonds of irreligion, PG026.0221.06\
and thus argue. But the word of truth confutes PG026.0221.07\
them as follows:-if they were disputing concerning PG026.0221.08\
any man, then let them exercise reason in this PG026.0221.09\
human way, both concerning His Word and His Son; PG026.0221.10\
but if of God who created man, no longer let them PG026.0221.11\
entertain human thoughts, but others which are above PG026.0221.12\
human nature. For such as he that besets, such PG026.0221.13\
of necessity is the offspring; and such as is the PG026.0221.14\
Word's Father, such must be also His Word. Now man, PG026.0221.15\
begotten in time, in time also himself besets PG026.0221.16\
the child; and whereas from nothing he came to be, PG026.0221.17\
therefore his word also is over and continues not. PG026.0221.18\
But God is not as man, as Scripture has said; PG026.0221.19\
but is existing and is ever; therefore also His PG026.0221.20\
Word is existings and is everlastingly with the Father, PG026.0221.21\
as radiance of light. And man's word is composed PG026.0221.22\
of syllables, and neither lives nor operates anything, PG026.0221.23\
but is only significant of the speaker's intention, PG026.0221.24\
and does but go forth and go by, no more PG026.0221.25\
to appear, since it was not at all before it was spoken; PG026.0221.26\
wherefore the word of man neither lives nor PG026.0221.27\
operates anything, nor in short is man. And this happens PG026.0221.28\
to it, as I said before, because man who besets PG026.0221.29\
it, has his nature out of nothing. But God's Word PG026.0221.30\
is not merely pronounced, as one may say, nor a PG026.0221.31\
sound of accents, nor by His Son is meant His command PG026.0221.32\
; but as radiance of light, so is He perfect PG026.0221.33\
offspring from perfect . Hence He is God also, PG026.0221.34\
as being God's Image; for 'the Word was God ' PG026.0221.35\
says Scripture. And man's words avail not for operation; PG026.0221.36\
hence man works not by means of words but of PG026.0221.37\
hands, for they have being, and man's word subsists PG026.0221.38\
not. But the 'Word of God,' as the Apostle says, PG026.0221.39\
'is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged PG026.0221.40\
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder PG026.0221.41\
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, PG026.0221.42\
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the PG026.0224.01\
heart. Neither is there any creature that is not PG026.0224.02\
manifest in His sight; but all things are naked PG026.0224.03\
and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do ,'nor can anything be made without PG026.0224.04\
PG026.0224.05\
PG026.0224.06\
Him. 36. Nor must we ask why the Word of God is not PG026.0224.07\
such as our word, considering God is not such as we, PG026.0224.08\
as has been before said; nor again is it right to seek PG026.0224.09\
how the word is from God, or how He is God's radiance, PG026.0224.10\
or how God besets, and what is the manner of His besetting PG026.0224.11\
. For a man must be beside himself to venture PG026.0224.12\
on such points; since a thing ineffable and proper PG026.0224.13\
to God's nature, and known to Him alone and to the Son, PG026.0224.14\
this he demands to be explained in words. It is all PG026.0224.15\
one as if they sought where God is, and how God is, and PG026.0224.16\
of what nature the Father is. But as to ask such questions PG026.0224.17\
is irreligious, and argues an ignorance of God, PG026.0224.18\
so it is not holy to venture such questions concerning PG026.0224.19\
the generation of the Son of God, nor to measure God PG026.0224.20\
and His Wisdom by our own nature and infirmity. Nor PG026.0224.21\
is a person at liberty on that account to swerve in his PG026.0224.22\
thoughts from the truth, nor, if any one is perplexed PG026.0224.23\
in such inquiries, ought he to disbelieve what is PG026.0224.24\
written. For it is better in perplexity to be silent and PG026.0224.25\
believe, than to disbelieve on account of the perplexity: PG026.0224.26\
for he who is perplexed may in some way obtain PG026.0224.27\
mercy , because, though he has questioned, he has yet PG026.0224.28\
kept quiet; but when a man is led by his perplexity PG026.0224.29\
into forming for himself doctrines which beseem not, PG026.0224.30\
and utters what is unworthy of God, such daring recurs PG026.0224.31\
a sentence without mercy. For in such perplexities divine PG026.0224.32\
Scripture is able to afford him some relief, so PG026.0224.33\
as to take rightly what is written, and to dwell upon PG026.0224.34\
our word as an illustration; that as it is proper to PG026.0224.35\
us and is from us, and not a work external to us, so also PG026.0224.36\
God's Word is proper to Him and from Him, and is not PG026.0224.37\
a work; and yet is not like the word of man, or else PG026.0224.38\
we must suppose God to be man. For observe, many and PG026.0224.39\
various are men's words which pass away day by day; because PG026.0224.40\
those that come before others continue not, but PG026.0224.41\
vanish. Now this happens because their authors are men, PG026.0224.42\
and have seasons which pass away, and ideas which PG026.0224.43\
are successive; and what strikes them first and second, PG026.0224.44\
that they utter; so that they have many words, and yet PG026.0224.45\
after them all nothing at all remaining; for the speaker PG026.0224.46\
ceases, and his word forthwith is spent. But God's PG026.0225.01\
Word is one and the same, and, as it is written, 'The PG026.0225.02\
Word of God endureth for ever ,' not changed, PG026.0225.03\
not before or after other, but existing the same always. PG026.0225.04\
For it was fitting, whereas God is One, that PG026.0225.05\
His Image should be One also, and His Word One and PG026.0225.06\
One His Wisdom . 37. Wherefore I am in wonder PG026.0225.07\
how, whereas God is One, these men introduce, PG026.0225.08\
after their private notions, many images and wisdoms PG026.0225.09\
and words , and say that the Father's proper PG026.0225.10\
and natural Word is other than the Son, by whom PG026.0225.11\
He even made the Son and that He who is really PG026.0225.12\
Son is but notionally called Word, as vine, and PG026.0225.13\
way, and door, and tree of life; and that He is called PG026.0225.14\
Wisdom also in name, the proper and true Wisdom PG026.0225.15\
of the Father, which coexist ingenerately with PG026.0225.16\
Him, being other than the Son, by which He even PG026.0225.17\
made the Son, and named Him Wisdom as partaking PG026.0225.18\
of it. This they have not confined to words, but Arius PG026.0225.19\
composed in his Thalia, and the Sophist Asterius PG026.0225.20\
wrote, what we have stated above, as follows: PG026.0225.21\
'Blessed Paul said not that he preached Christ, the PG026.0225.22\
Power of God or the Wisdom of God,' but without PG026.0225.23\
the addition of the article, 'God's power' and 'God's PG026.0225.24\
wisdom ,' thus preaching that the proper Power PG026.0225.25\
of God Himself which is natural to Him, and co-existent PG026.0225.26\
in Him ingenerately, is something besides, PG026.0225.27\
generative indeed of Christ, and creative of the PG026.0225.28\
whole world, concerning which he teaches in his PG026.0225.29\
Epistle to the Romans thus,-'The invisible things PG026.0225.30\
of Him from the creation of the world are clearly PG026.0225.31\
seen, being understood by the things that are made, PG026.0225.32\
even His eternal Power and Godhead .' For as PG026.0225.33\
no one would say that the Godhead there mentioned PG026.0225.34\
was Christ, but the Father Himself, so, as I think, PG026.0225.35\
'His eternal Power and Godhead also is not the PG026.0225.36\
Only Begotten Son, but the Father who begat Him PG026.0225.37\
.' And he teaches that there is another power and PG026.0225.38\
wisdom of God, manifested through Christ. And shortly PG026.0225.39\
after the same Asterius says, 'However His eternal PG026.0225.40\
power and wisdom, which truth argues to be PG026.0225.41\
without beginning and ingenerate, the same must surely PG026.0225.42\
be one. For there are many wisdoms which are PG026.0225.43\
one by one created by Him, of whom Christ is the first-born PG026.0228.01\
and only-begotten; all however equally depend PG026.0228.02\
on their Possessor. And all the powers are PG026.0228.03\
rightly called His who created and uses them:-as the Prophet PG026.0228.04\
says that the locust, which came to be a divine punishment PG026.0228.05\
of human sins, was called by God Himself not only PG026.0228.06\
a power, but a great power; and blessed David in most PG026.0228.07\
of the Psalms invites, not the Angels alone, but the PG026.0228.08\
Powers to praise God.' 38. Now are they not worthy of PG026.0228.09\
all hatred for merely uttering this? for if, as they hold, PG026.0228.10\
He is Son, not because He is begotten of the Father PG026.0228.11\
and proper to His Essence, but that He is called Word PG026.0228.12\
only because of things rational , and Wisdom because PG026.0228.13\
of things gifted with wisdom, and Power because of things PG026.0228.14\
gifted with power, surely He must be named a Son because PG026.0228.15\
of those who are made sons: and perhaps because there PG026.0228.16\
are things existing, He has even His existence PG026.0228.17\
, in our notions only . And then after all what is He? PG026.0228.18\
for He is none of these Himself, if they are but His PG026.0228.19\
names : and He has but a semblance of being, and is PG026.0228.20\
decorated with these names from us. Rather this is some PG026.0228.21\
recklessness of the devil, or worse, if they are not unwilling PG026.0228.22\
that they should truly subsist themselves, but PG026.0228.23\
think that God's Word is but in name. Is not this portentous, PG026.0228.24\
to say that Wisdom coexists with the Father, yet PG026.0228.25\
not to say that this. is the Christ, but that there are PG026.0228.26\
many created powers and wisdoms, of which one is the PG026.0228.27\
Lord whom they go on to compare to the caterpillar and PG026.0228.28\
locust? and are they not profligate, who, when they hear PG026.0228.29\
us say that the Word coexists with the Father, forthwith PG026.0228.30\
murmur out, 'Are you not speaking of two Unoriginates?' PG026.0228.31\
yet in speaking themselves of 'His Unoriginate Wisdom,' PG026.0228.32\
do not see that they have already incurred themselves PG026.0228.33\
the charge which they so rashly urge against us PG026.0228.34\
? Moreover, what folly is there in that thought of theirs, PG026.0228.35\
that the Unoriginate Wisdom coexisting with God is PG026.0228.36\
God Himself! for what coexists does not coexist with itself, PG026.0228.37\
but with some one else, as the Evangelists say of PG026.0228.38\
the Lord, that He was together with His disciples; for PG026.0228.39\
He was not together with Himself, but with His disciples;-unless PG026.0228.40\
indeed they would say that God is of a compound PG026.0228.41\
nature, having wisdom a constituent or complement of PG026.0228.42\
His Essence, unoriginate as well as Himself , which PG026.0229.01\
moreover they pretend to be the framer of the world, that PG026.0229.02\
so they may deprive the Son of the framing of it. PG026.0229.03\
For there is nothing they would not maintain, sooner than PG026.0229.04\
hold the truth concerning the Lord. 39. For where PG026.0229.05\
at all have they found in divine Scripture, or from PG026.0229.06\
whom have they heard, that there is another Word and PG026.0229.07\
another Wisdom besides this Son, that they should frame PG026.0229.08\
to themselves such a doctrine? True, indeed, it is PG026.0229.09\
written, 'Are not My words like fire, and like a hammer PG026.0229.10\
that breaketh the rock in pieces ?' and in the PG026.0229.11\
Proverbs, 'I will make known My words unto you ;' PG026.0229.12\
but these are precepts and commands, which God has spoken PG026.0229.13\
to the saints through His proper and only true Word, PG026.0229.14\
concerning which the Psalmist said, 'I have refrained PG026.0229.15\
my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy PG026.0229.16\
words .' Such words accordingly the Saviour signifies PG026.0229.17\
to be distinct from Himself, when He says in His PG026.0229.18\
own person, 'The words which I have spoken unto you and 'all things were made by PG026.0229.19\
PG026.0229.20\
PG026.0229.21\
PG026.0229.22\
PG026.0229.23\
PG026.0229.24\
PG026.0229.25\
PG026.0229.26\
Him .' Wherefore of Him alone, our Lord Jesus Christ, PG026.0229.27\
and of His oneness with the Father, are written PG026.0229.28\
and set forth the testimonies, both of the Father signifying PG026.0229.29\
that the Son is One, and of the saints, aware PG026.0229.30\
of this and saying that the Word is One, and that He PG026.0229.31\
is Only-Begotten. And His works also are set forth; PG026.0229.32\
for all things, visible and invisible, have been brought PG026.0229.33\
to be through Him, and 'without Him was made not one PG026.0229.34\
thing .' But concerning another or any one else PG026.0229.35\
they have not a thought, nor frame to themselves words PG026.0229.36\
or wisdoms, of which neither name nor deed are signified PG026.0229.37\
by Scripture, but are named by these only. For PG026.0229.38\
it is their invention and Christ-opposing surmise, and PG026.0229.39\
they make the most of the name of the Word and the PG026.0229.40\
Wisdom; and framing to themselves others, they deny PG026.0229.41\
the true Word of God, and the real and only Wisdom of PG026.0229.42\
the Father, and thereby, miserable men, rival the Manichees. PG026.0229.43\
For they too, when they behold the works of PG026.0229.44\
God, deny Him the only and true God, and frame to themselves PG026.0232.01\
another, whom they can shew neither by work, PG026.0232.02\
nor in any testimony drawn from the divine oracles. 40. Therefore, if neither in the divine oracles is found PG026.0232.03\
PG026.0232.04\
another wisdom besides this Son, nor from the fathers PG026.0232.05\
have we heard of any such, yet they have confessed PG026.0232.06\
and written of the Wisdom coexisting with the Father PG026.0232.07\
unoriginately, proper to Him, and the Framer of PG026.0232.08\
the world, this must be the Son who even according to PG026.0232.09\
them is eternally coexistent with the Father. For He PG026.0232.10\
is Framer of all, as it is written, 'In Wisdom hast Thou PG026.0232.11\
made them ally .' Nay, Asterius himself, as if PG026.0232.12\
forgetting what he wrote before, afterwards, in Caiaphas's PG026.0232.13\
fashion, involuntarily, when urging the Greeks, PG026.0232.14\
instead of naming many wisdoms, or the caterpillar, PG026.0232.15\
confesses but one, in these words;-'God the Word is PG026.0232.16\
one, but many are the things rational; and one is the PG026.0232.17\
essence and nature of Wisdom, but many are the things PG026.0232.18\
wise and beautiful.' And soon afterwards he says again:-'Who PG026.0232.19\
are they whom they honour with the title of God's PG026.0232.20\
children? for they will not say that they too are PG026.0232.21\
words, nor maintain that there are many wisdoms. For PG026.0232.22\
it is not possible, whereas the Word is one, and Wisdom PG026.0232.23\
has been set forth as one, to dispense to the multitude PG026.0232.24\
of children the Essence of the Word, and to bestow PG026.0232.25\
on them the appellation of Wisdom.' It is not then PG026.0232.26\
at all wonderful, that the Arians should battle with PG026.0232.27\
the truth, when they have collisions with their own principles PG026.0232.28\
and conflict with each other, at one time saying PG026.0232.29\
that there are many wisdoms, at another maintaining PG026.0232.30\
one; at one time classing wisdom with the caterpillar, PG026.0232.31\
at another saying that it coexists with the Father PG026.0232.32\
and is proper to Him; now that the Father alone is PG026.0232.33\
unoriginate, and then again that His Wisdom and His Power PG026.0232.34\
are unoriginate also. And they battle with us for PG026.0232.35\
saying that the Word of God is ever, yet forget their PG026.0232.36\
own doctrines, and say themselves that Wisdom coexists PG026.0232.37\
with God unoriginately . So dizzied are they PG026.0232.38\
in all these matters, denying the true Wisdom, and inventing PG026.0233.01\
one which is not, as the Manichees who make to PG026.0233.02\
themselves another God, after denying Him that is. PG026.0233.03\
41. But let the other heresies and the Manichees also PG026.0233.04\
know that the Father of the Christ is One, and is PG026.0233.05\
Lord and Maker of the creation through His proper Word. PG026.0233.06\
And let the Ariomaniacs know in particular, that the PG026.0233.07\
Word of God is One, being the only Son proper and genuine PG026.0233.08\
from His Essence, and having with His Father the PG026.0233.09\
oneness of Godhead indivisible, as we said many times, PG026.0233.10\
being taught it by the Saviour Himself. Since, were PG026.0233.11\
it not so, wherefore through Him does the Father create, PG026.0233.12\
and in Him reveal Himself to whom He will, and PG026.0233.13\
illuminate them? or why too in the baptismal consecration PG026.0233.14\
is the Son named together with the Father? For if PG026.0233.15\
they say that the Father is not all-sufficient, then PG026.0233.16\
their answer is irreligious , but if He be, for PG026.0233.17\
this it is right to say, what is the need of the Son PG026.0233.18\
for framing the worlds, or for the holy laver? For what PG026.0233.19\
fellowship is there between creature and Creator? or PG026.0233.20\
why is a thing made classed with the Maker in the consecration PG026.0233.21\
of all of us? or why, as you hold, is faith PG026.0233.22\
in one Creator and in one creature delivered to us? PG026.0233.23\
for if it was that we might be joined to the Godhead, PG026.0233.24\
what need of the creature? but if that we might be PG026.0233.25\
united to the Son a creature, superfluous, according PG026.0233.26\
to you, is this naming of the Son in Baptism, for God PG026.0233.27\
who made Him a Son is able to make us sons also. Besides, PG026.0233.28\
if the Son be a creature, the nature of rational PG026.0233.29\
creatures being one, no help will come to creatures PG026.0233.30\
from a creature , since all need grace from God. PG026.0233.31\
We said a few words just now on the fitness that all PG026.0233.32\
things should be made by Him; but since the course of PG026.0233.33\
the discussion has led us also to mention holy Baptism, PG026.0233.34\
it is necessary to state, as I think and believe, PG026.0233.35\
that the Son is named with the Father, not as if the PG026.0233.36\
Father were not all-sufficient, not without meaning, PG026.0233.37\
and by accident; but, since He is God's Word and own PG026.0233.38\
Wisdom, and being His Radiance, is ever with the Father, PG026.0233.39\
therefore it is impossible, if the Father bestows PG026.0233.40\
grace, that He should not give it in the Son, for the PG026.0233.41\
Son is in the Father as the radiance in the light. PG026.0233.42\
For, not as if in need, but as a Father in His own Wisdom PG026.0233.43\
hath God rounded the earth, and made all things PG026.0233.44\
in the Word which is from Him, and in the Son confirms PG026.0236.01\
the Holy Laver. For where the Father is, there is the PG026.0236.02\
Son, and where the light, there the radiance; and PG026.0236.03\
as what the Father worketh, He worketh through the PG026.0236.04\
Son , and the Lord Himself says, 'What I see the PG026.0236.05\
Father do, that do I also;' so also when baptism PG026.0236.06\
is given, whom the Father baptizes, him the Son PG026.0236.07\
baptizes; and whom the Son baptizes, he is consecrated PG026.0236.08\
in the Holy Ghost . And again as when the PG026.0236.09\
sun shines, one might say that the radiance illuminates, PG026.0236.10\
for the light is one and indivisible, nor PG026.0236.11\
can be detached, so where the Father is or is named, PG026.0236.12\
there plainly is the Son also; and is the Father PG026.0236.13\
named in Baptism? then must the Son be named PG026.0236.14\
with Him . 42. Therefore, when He made His PG026.0236.15\
promise to the saints, He thus spoke; 'I and the PG026.0236.16\
Father will come, and make Our abode in him;' and PG026.0236.17\
again, 'that, as I and Thou are One, so they may PG026.0236.18\
be one in Us.' And the grace given is one, given PG026.0236.19\
from the Father in the Son, as Paul writes in every PG026.0236.20\
Epistle, 'Grace unto you, and peace from God our PG026.0236.21\
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ .' For the PG026.0236.22\
light must be with the ray, and the radiance must PG026.0236.23\
be contemplated together with its own light. Whence PG026.0236.24\
the Jews, as denying the Son as well as they, have PG026.0236.25\
not the Father either; for, as having left the PG026.0236.26\
'Fountain of Wisdom ,' as Baruch reproaches them, PG026.0236.27\
they put from them the Wisdom springing from PG026.0236.28\
it, our Lord Jesus Christ (for 'Christ,' says the PG026.0236.29\
Apostle, is 'God's power and God's wisdom ),' PG026.0236.30\
when they said, 'We have no king but Caesar .' PG026.0236.31\
The Jews then have the penal award of their denial; PG026.0236.32\
for their city as well as their reasoning came PG026.0236.33\
to nought. And these too hazard the fulness of the PG026.0236.34\
mystery, I mean Baptism; for if the consecration PG026.0237.01\
is given to us into the Name of Father and Son, PG026.0237.02\
and they do not confess a true Father, because PG026.0237.03\
they deny what is from Him and like His Essence, and PG026.0237.04\
deny also the true Son, and name another of their PG026.0237.05\
own framing as created out of nothing, is not the PG026.0237.06\
rite administered by them altogether empty and unprofitable, PG026.0237.07\
making a show, but in reality being no PG026.0237.08\
help towards religion? For the Arians do not baptize PG026.0237.09\
into Father and Son, but into Creator and creature, PG026.0237.10\
and into Maker and work . And as a creature PG026.0237.11\
is other than the Son, so the Baptism, which PG026.0237.12\
is supposed to be given by them, is other than the PG026.0237.13\
truth, though they pretend to name the Name of the PG026.0237.14\
Father and the Son, because of the words of Scripture, PG026.0237.15\
For not he who simply says, 'O Lord,' gives PG026.0237.16\
Baptism; but he who with the Name has also the right PG026.0237.17\
faith . On this account therefore our Saviour PG026.0237.18\
also did not simply command to baptize, but first PG026.0237.19\
says, 'Teach;' then thus: 'Baptize into the Name PG026.0237.20\
of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost;' that the right PG026.0237.21\
faith might follow upon learning, and together PG026.0237.22\
with faith might come the consecration of Baptism. PG026.0237.23\
43. There are many other heresies too, which use PG026.0237.24\
the words only, but not in a right sense, as I PG026.0237.25\
have said, nor with sound faith , and in consequence PG026.0237.26\
the water which they administer is unprofitable, PG026.0237.27\
as deficient in piety, so that he who is sprinkled PG026.0237.28\
by them is rather polluted by irreligion PG026.0237.29\
than redeemed. So Gentiles also, though the name PG026.0237.30\
of God is on their lips, incur the charge of Atheism PG026.0237.31\
, because they know not the real and very PG026.0237.32\
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So Manichees PG026.0237.33\
and Phrygians , and the disciples of the PG026.0237.34\
Samosatene, though using the Names, nevertheless are PG026.0237.35\
heretics, and the Arians follow in the same course, PG026.0237.36\
though they read the words of Scripture, and PG026.0237.37\
use the Names, yet they too mock those who receive PG026.0237.38\
the rite from them, being more irreligious than the PG026.0237.39\
other heresies, and advancing beyond them, and PG026.0237.40\
making them seem innocent by their own recklessness PG026.0237.41\
of speech. For these other heresies lie against PG026.0237.42\
the truth in some certain respect, either erring PG026.0237.43\
concerning the Lord's Body, as if He did not take PG026.0237.44\
flesh of Mary, or as if He has not died at all, nor PG026.0240.01\
become man, but only appeared, and was not truly, PG026.0240.02\
and seemed to have a body when He had not, and PG026.0240.03\
seemed to have the shape of man, as visions in a dream; PG026.0240.04\
but the Arians are without disguise irreligious against PG026.0240.05\
the Father Himself. For hearing from the Scriptures PG026.0240.06\
that His Godhead is represented in the Son as in an PG026.0240.07\
image, they blaspheme, saying, that it is a creature, PG026.0240.08\
and everywhere concerning that Image, they carry about PG026.0240.09\
with them the phrase, 'He was not,' as mud in PG026.0240.10\
a wallet , and spit it forth as serpents their PG026.0240.11\
venom. Then, whereas their doctrine is nauseous to all PG026.0240.12\
men, forthwith, as a support against its fall, they PG026.0240.13\
prop up the heresy with human patronage, that the PG026.0240.14\
simple, at the sight or even by the fear may overlook PG026.0240.15\
the mischief of their perversity. Right indeed is it PG026.0240.16\
to pity their dupes; well is it to weep over them, for PG026.0240.17\
that they sacrifice their own interest for that immediate PG026.0240.18\
phantasy which pleasures furnish, and forfeit PG026.0240.19\
their future hope. In thinking to be baptized into the PG026.0240.20\
name of one who exists not, they will receive nothing; PG026.0240.21\
and ranking themselves with a creature, from the PG026.0240.22\
creation they will have no help, and believing in one PG026.0240.23\
unlike and foreign to the Father in essence, to the PG026.0240.24\
Father they will not be joined, not having His own PG026.0240.25\
Son by nature, who is from Him, who is in the Father, PG026.0240.26\
and in whom the Father is, as He Himself has said; PG026.0240.27\
but being led astray by them, the wretched men henceforth PG026.0240.28\
remain destitute and stripped of the Godhead. For PG026.0240.29\
this phantasy of earthly goods will not follow them PG026.0240.30\
upon their death; nor when they see the Lord whom they PG026.0240.31\
have denied, sitting on His Father's throne, and judging PG026.0240.32\
quick and dead, will they be able to call to their PG026.0240.33\
help any one of those who have now deceived them; PG026.0240.34\
for they shall see them also at the judgment-seat, repenting PG026.0240.35\
for their deeds of sin and irreligion. 44. PG026.0240.36\
We have gone through thus much before the passage in PG026.0240.37\
the Proverbs, resisting the insensate fables which their PG026.0240.38\
hearts have invented, that they may know that the PG026.0240.39\
Son of God ought not to be called a creature, and may PG026.0240.40\
learn rightly to read what admits in truth of a right PG026.0240.41\
explanation. For it is written, 'The Lord created PG026.0240.42\
me a beginning of His ways, for His works ;' since, PG026.0240.43\
however, these are proverbs, and it is expressed PG026.0240.44\
in the way of proverbs, we must not expound them nakedly PG026.0241.01\
in their first sense, but we must inquire into the PG026.0241.02\
person, and thus religiously put the sense on it. PG026.0241.03\
For what is said in proverbs, is not said plainly, but PG026.0241.04\
is put forth latently , as the Lord Himself has taught PG026.0241.05\
us in the Gospel according to John, saying, 'These PG026.0241.06\
things have I spoken unto you in proverbs, but the time PG026.0241.07\
cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, PG026.0241.08\
but openly .' Therefore it is necessary to unfold PG026.0241.09\
the sense of what is said, and to seek it as something PG026.0241.10\
hidden, and not nakedly to expound as if the PG026.0241.11\
meaning were spoken 'plainly,' lest by a false interpretation PG026.0241.12\
we wander from the truth. If then what is written PG026.0241.13\
be about Angel, or any other of things originate, PG026.0241.14\
as concerning one of us who are works, let it be said, PG026.0241.15\
'created me;' but if it be the Wisdom of God, in PG026.0241.16\
whom all things originate have been framed, that speaks PG026.0241.17\
concerning Itself, what ought we to understand but that PG026.0241.18\
'He created' means nothing contrary to 'He begat?' PG026.0241.19\
Nor, as forgetting that It is Creator and Framer, or PG026.0241.20\
ignorant of the difference between the Creator and the PG026.0241.21\
creatures, does It number Itself among the creatures; PG026.0241.22\
but It signifies a certain sense, as in proverbs, not PG026.0241.23\
'plainly,' but latent; which It inspired the saints PG026.0241.24\
to use in prophecy, while soon after It doth Itself PG026.0241.25\
give the meaning of 'He created' in other but parallel PG026.0241.26\
expressions, saying, 'Wisdom made herself a house ;' PG026.0241.27\
PG026.0241.28\
PG026.0241.29\
PG026.0241.30\
and by Solomon Wisdom says of Itself with cautious exactness PG026.0241.31\
, not 'I am a creature,' but only 'The Lord PG026.0241.32\
created me a beginning of His ways for His works ,' PG026.0241.33\
yet not 'created me that I might have being,' nor 'because PG026.0241.34\
I have a creature's beginning and origin.' 45. PG026.0241.35\
For in this passage, not as signifying the Essence of PG026.0241.36\
His Godhead, nor His own everlasting and genuine generation PG026.0241.37\
from the Father, has the Word spoken by Solomon, PG026.0241.38\
but on the other hand His manhood and Economy towards PG026.0241.39\
us. And, as I said before, He has not said 'I am a PG026.0241.40\
creature,' or 'I became a creature,' but only 'He created,' and 'the PG026.0241.41\
PG026.0241.42\
PG026.0241.43\
PG026.0241.44\
PG026.0244.01\
PG026.0244.02\
PG026.0244.03\
PG026.0244.04\
PG026.0244.05\
PG026.0244.06\
PG026.0244.07\
creation itself groaneth together and travaileth PG026.0244.08\
together ;' and in the Apocalypse it says, 'And PG026.0244.09\
the third part of the creatures in the sea died which PG026.0244.10\
had life;' as also Paul says, 'Every creature of PG026.0244.11\
God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it be PG026.0244.12\
received with thanksgiving ;' and in the book of PG026.0244.13\
Wisdom it is written, 'Having ordained man through PG026.0244.14\
Thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the PG026.0244.15\
creatures which Thou hast made .' And these, being PG026.0244.16\
creatures, are also said to be created, as we may PG026.0244.17\
further hear from the Lord, who says, 'He who created PG026.0244.18\
them, made them male and female ;' and from Moses PG026.0244.19\
in the Song, who writes, 'Ask now of the days that PG026.0244.20\
are past, which were before thee since the day PG026.0244.21\
that God created man upon the earth, and from the one PG026.0244.22\
side of heaven unto the other .' And Paul in Colossians, PG026.0244.23\
'Who is the Image of the Invisible God, the PG026.0244.24\
Firstborn of every creature, for in Him were all PG026.0244.25\
things created that are in heaven, and that are on PG026.0244.26\
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, PG026.0244.27\
or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all PG026.0244.28\
things were created through Him, and for Him, and He PG026.0244.29\
is before all .' 46. That to be called creatures, PG026.0244.30\
then, and to be created belongs to things which PG026.0244.31\
have by nature a created essence, these passages PG026.0244.32\
are sufficient to remind us, though Scripture is full PG026.0244.33\
of the like; on the other hand that the single word PG026.0244.34\
'He created' does not simply denote the essence PG026.0244.35\
and mode of generation, David shews in the Psalm, 'This PG026.0244.36\
shall be written for another generation, and the PG026.0244.37\
people that is created shall praise the Lord ;' PG026.0244.38\
and again, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God ;' PG026.0244.39\
and Paul in Ephesians says, 'Having abolished the PG026.0244.40\
law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to PG026.0244.41\
create in Himself of two one new man ;' and again, PG026.0244.42\
'Put ye on the new man, which after God is created PG026.0245.01\
in righteousness and true holiness .' For neither PG026.0245.02\
David spoke of any people created in essence, PG026.0245.03\
nor prayed to have another heart than that he had, but PG026.0245.04\
meant renovation according to God and renewal; nor PG026.0245.05\
did Paul signify two persons created in essence in the PG026.0245.06\
Lord, nor again did he counsel us to put on any other PG026.0245.07\
man; but he called the life according to virtue PG026.0245.08\
the 'man after God,' and by the 'created' in Christ he PG026.0245.09\
meant the two people who are renewed in Him. Such PG026.0245.10\
too is the language of the book of Jeremiah; 'The Lord PG026.0245.11\
created a new salvation for a planting, in which salvation PG026.0245.12\
men shall walk to and fro ;' and in thus PG026.0245.13\
speaking, he does not mean any essence of a creature, PG026.0245.14\
but prophesies of the renewal of salvation among men, PG026.0245.15\
which has taken place in Christ for us. Such then PG026.0245.16\
being the difference between 'the creatures' and PG026.0245.17\
the single word 'He created,' if you find anywhere in PG026.0245.18\
divine Scripture the Lord called 'creature,' produce PG026.0245.19\
it and fight; but if it is nowhere written that He PG026.0245.20\
is a creature, only He Himself says about Himself in PG026.0245.21\
the Proverbs, 'The Lord created me,' shame upon you, PG026.0245.22\
both on the ground of the distinction aforesaid and PG026.0245.23\
for that the diction is like that of proverbs; and PG026.0245.24\
accordingly let 'He created' be understood, not of His PG026.0245.25\
being a creature, but of that human nature which became PG026.0245.26\
His, for to this belongs creation. Indeed is PG026.0245.27\
it not evidently unfair in you, when David and Paul PG026.0245.28\
say 'He created,' then indeed not to understand it of PG026.0245.29\
the essence and the generation, but the renewal; yet, PG026.0245.30\
when the Lord says 'He created' to number His essence PG026.0245.31\
with the creatures? and again when Scripture says, PG026.0245.32\
'Wisdom built her an house, she set it upon seven PG026.0245.33\
pillars ,' to understand 'house' allegorically, PG026.0245.34\
but to take 'He created' as it stands, and to fasten PG026.0245.35\
on it the idea of creature? and neither His being Framer PG026.0245.36\
of all has had any weight with you, nor have you PG026.0245.37\
feared His being the sole and proper Offspring of the PG026.0245.38\
Father, but recklessly, as if you had enlisted against PG026.0245.39\
Him, do ye fight, and think less of Him than of PG026.0245.40\
men. 47. For the very passage proves that it is only PG026.0245.41\
an invention of your own to call the Lord creature PG026.0245.42\
For the Lord, knowing His own Essence to be the Only-begotten PG026.0245.43\
Wisdom and Offspring of the Father, and other PG026.0248.01\
than things originate and natural creatures, says PG026.0248.02\
in love to man, 'The Lord created me a beginning PG026.0248.03\
of His ways,' as if to say, 'My Father hath prepared PG026.0248.04\
for Me a body, and has created Me for men in behalf PG026.0248.05\
of their salvation.' For, as when John says, 'The PG026.0248.06\
Word was made flesh ,' we do not conceive the PG026.0248.07\
whole Word Himself to be flesh , but to have PG026.0248.08\
put on flesh and become man, and on hearing, 'Christ PG026.0248.09\
hath become a curse for us,' and 'He hath made PG026.0248.10\
Him sin for us who knew no sin ,' we do not simply PG026.0248.11\
conceive this, that whole Christ has become curse PG026.0248.12\
and sin, but that He has taken on Him the curse PG026.0248.13\
which lay against us (as the Apostle has said, 'Has PG026.0248.14\
redeemed us from the curse,' and 'has carried,' PG026.0248.15\
as Isaiah has said, 'our sins,' and as Peter has PG026.0248.16\
written, 'has borne them in the body on the wood,' PG026.0248.17\
PG026.0248.18\
we must not conceive that the whole Word is in PG026.0248.19\
nature a creature, but that He put on the created PG026.0248.20\
body and that God created Him for our sakes, preparing PG026.0248.21\
for Him the created body, as it is written, PG026.0248.22\
for us, that in Him we might be capable of being PG026.0248.23\
renewed and deified. What then deceived you, O senseless, PG026.0248.24\
to call the Creator a creature? or whence PG026.0248.25\
did you purchase for you this new thought, to parade PG026.0248.26\
it ? For the Proverbs say 'He created,' but PG026.0248.27\
they call not the Son creature, but Offspring; and, PG026.0248.28\
according to the distinction in Scripture aforesaid PG026.0248.29\
of 'He created' and 'creature,' they acknowledge, PG026.0248.30\
what is by nature proper to the Son, that He PG026.0248.31\
is the Only-begotten Wisdom and Framer of the creatures, PG026.0248.32\
and when they say 'He created,' they say it PG026.0248.33\
not in respect of His Essence, but signify that He PG026.0248.34\
was becoming a beginning of many ways; so that 'He PG026.0248.35\
created' is in contrast to 'Offspring,' and His PG026.0248.36\
being called the 'Beginning of ways ' to His being PG026.0248.37\
the Only-begotten Word. 48. For if He is Offspring, PG026.0248.38\
how call ye Him creature? for no one says PG026.0248.39\
that He begets what He creates, nor calls His proper PG026.0248.40\
offspring creatures; and again, if He is Only-begotten, PG026.0248.41\
how becomes He 'beginning of the ways?' for PG026.0248.42\
of necessity, if He was created a beginning of PG026.0249.01\
all things, He is no longer alone, as having those PG026.0249.02\
who came into being after Him. For Reuben, when PG026.0249.03\
he became a beginning of the children , was not only-begotten, PG026.0249.04\
but in time indeed first, but in nature PG026.0249.05\
and relationship one among those who came after him. PG026.0249.06\
Therefore if the Word also is 'a beginning of the ways,' PG026.0249.07\
He must be such as the ways are, and the ways PG026.0249.08\
must be such as the Word, though in point of time He PG026.0249.09\
be created first of them. For the beginning or initiative PG026.0249.10\
of a city is such as the other parts of the PG026.0249.11\
city are, and the members too being joined to it, PG026.0249.12\
make the city whole and one, as the many members of PG026.0249.13\
one body; nor does one part of it make, and another PG026.0249.14\
come to be, and is subject to the former, but all the PG026.0249.15\
city equally has its government and constitution from PG026.0249.16\
its maker. If then the Lord is in such sense created PG026.0249.17\
as a 'beginning' of all things, it would follow PG026.0249.18\
that He and all other things together make up the unity PG026.0249.19\
of the creation, and He neither differs from all PG026.0249.20\
others, though He become the 'beginning' of all, nor PG026.0249.21\
is He Lord of them, though older in point of time; PG026.0249.22\
but He has the same manner of framing and the same Lord PG026.0249.23\
as the rest. Nay, if He be a creature, as you hold, PG026.0249.24\
how can He be created sole and first at all, so PG026.0249.25\
as to be beginning of all? when it is plain from what PG026.0249.26\
has been said, that among the creatures not any is PG026.0249.27\
of a constant nature and of prior formation, but PG026.0249.28\
each has its origination with all the rest, however PG026.0249.29\
it may excel others in glory. For as to the separate PG026.0249.30\
stars or the great lights, not this appeared first, PG026.0249.31\
and that second, but in one day and by the same command, PG026.0249.32\
they were all called into being. And such was PG026.0249.33\
the original formation of the quadrupeds, and of birds, PG026.0249.34\
and fishes, and cattle, and plants; thus too has PG026.0249.35\
the race made after God's Image come to be, namely PG026.0249.36\
men; for though Adam only was formed out of earth, yet PG026.0249.37\
in him was involved the succession of the whole race. PG026.0249.38\
49. And from the visible creation, we clearly discern PG026.0249.39\
that His invisible things also, 'being perceived PG026.0249.40\
by the things that are made ,' are not independent PG026.0249.41\
of each other; for it was not first one and then PG026.0249.42\
another, but all at once were constituted after their PG026.0249.43\
kind. For the Apostle did not number individually, PG026.0249.44\
so as to say 'whether Angel, or Throne, or Dominion, PG026.0249.45\
or Authority,' but he mentions together all according PG026.0249.46\
to their kind, 'whether Angels, or Archangels, PG026.0252.01\
or Principalities :' for in this way is the origination PG026.0252.02\
of the creatures. If then, as I have said, PG026.0252.03\
the Word were creature He must have been brought into being, PG026.0252.04\
not first of them, but with all the other Powers, PG026.0252.05\
though in glory He excel the rest ever so much. For so PG026.0252.06\
we find it to be in their case, that at once they came PG026.0252.07\
to be, with neither first nor second, and they differ PG026.0252.08\
from each other in glory, some on the right of the throne, PG026.0252.09\
some all around, and some on the left, but one and PG026.0252.10\
all praising and standing in service before the Lord PG026.0252.11\
. Therefore if the Word be creature He would not be PG026.0252.12\
first or beginning of the rest yet if He be before all, PG026.0252.13\
as indeed He is, and is Himself alone First and Son, PG026.0252.14\
it does not follow that He is beginning of all things as PG026.0252.15\
to His Essence , for what is the beginning of all PG026.0252.16\
is in the number of all. And if He is not such a beginning, PG026.0252.17\
then neither is He a creature, but it is very plain PG026.0252.18\
that He differs in essence and nature from the creatures, PG026.0252.19\
and is other than they, and is Likeness and Image PG026.0252.20\
of the sole and true God, being Himself sole also. Hence PG026.0252.21\
He is not classed with creatures in Scripture, but PG026.0252.22\
David rebukes those who dare even to think of Him as such, PG026.0252.23\
saying, 'Who among the gods is like unto the Lord' and Baruch, 'This is our God, and another shall PG026.0252.24\
PG026.0252.25\
PG026.0252.26\
not be reckoned wills Him .' For the One creates, and PG026.0252.27\
the rest are created; and the One is the own Word and PG026.0252.28\
Wisdom of the Father's Essence, and through this Word PG026.0252.29\
things which came to be, which before existed not, were PG026.0252.30\
made. 50. Your famous assertion then, that the Son PG026.0252.31\
is a creature, is not true, but is your fantasy only; nay PG026.0252.32\
Solomon convicts you of having many times slandered PG026.0252.33\
him. For he has not called Him creature, but God's Offspring PG026.0252.34\
and Wisdom, saying, 'God in Wisdom established the PG026.0252.35\
earth,' and 'Wisdom built her an house .' And the PG026.0252.36\
very passage in question proves your irreligious spirit; PG026.0252.37\
for it is written, 'The Lord created me a beginning PG026.0252.38\
of His ways for His works.' Therefore if He is before PG026.0252.39\
all things, yet says 'He created me' (not 'that I might PG026.0252.40\
make the works,' but) 'for the works,' unless 'He created' PG026.0252.41\
relates to something later than Himself, He will PG026.0252.42\
seem later than the works, finding them on His creation PG026.0252.43\
already in existence before Him, for the sake of which PG026.0252.44\
He is also brought into being. And if so, how is He PG026.0252.45\
before all things notwithstanding? and how were all things PG026.0253.01\
made through Him and consist in Him? for behold, you PG026.0253.02\
say that the works consisted before Him, for which PG026.0253.03\
He is created and sent. But it is not so; perish the PG026.0253.04\
thought! false is the supposition of the heretics. PG026.0253.05\
For the Word of God is not creature but Creator; PG026.0253.06\
and says in the manner of proverbs, 'He created PG026.0253.07\
me' when He put on created flesh. And something PG026.0253.08\
besides may be understood from the passage itself; PG026.0253.09\
for, being Son and having God for His Father, PG026.0253.10\
for He is His proper Offspring, yet here He names PG026.0253.11\
the Father Lord; not that He was servant, but PG026.0253.12\
because He took the servant's form. For it became PG026.0253.13\
Him, on the one hand being the Word from the Father, PG026.0253.14\
to call God Father: for this is proper to son PG026.0253.15\
towards father; on the other, having come to finish PG026.0253.16\
the work, and taken a servant's form, to name PG026.0253.17\
the Father Lord. And this difference He Himself PG026.0253.18\
has taught by an apt distinction, saying in the PG026.0253.19\
Gospels, 'I thank Thee, O Father,' and then, 'Lord PG026.0253.20\
of heaven and earth .' For He calls God His PG026.0253.21\
Father, but of the creatures He names Him Lord; as PG026.0253.22\
shewing clearly from these words, that, when He PG026.0253.23\
put on the creature , then it was He called the PG026.0253.24\
Father Lord. For in the prayer of David the Holy. PG026.0253.25\
Spirit marks the same distinction, saying in PG026.0253.26\
the Psalms, 'Give Thy strength unto Thy Child, and PG026.0253.27\
help the Son of Thine handmaid .' For the natural PG026.0253.28\
and true child of God is one, and the sons PG026.0253.29\
of the handmaid, that is, of the nature of things PG026.0253.30\
originate, are other. Wherefore the One, as Son, PG026.0253.31\
has the Father's might; but the rest are in need PG026.0253.32\
of salvation.51. (But if, because He was called PG026.0253.33\
child, they idly talk, let them know that both Isaac PG026.0253.34\
was named Abraham's child, and the son of the PG026.0253.35\
Shunamite was called young child.) Reasonably then, PG026.0253.36\
we being servants, when He became as we, He too PG026.0253.37\
calls the Father Lord, as we do; and this He has PG026.0253.38\
so done from love to man, that we too, being servants PG026.0253.39\
by nature, and receiving the Spirit of the PG026.0253.40\
Son, might have confidence to call Him by grace PG026.0253.41\
Father, who is by nature our Lord. But as we, in PG026.0253.42\
calling the Lord Father, do not deny our servitude PG026.0253.43\
by nature (for we are His works, and it is 'He PG026.0253.44\
that hath made us, and not we ourselves '), so PG026.0253.45\
when the Son, on taking the servant's form, says, PG026.0256.01\
'The Lord created me a beginning of His ways,' PG026.0256.02\
let them not deny the eternity of His Godhead, PG026.0256.03\
and that 'in the beginning was the Word,' and 'all things PG026.0256.04\
were made by Him,' and 'in Him all things were created FOR the passage in the Proverbs, PG026.0256.05\
PG026.0256.06\
as I have said before, signifies, not the Essence, but PG026.0256.07\
the manhood of the Word; for if He says that He was PG026.0256.08\
created 'for the works,' He shews His intention of signifying, PG026.0256.09\
not His Essence, but the Economy which took PG026.0256.10\
place 'for His works,' which comes second to being. PG026.0256.11\
For things which are in formation and creation are PG026.0256.12\
made specially that they may be and exist , and next PG026.0256.13\
they have to do whatever the Word bids them, as may PG026.0256.14\
be seen in the case of all things. For Adam was created, PG026.0256.15\
not that He might work, but that first he might PG026.0256.16\
be man; for it was after this that he received the command PG026.0256.17\
to work. And Noah was created, not because of PG026.0256.18\
the ark, but that first he might exist and be a man; PG026.0256.19\
for after this he received commandment to prepare the PG026.0256.20\
ark. And the like will be found in every case on inquiring PG026.0256.21\
into it;-thus the great Moses first was made PG026.0256.22\
a man, and next was entrusted with the government of PG026.0256.23\
the people. Therefore here too we must suppose the like; PG026.0256.24\
for thou seest, that the Word is not created into PG026.0256.25\
existence, but, 'In the beginning was the Word,' and PG026.0256.26\
He is afterwards sent 'for the works' and the Economy PG026.0256.27\
towards them. For before the works were made, the PG026.0256.28\
Son was ever, nor was there yet need that He should be PG026.0256.29\
created; but when the works were created and need PG026.0256.30\
arose afterwards of the Economy for their restoration, PG026.0256.31\
then it was that the Word took upon Himself this condescension PG026.0256.32\
and assimilation to the works; which He has PG026.0256.33\
shewn us by the word 'He created.' And through the PG026.0256.34\
Prophet Isaiah willing to signify the like, He says PG026.0256.35\
again: 'And now thus saith the Lord, who formed me from PG026.0256.36\
the womb to be His servant, to gather together Jacob PG026.0256.37\
unto Him and Israel, I shall be brought together PG026.0256.38\
and be glorified before the Lord .' 52. See here PG026.0256.39\
too, He is formed, not into existence, but in order to PG026.0256.40\
gather together the tribes, which were in existence PG026.0256.41\
before He was formed. For as in the former passage PG026.0257.01\
stands 'He created,' so in this 'He formed;' and as there PG026.0257.02\
'for the works,' so here 'to gather together;' PG026.0257.03\
so that in every point of view it appears that 'He created' PG026.0257.04\
and 'He formed' are said after 'the Word was.' PG026.0257.05\
For as before His forming the tribes existed, for PG026.0257.06\
whose sake He was formed, so does it appear that PG026.0257.07\
the works exist, for which He was created. And when PG026.0257.08\
'in the beginning was the Word,' not yet were the PG026.0257.09\
works, as I have said before; but when the works were PG026.0257.10\
made and the need required, then 'He created' was PG026.0257.11\
said; and as if some son, when the servants were PG026.0257.12\
lost, and in the hands of the enemy by their own carelessness, PG026.0257.13\
and need was urgent, were sent by his PG026.0257.14\
father to succour and recover them, and on setting PG026.0257.15\
out were to put over him the like dress with them, PG026.0257.16\
and should fashion himself as they, test the capturers, PG026.0257.17\
recognising him as the master, should take PG026.0257.18\
to flight and prevent his descending to those who PG026.0257.19\
were hidden under the earth by them; and then were PG026.0257.20\
any one to inquire of him, why he did so, were to PG026.0257.21\
make answer, 'My Father thus formed and prepared PG026.0257.22\
me for his works,' while in thus speaking, he neither PG026.0257.23\
implies that he is a servant nor one of the works, PG026.0257.24\
nor speaks of the beginning of His origination, PG026.0257.25\
but of the subsequent charge given him over the works,-in PG026.0257.26\
the same way the Lord also, having put over PG026.0257.27\
Him our flesh, and 'being found in fashion as a man,' PG026.0257.28\
if He were questioned by those who saw Him thus PG026.0257.29\
and marvelled, would say, 'The Lord created Me the PG026.0257.30\
beginning of His ways for His works,' and 'He formed PG026.0257.31\
Me to gather together Israel.' This again the Spirit PG026.0257.32\
foretells in the Psalms, saying, 'Thou didst PG026.0257.33\
set Him over the works of Thine hands ;' which PG026.0257.34\
elsewhere the Lord signified of Himself, 'I am set PG026.0257.35\
as King by Him upon His holy hill of Sion .' And PG026.0257.36\
as, when He shone in the body upon Sion, He had PG026.0257.37\
not His beginning of existence or of reign, but being PG026.0257.38\
God's Word and everlasting King, He vouchsafed PG026.0257.39\
that His kingdom should shine in a human way in Sion, PG026.0257.40\
that redeeming them and us from the sin which reigned PG026.0257.41\
in them, He might bring them under His Father's PG026.0257.42\
Kingdom, so, on being set 'for the works,' He is PG026.0257.43\
not set for things which did not yet exist, but for PG026.0260.01\
such as already were and needed restoration. 53. PG026.0260.02\
'He created' then and 'He formed' and 'He set,' PG026.0260.03\
having the same meaning, do not denote the beginning PG026.0260.04\
of His being, or of His essence as created, but PG026.0260.05\
His beneficent renovation which came to pass for PG026.0260.06\
us. Accordingly, though He thus speaks, yet He taught PG026.0260.07\
also that He Himself existed before this, when PG026.0260.08\
He said, 'Before Abraham came to be, I am ;' PG026.0260.09\
and 'when He prepared the heavens, I was present PG026.0260.10\
with Him;' and 'I was with Him disposing things,' He Himself is Framer of PG026.0260.11\
PG026.0260.12\
PG026.0260.13\
PG026.0260.14\
PG026.0260.15\
PG026.0260.16\
PG026.0260.17\
PG026.0260.18\
the creation, and His works are evidently later PG026.0260.19\
than Himself, and 'He created' signifies, not His PG026.0260.20\
beginning of being, but the Economy which took place PG026.0260.21\
for the works, which He effected in the flesh. PG026.0260.22\
For it became Him, being other than the works, nay PG026.0260.23\
rather their Framer, to take upon Himself their PG026.0260.24\
renovation , that, whereas He is created for us, PG026.0260.25\
all things may be now created in Him. For when PG026.0260.26\
He said 'He created,' He forthwith added the reason, PG026.0260.27\
naming 'the works,' that His creation for the PG026.0260.28\
works might signify His becoming man for their renovation. PG026.0260.29\
And this is usual with divine Scripture PG026.0260.30\
; for when it signifies the fleshly origination PG026.0260.31\
of the Son, it adds also the cause for which PG026.0260.32\
He became man; but when he speaks or His servants PG026.0260.33\
declare anything of His Godhead, all is said in simple PG026.0260.34\
diction, and with an absolute sense, and without PG026.0260.35\
reason being added. For He is the Father's Radiance; PG026.0260.36\
and as the Father is, but not for any reason, PG026.0260.37\
neither must we seek the reason of that Radiance. PG026.0260.38\
Thus it is written, 'In the beginning was the PG026.0260.39\
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was PG026.0260.40\
God ;' and the wherefore it assigns not ; PG026.0260.41\
but when 'the Word was made flesh ,' then it adds PG026.0260.42\
the reason why, saying, 'And dwelt among us.' PG026.0261.01\
And again the Apostle saying, 'Who being in the form PG026.0261.02\
of God,' has not introduced the reason, till PG026.0261.03\
'He took on Him the form of a servant;' for then he continues, PG026.0261.04\
'He humbled Himself unto death, even the death PG026.0261.05\
of the cross ;' for it was for this that He both PG026.0261.06\
became flesh and took the form of a servant. 54. PG026.0261.07\
And the Lord Himself has spoken many things in proverbs; PG026.0261.08\
but when giving us notices about Himself, He has PG026.0261.09\
spoken absolutely ; 'I in the Father and the Father PG026.0261.10\
in Me,' and 'I and the Father are one,' and, 'He PG026.0261.11\
that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father, and I am the PG026.0261.12\
Light of the world,' and, 'I am the Truth ;' not PG026.0261.13\
setting down in every case the reason, nor the wherefore, PG026.0261.14\
lest He should seem second to those things for PG026.0261.15\
which He was made. For that reason would needs take PG026.0261.16\
precedence of Him, without which not even He Himself PG026.0261.17\
had come into being. Paul, for instance, 'separated PG026.0261.18\
an Apostle for the Gospel, which the Lord had promised PG026.0261.19\
afore by the Prophets ,' was thereby made subordinate PG026.0261.20\
to the Gospel, of which he was made minister, PG026.0261.21\
and John, being chosen to prepare the Lord's way, PG026.0261.22\
was made subordinate to the Lord; but the Lord, not PG026.0261.23\
being made subordinate to any reason why He should be PG026.0261.24\
Word, save only that He is the Father's Offspring and PG026.0261.25\
Only-begotten Wisdom, when He becomes man, then assigns PG026.0261.26\
the reason why He is about to take flesh. For PG026.0261.27\
the need of man preceded His becoming man, apart from PG026.0261.28\
which He had not put on flesh . And what the need PG026.0261.29\
was for which He became man, He Himself thus signifies, PG026.0261.30\
'I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, PG026.0261.31\
but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the PG026.0261.32\
will of Him which hath sent Me, that of all which He PG026.0261.33\
hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise PG026.0261.34\
it up again at the last day. And this is the will PG026.0261.35\
of My Father, that every one which seeth the Son and PG026.0261.36\
believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I PG026.0261.37\
will raise him up at the last day .' And again; 'I PG026.0261.38\
am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth PG026.0261.39\
on Me, should not abide in darkness .' And again PG026.0261.40\
he says; 'To this end was I born, and for this PG026.0261.41\
cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness PG026.0261.42\
unto the truth .' And John has written: 'For this PG026.0261.43\
was manifested the Son of God, that He might destroy PG026.0261.44\
the works of the devil .' 55. To give a witness PG026.0264.01\
then, and for our sakes to undergo death, to raise PG026.0264.02\
man up and destroy the works of the devil , PG026.0264.03\
the Saviour came, and this is the reason of His incarnate PG026.0264.04\
presence. For otherwise a resurrection had not PG026.0264.05\
been, unless there had been death; and how had death PG026.0264.06\
been, unless He had had a mortal body? This the PG026.0264.07\
Apostle, learning from Him, thus sets forth, 'Forasmuch PG026.0264.08\
then as the children are partakers of flesh PG026.0264.09\
and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the PG026.0264.10\
same; that through death He might bring to nought PG026.0264.11\
him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, PG026.0264.12\
and deliver them who through fear of death were PG026.0264.13\
all their lifetime subject to bondage .' And, 'Since PG026.0264.14\
by man came death, by man came also the resurrection PG026.0264.15\
of the dead .' And again, 'For what the PG026.0264.16\
Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, PG026.0264.17\
God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful PG026.0264.18\
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; PG026.0264.19\
that the ordinance of the Law might be fulfilled PG026.0264.20\
in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the PG026.0264.21\
Spirit .' And John says, 'For God sent not His PG026.0264.22\
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the PG026.0264.23\
world through Him might be saved .' And again, PG026.0264.24\
the Saviour has spoken in His own person, 'For judgment PG026.0264.25\
am I come into this world, that they who see PG026.0264.26\
not might see, and that they which see might become PG026.0264.27\
blind .' Not for Himself then, but for our salvation, PG026.0264.28\
and to abolish death, and to condemn sin, PG026.0264.29\
and to give sight to the blind, and to raise up all PG026.0264.30\
from the dead, has He come; but if not for Himself, PG026.0264.31\
but for us, by consequence not for Himself but for PG026.0264.32\
us is He created. But if not for Himself is He created, PG026.0264.33\
but for us, then He is not Himself a creature, PG026.0264.34\
but, as having put on our flesh, He uses such language. PG026.0264.35\
And that this is the sense of the Scriptures, PG026.0264.36\
we may learn from the Apostle, who says in Ephesians, PG026.0264.37\
'Having broken down the middle wall of partition PG026.0264.38\
between us, having abolished in His flesh the PG026.0264.39\
enmity, even the law of commandments contained in PG026.0265.01\
ordinances, to create in Himself of twain one new man, PG026.0265.02\
so making peace .' But if in Him the twain PG026.0265.03\
are created, and these are in His body, reasonably then, PG026.0265.04\
bearing the twain in Himself, He is as if Himself created; PG026.0265.05\
for those who were created in Himself He made one, PG026.0265.06\
and He was in them, as they. And thus, the two being PG026.0265.07\
created in Him, He may say suitably, 'The Lord created PG026.0265.08\
me.' For as by receiving our infirmities, He is said PG026.0265.09\
to be infirm Himself, though not Himself infirm, for PG026.0265.10\
He is the Power of God, and He became sin for us and PG026.0265.11\
a curse, though not having sinned Himself, but because PG026.0265.12\
He Himself bare our sins and our curse, so , by PG026.0265.13\
creating us in Him, let Him say, 'He created me for the PG026.0265.14\
works,' though not Himself a creature. 56. For if, PG026.0265.15\
as they hold, the Essence of the Word being of created PG026.0265.16\
nature, therefore He says, 'The Lord created me,' being PG026.0265.17\
a creature, He was not created for us; but if He PG026.0265.18\
was not created for us, we are not created in Him; and, PG026.0265.19\
if not created in Him, we have Him not in ourselves PG026.0265.20\
but externally; as, for instance, as receiving instruction PG026.0265.21\
from Him as from a teacher . And it being so PG026.0265.22\
with us, sin has not lost its reign over the flesh, being PG026.0265.23\
inherent and not cast out of it. But the Apostle opposes PG026.0265.24\
such a doctrine a little before, when he says, PG026.0265.25\
'For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus ,' and 'I am in the Father PG026.0265.26\
PG026.0265.27\
PG026.0265.28\
PG026.0265.29\
PG026.0265.30\
PG026.0265.31\
PG026.0265.32\
PG026.0265.33\
PG026.0265.34\
PG026.0265.35\
and the Father in Me ;' so, when for our need He PG026.0265.36\
became man, consistently does He use language, as ourselves, PG026.0265.37\
'The Lord hath created Me,' that, by His dwelling PG026.0265.38\
in the flesh, sin might perfectly be expelled from PG026.0265.39\
the flesh, and we might have a free mind . For what PG026.0265.40\
ought He, when made man, to say? 'In the beginning PG026.0265.41\
I was man?' this were neither suitable to Him nor true; PG026.0265.42\
and as it beseemed not to say this, so it is natural PG026.0268.01\
and proper in the case of man to say, 'He created' and PG026.0268.02\
'He made' Him. On this account then the reason of PG026.0268.03\
'He created' is added, namely, the need of the works; and where PG026.0268.04\
the reason is added, surely the reason rightly explains PG026.0268.05\
the lection. Thus here, when He says 'He created,' He sets PG026.0268.06\
down the cause, 'the works;' on the other hand, when He signifies PG026.0268.07\
absolutely the generation from the Father, straightway PG026.0268.08\
He adds, 'Before all the hills He begets me ;' but He PG026.0268.09\
does not add the 'wherefore,' as in the case of 'He created,' PG026.0268.10\
saying, 'for the works,' but absolutely, 'He begets me,' PG026.0268.11\
as in the text, 'In the beginning was the Word .' For, PG026.0268.12\
though no works had been created, still 'the Word' of God PG026.0268.13\
'was,' and 'the Word was God.' And His becoming man would PG026.0268.14\
not have taken place, had not the need of men become a cause. PG026.0268.15\
The Son then is not a creature. 57. FOR had He been a PG026.0268.16\
creature, He had not said, 'He begets me,' for the creatures PG026.0268.17\
are from without, and are works of the Maker; but the Offspring PG026.0268.18\
is not from without nor a work, but from the Father, PG026.0268.19\
and proper to His Essence. Wherefore they are creatures; PG026.0268.20\
this God's Word and Only-begotten Son. For instance, Moses PG026.0268.21\
did not say of the creation, 'In the beginning He begat,' nor PG026.0268.22\
'In the beginning was,' but 'In the beginning God created PG026.0268.23\
the heaven and the earth .' Nor did David say in the PG026.0268.24\
Psalm, 'Thy hands have "begotten me,"' but 'made me and fashioned PG026.0268.25\
me ,' everywhere applying the word 'made' to the PG026.0268.26\
creatures. But to the Son contrariwise; for he has not said PG026.0268.27\
'I made,' but 'I begat ,' and 'He begets me,' and 'My heart PG026.0268.28\
uttered a good Word .' And in the instance of the creation, PG026.0268.29\
'In the beginning He made;' but in the instance of PG026.0268.30\
the Son, 'In the beginning was the Word .' And there is PG026.0268.31\
this difference, that the creatures are made upon the beginning, PG026.0268.32\
and have a beginning of existence connected with an PG026.0268.33\
interval; wherefore also what is said of them, 'In the beginning PG026.0268.34\
He made,' is as much as saying of them, 'From the beginning PG026.0268.35\
He made:'-as the Lord, knowing that which He had made, PG026.0268.36\
taught, when He silenced the Pharisees, with the words, PG026.0268.37\
'He which made them from the beginning, made them male and PG026.0268.38\
female ;' for from some beginning, when they were not yet, PG026.0268.39\
were originate things brought into being and created. This PG026.0268.40\
too the Holy Spirit has signified in the Psalms, saying, PG026.0269.01\
'Thou, Lord, at the beginning hast laid the foundation of PG026.0269.02\
the earth ;' and again, 'O think upon Thy congregation PG026.0269.03\
which Thou hast purchased from the beginning ;' now it PG026.0269.04\
is plain that what takes place at the beginning, has PG026.0269.05\
a beginning of creation, and that from some beginning God PG026.0269.06\
purchased His congregation. And that 'In the beginning PG026.0269.07\
He made,' from his saying 'made,' means 'began to make,' PG026.0269.08\
Moses himself shews by saying, after the completion PG026.0269.09\
of all things, 'And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified PG026.0269.10\
it, because that in it He had rested from all His PG026.0269.11\
work which God began to make .' Therefore the creatures PG026.0269.12\
began to be made; but the Word of God, not having PG026.0269.13\
beginning of being, certainly did not begin to be, nor PG026.0269.14\
begin to come to be, but was ever. And the works have PG026.0269.15\
their beginning in their making, and their beginning precedes PG026.0269.16\
their coming to be; but the Word, not being of things PG026.0269.17\
which come to be, rather comes to be Himself the Framer PG026.0269.18\
of those which have a beginning. And the being of PG026.0269.19\
things originate is measured by their becoming , and PG026.0269.20\
from some beginning does God begin to make them through PG026.0269.21\
the Word, that it may be known that they were not before PG026.0269.22\
their origination; but the Word has His being, in no PG026.0269.23\
other beginning than the Father, whom they allow PG026.0269.24\
to be without beginning, so that He too exists without PG026.0269.25\
beginning? the Father, being His Offspring, not His creature. PG026.0269.26\
58. Thus does divine Scripture recognise the PG026.0269.27\
difference between the Offspring and things made, and PG026.0269.28\
shew that the Offspring is a Son, not begun from any beginning, PG026.0269.29\
but eternal; but that the thing made, as an external PG026.0269.30\
work of the Maker, began to come into being. John PG026.0269.31\
therefore delivering divine doctrine about the Son, PG026.0269.32\
and knowing the difference of the phrases, said not, 'In PG026.0269.33\
the beginning has become' or 'been made,' but 'In the PG026.0269.34\
beginning was the Word;' that we might understand 'Offspring' PG026.0269.35\
by 'was,' and not account of Him by intervals, PG026.0269.36\
but believe the Son always and eternally to exist. And PG026.0269.37\
with these proofs, how, O Arians, misunderstanding the passage PG026.0269.38\
in Deuteronomy, did you venture a fresh act of irreligion PG026.0269.39\
against the Lord, saying that 'He is a work,' PG026.0269.40\
or 'creature,' or indeed 'offspring?' for offspring PG026.0269.41\
and work you take to mean the same thing; but here too PG026.0269.42\
you shall be shewn to be as unlearned as you are irreligious. PG026.0269.43\
Your first passage is this, 'Is not He thy Father PG026.0269.44\
that bought thee? did He not make thee and create PG026.0272.01\
thee ?' And shortly after in the same Song he says, 'God PG026.0272.02\
that begat thee thou didst desert, and forgattest PG026.0272.03\
God that nourished thee .' Now the meaning conveyed PG026.0272.04\
in these passages is very remarkable; for he PG026.0272.05\
says not first 'He begat,' lest that term should be PG026.0272.06\
taken as indiscriminate with 'He made,' and these PG026.0272.07\
men should have a pretence for saying, 'Moses tells PG026.0272.08\
us indeed that God said from the beginning, "Let PG026.0272.09\
Us make man ,"' but he soon after says himself, PG026.0272.10\
'God that begat thee thou didst desert,' as if PG026.0272.11\
the terms were indifferent; for offspring and work PG026.0272.12\
are the same. But after the words 'bought' and PG026.0272.13\
'made,' he has added last of all 'begat,' that the PG026.0272.14\
sentence might carry its own interpretation; for PG026.0272.15\
in the word 'made' he accurately denotes what belongs PG026.0272.16\
to men by nature, to be works and things made; PG026.0272.17\
but in the word 'begat' he shews God's lovingkindness PG026.0272.18\
exercised towards men after He had created PG026.0272.19\
them. And since they have proved ungrateful upon this, PG026.0272.20\
thereupon Moses reproaches them, saying first, PG026.0272.21\
'Do ye thus requite the Lord?' and then adds, 'Is PG026.0272.22\
not He thy Father that bought thee? Did He not PG026.0272.23\
make thee and create thee ?' And next he says, PG026.0272.24\
'They sacrificed unto devils, not to God, to gods PG026.0272.25\
whom they knew not. New gods and strange came up, PG026.0272.26\
whom your fathers knew not; the God that begat thee PG026.0272.27\
thou didst desert .' 59. For God not only PG026.0272.28\
created them to be men, but called them to be sons, PG026.0272.29\
as having begotten them. For the term 'begat' is PG026.0272.30\
here as elsewhere expressive of a Son, as He says PG026.0272.31\
by the Prophet, 'I begat sons and exalted them;' PG026.0272.32\
and generally, when Scripture wishes to signify a PG026.0272.33\
son, it does so, not by the term 'created,' but undoubtedly PG026.0272.34\
by that of 'begat.' And this John seems PG026.0272.35\
to say, 'He gave to them power to become children PG026.0272.36\
of God, even to them that believe on His Name; which PG026.0272.37\
were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of PG026.0272.38\
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. But this is God's kindness PG026.0273.01\
PG026.0273.02\
PG026.0273.03\
PG026.0273.04\
PG026.0273.05\
PG026.0273.06\
PG026.0273.07\
to man, that of whom He is Maker, of them according PG026.0273.08\
to grace He afterwards becomes Father also; becomes, that PG026.0273.09\
is, when men, His creatures, receive into their hearts, PG026.0273.10\
as the Apostle says, 'the Spirit of His Son, crying, Abba, PG026.0273.11\
Father .' And these are they who, having received the PG026.0273.12\
Word, gained power from Him to become sons of God; for PG026.0273.13\
they could not become sons, being by nature creatures, otherwise PG026.0273.14\
than by receiving the Spirit of the natural and true PG026.0273.15\
Son. Wherefore, that this might be, 'The Word became flesh,' PG026.0273.16\
that He might make man capable of Godhead. This same PG026.0273.17\
meaning may be gained also from the Prophet Malachi, who PG026.0273.18\
says, 'Hath not One God created us? Have we not all one PG026.0273.19\
Father?' for first he puts 'created,' next 'Father,' PG026.0273.20\
to shew, as the other writers, that from the beginning we PG026.0273.21\
were creatures by nature, and God is our Creator through PG026.0273.22\
the Word; but afterwards we were made sons, and thenceforward PG026.0273.23\
God the Creator becomes our Father also. Therefore PG026.0273.24\
'Father' is proper to the Son; and not 'creature,' but 'Son' PG026.0273.25\
is proper to the Father. Accordingly this passage also PG026.0273.26\
proves, that we are not sons by nature, but the Son who PG026.0273.27\
is in us ; and again, that God is not our Father by PG026.0273.28\
nature, but of that Word in us, in whom and because of whom PG026.0273.29\
we 'cry, Abba, Father .' And so in like manner, the PG026.0273.30\
Father calls them sons in whomsoever He sees His own Son, PG026.0273.31\
and says, 'I begat;' since begetting is significant of PG026.0273.32\
a Son, and making is indicative of the works. And thus it PG026.0273.33\
is that we are not begotten first, but made; for it is written, PG026.0273.34\
'Let Us make man ;' but afterwards, on receiving PG026.0273.35\
the grace of the Spirit, we are said thenceforth to be PG026.0273.36\
begotten also; just as the great Moses in his Song with an PG026.0273.37\
apposite meaning says first 'He bought,' and afterwards PG026.0273.38\
'He begat;' lest, hearing 'He begat,' they might forget PG026.0273.39\
their own original nature; but that they might know that PG026.0273.40\
from the beginning they are creatures, but when according PG026.0273.41\
to grace they are said to be begotten, as sons, still no PG026.0273.42\
less than before are men works according to nature. 60. PG026.0273.43\
And that creature and offspring are not the same, but differ PG026.0276.01\
from each other in nature and the signification of PG026.0276.02\
the words, the Lord Himself shews even in the Proverbs. PG026.0276.03\
For having said, 'The Lord treated me a beginning of His PG026.0276.04\
ways;' He has added, 'But before all the hills He begat PG026.0276.05\
me.' If then the Word were by nature and in His Essence PG026.0276.06\
a creature, and there were no difference between PG026.0276.07\
offspring and creature, He would not have added, 'He PG026.0276.08\
begat me,' but had been satisfied with 'He created,' PG026.0276.09\
as if that term implied 'He begat;' but, as it is, after PG026.0276.10\
saying, 'He created me a beginning of His ways for PG026.0276.11\
His works,' He has added, not simply 'begat me,' but PG026.0276.12\
with the connection of the conjunction 'But,' as guarding PG026.0276.13\
thereby the term 'created,' when he says, 'But before PG026.0276.14\
all the hills He begat me.' For 'begat me' succeeding PG026.0276.15\
in such close connection to 'created me,' makes the PG026.0276.16\
meaning one, and shews that 'created' is said with an PG026.0276.17\
object , but that 'begat me' is prior to 'created PG026.0276.18\
me.' For as, if He had said the reverse, 'The Lord begat PG026.0276.19\
me,' and went on, 'But before the hills He created PG026.0276.20\
me,' 'created' would certainly precede 'begat,' so having PG026.0276.21\
said first 'created,' and then added 'But before all PG026.0276.22\
the hills He begat me,' He necessarily shews that 'begat' PG026.0276.23\
preceded 'created.' For in saying, 'Before all PG026.0276.24\
he begat me,' He intimates that He is other than all things; PG026.0276.25\
it having been shewn to be true in an earlier PG026.0276.26\
part of this book, that no one creature was made before PG026.0276.27\
another, but all things originate subsisted at once PG026.0276.28\
together upon one and the same command . Therefore PG026.0276.29\
neither do the words which follow 'created,' also follow PG026.0276.30\
'begat me;' but in the case of 'created' is added PG026.0276.31\
'beginning of ways,' but of 'begat me,' He says not, 'He PG026.0276.32\
begat me as a beginning,' but 'before all He begat PG026.0276.33\
me.' But He who is before all is not a beginning of all, PG026.0276.34\
but is other than all ; but if other than all (in PG026.0276.35\
which 'all' the beginning of all is included), it follows PG026.0276.36\
that He is other than the creatures; and it becomes PG026.0276.37\
a clear point, that the Word, being other than all PG026.0276.38\
things and before all, afterwards is created 'a beginning PG026.0276.39\
of the ways for works,' because He became man, that, PG026.0276.40\
as the Apostle has said, He who is the 'Beginning' PG026.0276.41\
and 'First-born from the dead, in all things might have PG026.0276.42\
the preeminence .' 61. Such then being the difference PG026.0276.43\
between 'created' and 'begat me,' and between 'beginning PG026.0276.44\
of ways' and 'before all,' God, being first PG026.0276.45\
Creator, next, as has been said, becomes Father of men, PG026.0277.01\
because of His Word dwelling in them. But in the case PG026.0277.02\
of the Word the reverse; for God, being His Father PG026.0277.03\
by nature, becomes afterwards both His Creator and PG026.0277.04\
Maker, when the Word puts on that flesh which was PG026.0277.05\
created and made, and becomes man. For, as men, PG026.0277.06\
receiving the Spirit of the Son, become children PG026.0277.07\
through Him, so the Word of God, when He Himself PG026.0277.08\
puts on the flesh of man, then is said both to PG026.0277.09\
be created and to have been made. If then we are PG026.0277.10\
by nature sons, then is He by nature creature and PG026.0277.11\
work; but if we become sons by adoption and grace, PG026.0277.12\
then has the Word also, when in grace towards PG026.0277.13\
us He became man, said, 'The Lord created me.' PG026.0277.14\
And in the next place, when He put on a created PG026.0277.15\
nature and became like us in body, reasonably was PG026.0277.16\
He therefore called both our Brother and 'First-born' and 'the door ,' and 'through PG026.0277.17\
PG026.0277.18\
PG026.0277.19\
PG026.0277.20\
PG026.0277.21\
PG026.0277.22\
PG026.0277.23\
PG026.0277.24\
PG026.0277.25\
PG026.0277.26\
PG026.0277.27\
PG026.0277.28\
Me all must enter.' Whence also is He said PG026.0277.29\
to be 'First-born from the dead ,' not that He PG026.0277.30\
died before us, for we had died first; but because PG026.0277.31\
having undergone death for us and abolished it, PG026.0277.32\
He was the first to rise, as man, for our sakes PG026.0277.33\
raising His own Body. Henceforth He having risen, PG026.0277.34\
we too from Him and because of Him rise in due PG026.0277.35\
course from the dead. 62. But if He is also called PG026.0277.36\
'First-born of the creation ,' still this PG026.0277.37\
is not as if He were levelled to the creatures, PG026.0277.38\
and only first of them in point of time (for how PG026.0277.39\
should that be, since He is 'Only-begotten?'), PG026.0277.40\
but it is because of the Word's condescension PG026.0277.41\
to the creatures, according to which He has become PG026.0277.42\
the 'Brother' of 'many.' For the term 'Only-begotten' PG026.0277.43\
is used where there are no brethren, but PG026.0277.44\
'First-born ' because of brethren. Accordingly PG026.0277.45\
it is nowhere written in the Scriptures, 'the first-born PG026.0277.46\
of God,' nor 'the creature of God;' but PG026.0277.47\
'Only-begotten' and 'Son' and 'Word' and 'Wisdom,' PG026.0277.48\
refer to Him as proper to the Father . Thus, PG026.0277.49\
'We have seen His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten PG026.0280.01\
of the Father ;' and 'God sent His PG026.0280.02\
Only-begotten Son ;' and 'O Lord, Thy Word PG026.0280.03\
endureth for ever ;' and 'In the beginning was the Word, PG026.0280.04\
and the Word was with God;' and 'Christ the Power of PG026.0280.05\
God and the Wisdom of God ;' and 'This is My beloved PG026.0280.06\
Son;' and 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living PG026.0280.07\
God .' But 'first-born' implied the descent to the creation PG026.0280.08\
; for of it has He been called first-born; and PG026.0280.09\
'He created' implies His grace towards the works, for PG026.0280.10\
for them is He created. If then He is Only-begotten, as PG026.0280.11\
indeed He is, 'First-born' needs some explanation; but PG026.0280.12\
if He be really First-born, then He is not Only-begotten PG026.0280.13\
. For the same cannot be both Only-begotten and First-born, PG026.0280.14\
except in different relations;-that is, Only-begotten, PG026.0280.15\
because of His generation from the Father, as PG026.0280.16\
has been said; and First-born, because of His condescension PG026.0280.17\
to the creation and His making the many His brethren. PG026.0280.18\
Certainly, those two terms being inconsistent with PG026.0280.19\
each other, one should say that the attribute of being Only-begotten PG026.0280.20\
has justly the preference in the instance PG026.0280.21\
of the Word, in that there is no other Word, or other Wisdom, PG026.0280.22\
but He alone is very Son of the Father. Moreover PG026.0280.23\
, as was before said, not in connection with any PG026.0280.24\
reason, but absolutely it is said of Him, 'The Only-begotten PG026.0280.25\
Son which is in the bosom of the Father ;' but PG026.0280.26\
the word 'First-born' has again the creation as a reason PG026.0280.27\
in connection with it, which Paul proceeds to say, PG026.0280.28\
'for in Him all things were created .' But if all the PG026.0280.29\
creatures were created in Him, He is other than the creatures, PG026.0280.30\
and is not a creature, but the Creator of the PG026.0280.31\
creatures. 63. Not then because He was from the Father PG026.0280.32\
was He called 'First-born,' but because in Him the creation PG026.0280.33\
came to be; and as before the creation He was the PG026.0280.34\
Son, through whom was the creation, so also before He was PG026.0280.35\
called the First-born of the whole creation, not the PG026.0280.36\
less was the Word Himself with God and the Word was God. PG026.0280.37\
But this also not understanding, these irreligious men PG026.0280.38\
go about saying, 'If He is First-born of all creation, PG026.0280.39\
it is plain that He too is one of the creation.' Senseless PG026.0280.40\
men! if He is simply 'First-born of the whole creation,' PG026.0280.41\
then He is other than the whole creation; for he PG026.0280.42\
says not, 'He is First-born above the rest of the creatures,' PG026.0280.43\
lest He be reckoned to be as one of the creatures, PG026.0280.44\
but it is written, 'of the whole creation,' that He PG026.0280.45\
may appear other than the creation . Reuben, for instance, PG026.0281.01\
is not said to be first-born of all the children PG026.0281.02\
of Jacob , but of Jacob himself and his brethren; PG026.0281.03\
lest he should be thought to be some other beside the children PG026.0281.04\
of Jacob. Nay, even concerning the Lord Himself PG026.0281.05\
the Apostle says not, 'that He may become First-born PG026.0281.06\
of all,' lest He be thought to bear a body other than ours, PG026.0281.07\
but 'among many brethren ,' because of the likeness PG026.0281.08\
of the flesh. If then the Word also were one of the PG026.0281.09\
creatures, Scripture would have said of Him also that PG026.0281.10\
He was First-born of other creatures; but in fact, the PG026.0281.11\
saints saying that He is 'First-born of the whole creation ,' but the creation itself, of which PG026.0281.12\
PG026.0281.13\
PG026.0281.14\
PG026.0281.15\
PG026.0281.16\
PG026.0281.17\
PG026.0281.18\
PG026.0281.19\
PG026.0281.20\
PG026.0281.21\
PG026.0281.22\
PG026.0281.23\
PG026.0281.24\
PG026.0281.25\
PG026.0281.26\
PG026.0281.27\
PG026.0281.28\
the Apostle speaks, 'waiting for the manifestation of PG026.0281.29\
the sons of God, shall be delivered' one time 'from the PG026.0281.30\
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the PG026.0281.31\
children of God .' Of this creation thus delivered, PG026.0281.32\
the Lord will be First-born, both of it and of all those PG026.0281.33\
who are made children, that by His being called first, PG026.0281.34\
those that come after Him may abide , as depending PG026.0281.35\
on the Word as a beginning . 64. And I think that PG026.0281.36\
the irreligious men themselves will be shamed from such PG026.0281.37\
a thought; for if the case stands not as we have said, PG026.0281.38\
but they will rule it that He is 'First-born of the PG026.0284.01\
whole creation' as in essence-a creature among creatures, PG026.0284.02\
let them reflect that they will be conceiving Him PG026.0284.03\
as brother and fellow of the things without reason and PG026.0284.04\
life. For of the whole creation these also are parts; PG026.0284.05\
and the 'First-born' must be first indeed in point of PG026.0284.06\
time but only thus, and in kind and similitude must PG026.0284.07\
be the same with all. How then can they say this without PG026.0284.08\
exceeding all measures of irreligion? or who will endure PG026.0284.09\
them, if this is their language? or who can but PG026.0284.10\
hate them even imagining such things? For it is evident PG026.0284.11\
to all, that neither for Himself, as being a creature, PG026.0284.12\
nor as having any connection according to essence with PG026.0284.13\
the whole creation, has He been called 'First-born' PG026.0284.14\
of it: but because the Word, when at the beginning He PG026.0284.15\
framed the creatures, condescended to things originate, PG026.0284.16\
that it might be possible for them to come to be. For PG026.0284.17\
they could not have endured His nature, which was untempered PG026.0284.18\
splendour, even that of the Father, unless condescending PG026.0284.19\
by the Father's love for man He had supported PG026.0284.20\
them and taken hold of them and brought them into PG026.0284.21\
existence ; and next, because, by this condescension PG026.0284.22\
of the Word, the creation too is made a son through PG026.0284.23\
Him, that He might be in all respects 'First-born' PG026.0284.24\
of it, as has been said, both in creating, and also in PG026.0284.25\
being brought for the sake of all into this very world. PG026.0284.26\
For so it is written, 'When He bringeth the First-born PG026.0284.27\
into the world, He saith, Let all the Angels of God PG026.0284.28\
worship Him .' Let Christ's enemies hear and tear PG026.0284.29\
themselves to pieces, because His coming into the world PG026.0284.30\
is what makes Him called 'First-born' of all; and thus PG026.0284.31\
the Son is the Father's 'Only-begotten,' because He PG026.0284.32\
alone is from Him, and He is the 'First-born of creations,' PG026.0284.33\
because of this adoption of all as sons . And PG026.0284.34\
as He is First-born among brethren and rose from the PG026.0284.35\
dead 'the first fruits of them that slept ;' so, since PG026.0284.36\
it became Him 'in all things to have the preeminence,' PG026.0284.37\
PG026.0284.38\
that we, walking along it and entering through Him who PG026.0284.39\
says, 'I am the Way' and 'the Door,' and partaking of PG026.0284.40\
the knowledge of the Father, may also hear the words, PG026.0285.01\
'Blessed are the undefiled in the Way,' and 'Blessed PG026.0285.02\
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God .' PG026.0285.03\
65. And thus since the truth declares that the Word PG026.0285.04\
is not by nature a creature, it is fitting now to PG026.0285.05\
say, in what sense He is 'beginning of ways.' For PG026.0285.06\
when the first way, which was through Adam, was lost, PG026.0285.07\
and in place of paradise we deviated unto death, PG026.0285.08\
and heard the words, 'Dust thou art, and unto dust PG026.0285.09\
shall thou return,' therefore the Word of God, PG026.0285.10\
who loves man, puts on Him created flesh at the Father's PG026.0285.11\
will , that whereas the first man had made PG026.0285.12\
it dead through the transgression, He Himself might PG026.0285.13\
quicken it in the blood of His own body , and PG026.0285.14\
might open 'for us a way new and living,' as the PG026.0285.15\
Apostle says, 'through the veil, that is to say, His PG026.0285.16\
flesh ;' which he signifies elsewhere thus, 'Wherefore, PG026.0285.17\
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; PG026.0285.18\
old things are passed away, behold all things PG026.0285.19\
are become new .' But if a new creation has come PG026.0285.20\
to pass, some one must be first of this creation; PG026.0285.21\
now a man, made of earth only, such as we are become PG026.0285.22\
from the transgression, he could not be. For in PG026.0285.23\
the first creation, men had become unfaithful, and PG026.0285.24\
through them that first creation had been lost; and PG026.0285.25\
there was need of some one else to renew the first PG026.0285.26\
creation, and preserve the new which had come to PG026.0285.27\
be. Therefore from love to man none other than the PG026.0285.28\
Lord, the 'beginning' of the new creation, is created PG026.0285.29\
as 'the Way,' and consistently says, 'The Lord created PG026.0285.30\
me a beginning of ways for His works;' that PG026.0285.31\
man might walk no longer according to that first creation, PG026.0285.32\
but there being as it were a beginning of PG026.0285.33\
a new creation, and with the Christ 'a beginning of PG026.0285.34\
its ways,' we might follow Him henceforth, who says PG026.0285.35\
to us, 'I am the Way:'-as the blessed Apostle teaches PG026.0285.36\
in Colossians, saying, 'He is the Head of the PG026.0285.37\
body, the Church, who is the Beginning, the First-born PG026.0285.38\
from the dead, that in all things He might have PG026.0285.39\
the preeminence.' 66. For if, as has been said, because PG026.0285.40\
of the resurrection from the dead He is called PG026.0285.41\
a beginning, and then a resurrection took place PG026.0285.42\
when He, bearing our flesh, had given Himself to death PG026.0285.43\
for us, it is evident that His words, 'He created PG026.0285.44\
me a beginning of ways,' is indicative not of His PG026.0288.01\
essence , but of His bodily presence. For to PG026.0288.02\
the body death was proper ; and in like manner PG026.0288.03\
to the bodily presence are the words proper, 'The Lord PG026.0288.04\
created me a beginning of His ways.' For since the PG026.0288.05\
Saviour was thus created according to the flesh, and PG026.0288.06\
had become a beginning of things new created, and PG026.0288.07\
had our first fruits, viz. that human flesh which He PG026.0288.08\
took to Himself, therefore after Him, as is fit, is PG026.0288.09\
created also the people to come, David saying, 'Let PG026.0288.10\
this be written for another generation, and the people PG026.0288.11\
that shall be created shall praise the Lord .' PG026.0288.12\
And again in the twenty-first Psalm, 'The generation PG026.0288.13\
to come shall declare unto the Lord, and they shall PG026.0288.14\
declare His righteousness, unto a people that shall PG026.0288.15\
be born whom the Lord made .' For we shall no PG026.0288.16\
more hear, 'In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou PG026.0288.17\
shalt surely die ,' but 'Where I am, there ye' PG026.0288.18\
shall 'be also;' so that we may say, 'We are His workmanship, PG026.0288.19\
created unto good works .' And again, since PG026.0288.20\
God's work, that is, man, though created perfect, PG026.0288.21\
has become wanting through the transgression, and PG026.0288.22\
dead by sin, and it was unbecoming that the work of PG026.0288.23\
God should remain imperfect (wherefore all the saints PG026.0288.24\
were praying concerning this, for instance in the PG026.0288.25\
hundred and thirty-seventh Psalm, saying, 'Lord, Thou PG026.0288.26\
shall requite for me; despise not then the works PG026.0288.27\
of Thine hands '); therefore the perfect Word PG026.0288.28\
of God puts around Him an imperfect body, and is said PG026.0288.29\
to be created 'for the works;' that, paying the debt PG026.0288.30\
in our stead, He might, by Himself, perfect what PG026.0288.31\
was wanting to man. Now immortality was wanting to PG026.0288.32\
him, and the way to paradise. This then is what the PG026.0288.33\
Saviour says, 'I glorified Thee on the earth, I perfected PG026.0288.34\
the work which Thou hast given Me to do ;' PG026.0288.35\
and again, 'The works which the Father hath given PG026.0288.36\
Me to perfect, the same works that I do, bear witness PG026.0288.37\
of Me;' but 'the works ' He here says that the PG026.0288.38\
Father had given Him to perfect, are those for which PG026.0288.39\
He is created, saying in the Proverbs, 'The Lord created PG026.0288.40\
me a beginning of His ways, for His works;' for PG026.0289.01\
it is all one to say, 'The Father hath given me the PG026.0289.02\
works,' and 'The Lord created me for the works.' PG026.0289.03\
67. When then received He the works to perfect, O God's PG026.0289.04\
enemies? for from this also 'He created' will be PG026.0289.05\
understood. If ye say, 'At the beginning when He brought PG026.0289.06\
them into being out of what was not,' it is an untruth; PG026.0289.07\
for they were not yet made; whereas He appears PG026.0289.08\
to speak as taking what was already in being. Nor is PG026.0289.09\
it pious to refer to the time which preceded the Word's PG026.0289.10\
becoming flesh, lest His coming should thereupon seem PG026.0289.11\
superfluous, since for the sake of these works that PG026.0289.12\
coming took place. Therefore it remains for us to PG026.0289.13\
say that when He has become man, then He took the works. PG026.0289.14\
For then He perfected them, by healing our wounds PG026.0289.15\
and vouchsafing to us the resurrection from the dead. PG026.0289.16\
But if, when the Word became flesh, then were given PG026.0289.17\
to Him the works, plainly when He became man, then also PG026.0289.18\
is He created for the works. Not of His essence then PG026.0289.19\
is 'He created' indicative, as has many times been PG026.0289.20\
said, but of His bodily generation. For then, because PG026.0289.21\
the works were become imperfect and mutilated from the PG026.0289.22\
transgression, He is said in respect to the body to PG026.0289.23\
be created; that by perfecting them and making them PG026.0289.24\
whole, He might present the Church unto the Father, as PG026.0289.25\
the Apostle says, 'not having spot or wrinkle or any PG026.0289.26\
such thing, but holy and without blemish .' Mankind PG026.0289.27\
then is perfected in Him and restored, as it was PG026.0289.28\
made at the beginning, nay, with greater grace. For, on PG026.0289.29\
rising from the dead, we shall no longer fear death, PG026.0289.30\
but shall ever reign in Christ in the heavens. And PG026.0289.31\
this has been done, since the own Word of God Himself, PG026.0289.32\
who is from the Father, has put on the flesh, and become PG026.0289.33\
man. For if, being a creature, He had become man, PG026.0289.34\
man had remained just what he was, not joined to God; PG026.0289.35\
for how had a work been joined to the Creator by a PG026.0289.36\
work ? or what succour had come from like to like, PG026.0289.37\
when one as well as other needed it ? And how, were PG026.0289.38\
the Word a creature, had He power to undo God's sentence, PG026.0289.39\
and to remit sin, whereas it is written in the PG026.0289.40\
Prophets, that this is God's doing? For 'who is a God PG026.0289.41\
like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth PG026.0289.42\
by transgression ?' For whereas God has said, 'Dust PG026.0289.43\
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return ,' men PG026.0289.44\
have become mortal; how then could things originate PG026.0289.45\
undo sin? but the Lord is He who has undone it, as PG026.0289.46\
He says Himself, 'Unless the Son shall make you free,' suitably through the Word PG026.0292.01\
PG026.0292.02\
PG026.0292.03\
PG026.0292.04\
PG026.0292.05\
PG026.0292.06\
PG026.0292.07\
Himself and in Him the freedom and the undoing of the PG026.0292.08\
condemnation has come to pass. 68. 'Yet,' they say, PG026.0292.09\
'though the Saviour were a creature, God was able to speak PG026.0292.10\
the word only and undo the curse.' And so another PG026.0292.11\
will tell them in like manner, 'Without His coming among PG026.0292.12\
us at all, God was able just to speak and undo the curse;' PG026.0292.13\
but we must consider what was expedient for mankind, PG026.0292.14\
and not what simply is possible with God . He could PG026.0292.15\
have destroyed, before the ark of Noah, the then transgressors; PG026.0292.16\
but He did it after the ark. He could too, PG026.0292.17\
without Moses, have spoken the word only and have brought PG026.0292.18\
the people out of Egypt; but it profited to do it PG026.0292.19\
through Moses. And God was able without the judges to save PG026.0292.20\
His people; but it was profitable for the people that PG026.0292.21\
for a season judges should be raised up to them. The PG026.0292.22\
Saviour too might have come among us from the beginning, PG026.0292.23\
or on His coming might not have been delivered to Pilate; PG026.0292.24\
but He came 'at the fulness of the ages ,' and PG026.0292.25\
when sought for said, 'I am He .' For what He does, PG026.0292.26\
that is profitable for men, and was not fitting in any PG026.0292.27\
other way; and what is profitable and fitting, for that PG026.0292.28\
He provides . Accordingly He came, not 'that He PG026.0292.29\
might be ministered unto, but that He might minister 69. Again, PG026.0292.30\
PG026.0292.31\
PG026.0292.32\
PG026.0292.33\
PG026.0292.34\
PG026.0292.35\
PG026.0292.36\
PG026.0292.37\
PG026.0292.38\
PG026.0292.39\
PG026.0292.40\
PG026.0292.41\
PG026.0292.42\
PG026.0292.43\
PG026.0292.44\
PG026.0293.01\
PG026.0293.02\
PG026.0293.03\
PG026.0293.04\
PG026.0293.05\
PG026.0293.06\
PG026.0293.07\
PG026.0293.08\
if the Son were a creature, man had remained mortal as PG026.0293.09\
before, not being joined to God; for a creature had not PG026.0293.10\
joined creatures to God, as seeking itself one to PG026.0293.11\
join it ; nor would a portion of the creation have PG026.0293.12\
been the creation's salvation, as needing salvation itself. PG026.0293.13\
To provide against this also, He sends His own Son, PG026.0293.14\
and He becomes Son of Man, by taking created flesh; PG026.0293.15\
that, since all were under sentence of death, He, being PG026.0293.16\
other than them all, might Himself for all offer PG026.0293.17\
to death His own body; and that henceforth, as if all PG026.0293.18\
land died through Him, the word of that sentence might PG026.0293.19\
be accomplished (for 'all died ' in Christ), and PG026.0293.20\
all through Him might thereupon become free from sin PG026.0293.21\
and from the curse which came upon it, and might truly PG026.0293.22\
abide for ever, risen from the dead and clothed in PG026.0293.23\
immortality and incorruption. For the Word being clothed PG026.0293.24\
in the flesh, as has many times been explained, every PG026.0293.25\
bite of the serpent began to be utterly staunched PG026.0293.26\
from out it; and whatever evil sprung from the motions PG026.0293.27\
of the flesh, to be cut away, and with these death PG026.0293.28\
also was abolished, the companion of sin, as the Lord PG026.0293.29\
Himself says , 'The prince of this world cometh, and PG026.0293.30\
findeth nothing in Me;' and 'For this end was He manifested,' PG026.0293.31\
as John has written, 'that He might destroy PG026.0293.32\
the works of the devil .' And these being destroyed PG026.0293.33\
from the flesh, we all were thus liberated by the kinship PG026.0293.34\
of the flesh, and for the future were joined, even PG026.0293.35\
we, to the Word. And being joined to God, no longer PG026.0293.36\
do we abide upon earth; but, as He Himself has said, PG026.0293.37\
where He is, there shall we be also; and henceforward PG026.0293.38\
we shall fear no longer the serpent, for he was brought PG026.0293.39\
to nought when he was assailed by the Saviour in PG026.0293.40\
the flesh, and heard Him say, 'Get thee behind Me, Satan,' PG026.0293.41\
PG026.0293.42\
PG026.0293.43\
PG026.0293.44\
PG026.0296.01\
PG026.0296.02\
and 'neither male nor female, but all and in all PG026.0296.03\
Christ ;' and where Christ is, what fear, what danger PG026.0296.04\
can still happen? 70. But this would not have come PG026.0296.05\
to pass, had the Word been a creature; for with a PG026.0296.06\
creature, the devil, himself a creature, would have ever PG026.0296.07\
continued the battle, and man, being between the PG026.0296.08\
two, had been ever in peril of death, having none in PG026.0296.09\
whom and through whom he might be joined to God and PG026.0296.10\
delivered from all fear. Whence the truth shews us that PG026.0296.11\
the Word is not of things originate, but rather Himself PG026.0296.12\
their Framer. For therefore did He assume the body PG026.0296.13\
originate and human, that having renewed it as its PG026.0296.14\
Framer, He might deify it in Himself, and thus might PG026.0296.15\
introduce us all into the kingdom of heaven after PG026.0296.16\
His likeness. For man had not been deified if joined PG026.0296.17\
to a creature, or unless the Son were very God; nor PG026.0296.18\
had man been brought into the Father's presence, unless PG026.0296.19\
He had been His natural and true Word who had put PG026.0296.20\
on the body. And as we had not been delivered from PG026.0296.21\
sin and the curse, unless it had been by nature human PG026.0296.22\
flesh, which the Word put on (for we should have had PG026.0296.23\
nothing common with what was foreign), so also the man PG026.0296.24\
had not been deified, unless the Word who became flesh PG026.0296.25\
had been by nature from the Father and true and PG026.0296.26\
proper to Him. For therefore the union was of this kind, PG026.0296.27\
that He might unite what is man by nature to Him PG026.0296.28\
who is in the nature of the Godhead, and his salvation PG026.0296.29\
and deification might be sure. Therefore let those PG026.0296.30\
who deny that the Son is from the Father by nature and PG026.0296.31\
proper to His Essence, deny also that He took true PG026.0296.32\
human flesh of Mary Ever-Virgin ; for in neither PG026.0296.33\
case had it been of profit to us men, whether the PG026.0296.34\
Word were not true and naturally Son of God, or the flesh PG026.0296.35\
not true which He assumed. But surely He took true PG026.0296.36\
flesh, though Valentinus rave; yea the Word was by PG026.0296.37\
nature Very God, though Ariomaniacs rave ; and in PG026.0296.38\
that flesh has come to pass the beginning of our PG026.0297.01\
new creation, He being created man for our sake, and PG026.0297.02\
having made for us that new way, as has been said. PG026.0297.03\
71. The Word then is neither creature nor work; for PG026.0297.04\
creature, thing made, work, are all one; and were He PG026.0297.05\
creature and thing made, He would also be work. Accordingly PG026.0297.06\
He has not said, 'He created Me a work,' nor 'He PG026.0297.07\
made Me with the works,' lest He should appear to be PG026.0297.08\
in nature and essence a creature; nor, 'He created PG026.0297.09\
Me to make works,' lest, on the other hand, according PG026.0297.10\
to the perverseness of the irreligious, He should seem PG026.0297.11\
as an instrument made for our sake. Nor again has PG026.0297.12\
He declared, 'He created Me before the works,' lest, PG026.0297.13\
as He really is before all, as an Offspring, so, if PG026.0297.14\
created also before the works, He should give 'Offspring' PG026.0297.15\
and 'He created' the same meaning. But He has said PG026.0297.16\
with exact discrimination , 'for the works;' as much PG026.0297.17\
as to say, 'The Father has made Me, into flesh, that PG026.0297.18\
I might be man,' which again shews that He is not a PG026.0297.19\
work but an offspring. For as he who comes into a house, PG026.0297.20\
is not part of the house, but is other than the house, PG026.0297.21\
so He who is created for the works, must be by nature PG026.0297.22\
other than the works. But if otherwise, as you PG026.0297.23\
hold, O Arians, the Word of God be a work, by what PG026.0297.24\
Hand and Wisdom did He Himself come into being? for all PG026.0297.25\
things that came to be, came by the Hand and Wisdom PG026.0297.26\
of God, who Himself says, 'My hand hath made all these PG026.0297.27\
things ;' and David says in the Psalm, 'And Thou, PG026.0297.28\
Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of PG026.0297.29\
the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy handsTherefore if by the Hand of God the works are wrought, PG026.0297.30\
PG026.0297.31\
PG026.0297.32\
PG026.0297.33\
PG026.0297.34\
and it is written that 'all things were made through PG026.0297.35\
the Word,' and 'without Him was not made one thing ,' and 'in Him all things consist ,' PG026.0297.36\
PG026.0297.37\
PG026.0297.38\
it is very plain that the Son cannot be a work, but He PG026.0297.39\
is the Hand of God and the Wisdom. This knowing, PG026.0300.01\
the martyrs in Babylon, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, PG026.0300.02\
arraign the Arian irreligion. For when they say, 'O PG026.0300.03\
all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord,' they recount PG026.0300.04\
things in heaven, things on earth, and the whole creation, PG026.0300.05\
as works; but the Son they name not. For they PG026.0300.06\
say not, 'Bless, O Word, and praise, O Wisdom;' to shew PG026.0300.07\
that all other things are both praising and are works; PG026.0300.08\
but the Word is not a work nor of those that praise, PG026.0300.09\
but is praised with the Father and worshipped and PG026.0300.10\
confessed as God , being His Word and Wisdom, and of PG026.0300.11\
the works the Framer. This too the Spirit has declared PG026.0300.12\
in the Psalms with a most apposite distinction, 'the PG026.0300.13\
Word of the Lord is true, and all His works are faithful .' 72. But if the Word were a work, then PG026.0300.14\
PG026.0300.15\
PG026.0300.16\
PG026.0300.17\
certainly He as others had been made in Wisdom; nor would PG026.0300.18\
Scripture distinguish Him from the works, nor while PG026.0300.19\
it named them works, preach Him as Word and own Wisdom PG026.0300.20\
of God. But, as it is, distinguishing Him from the PG026.0300.21\
works, He shews that Wisdom is Framer of the works, and PG026.0300.22\
not a work. This distinction Paul also observes, PG026.0300.23\
writing to the Hebrews, 'The Word of God is quick and PG026.0300.24\
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, reaching PG026.0300.25\
even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and PG026.0300.26\
marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents PG026.0300.27\
of the heart, neither is there any creature hidden before PG026.0300.28\
Him, but all things are naked and open unto the PG026.0300.29\
eyes of Him with whom is our account .' For behold PG026.0300.30\
he calls things originate 'creature;' but the Son he recognises PG026.0300.31\
as the Word of God, as if He were other than PG026.0300.32\
the creatures. And again saying, 'All things are naked PG026.0300.33\
and open to the eyes of Him with whom is our account,' PG026.0300.34\
he signifies that He is other than all of them. For PG026.0300.35\
hence it is that He judges, but each of all things originate PG026.0300.36\
is bound to give account to Him. And so also, PG026.0300.37\
when the whole creation is groaning together with PG026.0300.38\
us in order to be set free from the bondage of corruption, PG026.0300.39\
the Son is thereby shewn to be other than the creatures. PG026.0300.40\
For if He were creature, He too would be one PG026.0300.41\
of those who groan, and would need one who should bring PG026.0300.42\
adoption and deliverance to Himself as well as others. PG026.0300.43\
But if the whole creation groans together, for the PG026.0300.44\
sake of freedom from the bondage of corruption, whereas PG026.0300.45\
the Son is not of those that groan nor of those who PG026.0301.01\
need freedom, but He it is who gives sonship and freedom PG026.0301.02\
to all, saying to the Jews of His time , 'The PG026.0301.03\
servant remains not in the house for ever, but the Son remaineth PG026.0301.04\
for ever; if then the Son shall make you free, PG026.0301.05\
ye shall be free indeed ;' it is clearer than the light PG026.0301.06\
from these considerations also, that the Word of God PG026.0301.07\
is not a creature but true Son, and by nature genuine, PG026.0301.08\
of the Father. Concerning then 'The Lord hath created PG026.0301.09\
me a beginning of the ways,' this is sufficient, as I PG026.0301.10\
think, though in few words, to afford matter to the learned PG026.0301.11\
to frame more ample refutations of the Arian heresy. PG026.0301.12\
BUT since the heretics, reading the next verse, take PG026.0301.13\
a perverse view of that also, because it is written, PG026.0301.14\
'He founded me before the world ,' namely, that this PG026.0301.15\
is said of the Godhead of the Word and not of His incarnate PG026.0301.16\
Presence , it is necessary, explaining this verse PG026.0301.17\
also, to shew their error. 73. It is written, 'The PG026.0301.18\
Lord in Wisdom rounded the earth ;' if then by Wisdom PG026.0301.19\
the earth is founded, how can He who founds be founded? PG026.0301.20\
nay, this too is said after the manner of proverbs PG026.0301.21\
, and we must in like manner investigate its sense; PG026.0301.22\
that we may know that, while by Wisdom the Father frames PG026.0301.23\
and founds the earth to be firm and steadfast , Wisdom PG026.0301.24\
Itself is founded for us, that It may become beginning PG026.0301.25\
and foundation of our new creation and renewal.Accordingly PG026.0301.26\
here as before, He says not, 'Before the world PG026.0301.27\
He hath made me Word or Son,' lest there should be as PG026.0301.28\
it were a beginning of His making. For this we must seek PG026.0301.29\
before all things, whether He is Son , 'and on this PG026.0301.30\
point specially search the Scriptures ;' for this PG026.0301.31\
it was, when the Apostles were questioned, that Peter answered, PG026.0301.32\
saying, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living PG026.0301.33\
God .' This also the father of the Arian heresy PG026.0301.34\
asked as one of his first questions; 'If Thou be the PG026.0301.35\
Son of God ;' for he knew that this is the truth and PG026.0301.36\
the sovereign principle of our faith; and that, if He PG026.0301.37\
were Himself the Son, the tyranny of the devil would PG026.0301.38\
have its end; but if He were a creature, He too was one PG026.0301.39\
of those descended from that Adam whom he deceived, and PG026.0301.40\
he had no cause for anxiety. For the same reason the Jews PG026.0301.41\
of the day were angered, because the Lord said that PG026.0301.42\
He was Son of God, and that God was His proper Father. PG026.0301.43\
For had He called Himself one of the creatures, or PG026.0301.44\
said, 'I am a work,' they had not been startled at the intelligence, PG026.0301.45\
nor thought such words blasphemy, knowing, PG026.0304.01\
as they did, that even Angels had come among their fathers; PG026.0304.02\
but since He called Himself Son, they perceived PG026.0304.03\
that such was not the note of a creature, but of Godhead PG026.0304.04\
and of the Father's nature . The Arians then ought, PG026.0304.05\
even in imitation of their own father the devil, PG026.0304.06\
to take some special pains on this point; and if He PG026.0304.07\
has said, 'He founded me to be Word or Son,' then to PG026.0304.08\
think as they do; but if He has not so spoken, not PG026.0304.09\
to invent for themselves what is not. 74. For He says PG026.0304.10\
not, 'Before the world He founded me as Word or Son,' PG026.0304.11\
but simply, 'He founded me,' to shew again, as I have PG026.0304.12\
said, that not for His own sake but for those PG026.0304.13\
who are built upon Him does He here also speak, after PG026.0304.14\
the way of proverbs. For this knowing, the Apostle also PG026.0304.15\
writes, 'Other foundation can no man lay than that PG026.0304.16\
is laid, which is Jesus Christ; but let every man take PG026.0304.17\
heed how he buildeth thereupon .' And it must be PG026.0304.18\
that the foundation should be such as the things built PG026.0304.19\
on it, that they may admit of being well compacted PG026.0304.20\
together. Being then the Word, He has not, as Word PG026.0304.21\
, any such as Himself, who may be compacted with Him; PG026.0304.22\
for He is Only-begotten; but having become man, He PG026.0304.23\
has the like of Him, those namely the likeness of whose PG026.0304.24\
flesh He has put on. Therefore according to His manhood PG026.0304.25\
He is founded, that we, as precious stones, may PG026.0304.26\
admit of building upon Him, and may become a temple PG026.0304.27\
of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in us. And as He is a PG026.0304.28\
foundation, and we stones built upon Him, so again He PG026.0304.29\
is a Vine and we knit to Him as branches,-not according PG026.0304.30\
to the Essence of the Godhead; for this surely is PG026.0304.31\
impossible; but according to His manhood, for the branches PG026.0304.32\
must be like the vine, since we are like Him according PG026.0304.33\
to the flesh. Moreover, since the heretics have PG026.0304.34\
such human notions, we may suitably confute them PG026.0304.35\
with human resemblances contained in the very matter PG026.0304.36\
they urge. Thus He saith not, 'He made me a foundation,' PG026.0304.37\
lest He might seem to be made and to have a beginning PG026.0304.38\
of being, and they might thence find a shameless PG026.0304.39\
occasion of irreligion; but, 'He founded me.' Now what PG026.0305.01\
is founded is founded for the sake of the stones which PG026.0305.02\
are raised upon it; it is not a random process, PG026.0305.03\
but a stone is first transported from the mountain and set PG026.0305.04\
down in the depth of the earth. And while a stone is in PG026.0305.05\
the mountain, it is not yet founded; but when need demands, PG026.0305.06\
and it is transported, and laid in the depth of the earth, PG026.0305.07\
then forthwith if the stone could speak, it would PG026.0305.08\
say, 'He now founded me, who brought me hither from the mountain.' PG026.0305.09\
Therefore the Lord also did not when founded take PG026.0305.10\
a beginning of existence; for He was the Word before PG026.0305.11\
that; but when He put on our body, which He severed and took PG026.0305.12\
from Mary, then He says 'He hath founded me;' as much PG026.0305.13\
as to say, 'Me, being the Word, He hath enveloped in a PG026.0305.14\
body of earth.' For so He is founded for our sakes, taking PG026.0305.15\
on Him what is ours , that we, as incorporated and PG026.0305.16\
compacted and bound together in Him through the likeness PG026.0305.17\
of the flesh, may attain unto a perfect man, and abide PG026.0305.18\
immortal and incorruptible. 75. Nor let the words 'before PG026.0305.19\
the world' and 'before He made the earth' and 'before PG026.0305.20\
the mountains were settled' disturb any one; for they very PG026.0305.21\
well accord with 'founded' and 'created;' for here again PG026.0305.22\
allusion is made to the Economy according to the flesh. PG026.0305.23\
For though the grace which came to us from the Saviour PG026.0305.24\
appeared, as the Apostle says, just now, and has come when PG026.0305.25\
He sojourned among us; yet this grace had been prepared PG026.0305.26\
even before we came into being, nay, before the foundation PG026.0305.27\
of the world, and the reason why is kindly and wonderful. PG026.0305.28\
It beseemed not that God should counsel concerning PG026.0305.29\
us afterwards, lest He should appear ignorant of our fate. PG026.0305.30\
The God of all then,-creating us by His own Word, and PG026.0305.31\
knowing our destinies better than we, and foreseeing that, PG026.0305.32\
being made 'good ,' we should in the event be transgressors PG026.0305.33\
of the commandment, and be thrust out of paradise PG026.0305.34\
for disobedience,-being loving and kind, prepared beforehand PG026.0305.35\
in His own Word, by whom also. He created us , PG026.0305.36\
the Economy of our salvation; that though by the serpent's PG026.0305.37\
deceit we fell from Him, we might not remain quite dead, PG026.0305.38\
but having in the Word the redemption and salvation which PG026.0305.39\
was afore prepared for us, we might rise again and abide PG026.0305.40\
immortal, what time He should have been created for PG026.0305.41\
us 'a beginning of the ways,' and He who was the 'First-born PG026.0305.42\
of creation' should become 'first-born' of the 'brethren,' PG026.0308.01\
and again should rise 'first-fruits of the dead.' .' And to the Ephesians; 'Blessed PG026.0308.02\
PG026.0308.03\
PG026.0308.04\
PG026.0308.05\
PG026.0308.06\
PG026.0308.07\
PG026.0308.08\
PG026.0308.09\
PG026.0308.10\
PG026.0308.11\
PG026.0308.12\
PG026.0308.13\
be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, PG026.0308.14\
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly PG026.0308.15\
places in Christ Jesus, according as He hath chosen PG026.0308.16\
us in Him before the foundation of the world, that PG026.0308.17\
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, PG026.0308.18\
having predestinated us to the adoption of children PG026.0308.19\
by Jesus Christ to Himself .' 76. How then has PG026.0308.20\
He chosen us, before we came into existence, but that, PG026.0308.21\
as he says himself, in Him we were represented beforehand? PG026.0308.22\
and how at all, before men were created, did PG026.0308.23\
He predestinate us unto adoption, but that the Son Himself PG026.0308.24\
was 'founded before the world,' taking on Him that PG026.0308.25\
economy which was for our sake? or how, as the Apostle PG026.0308.26\
goes on to say, have we 'an inheritance being predestinated,' PG026.0308.27\
but that the Lord Himself was founded 'before PG026.0308.28\
the world,' inasmuch as He had a purpose, for our PG026.0308.29\
sakes, to take on Him through the flesh all that inheritance PG026.0308.30\
of judgment which lay against us, and we henceforth PG026.0308.31\
were made sons in Him? and how did we receive it PG026.0308.32\
'before the world was,' when we were not yet in being, PG026.0308.33\
but afterwards in time, but that in Christ was stored PG026.0308.34\
the grace which has reached us? Wherefore also in PG026.0308.35\
the Judgment, when every one shall receive according to PG026.0308.36\
his conduct, He says, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, PG026.0308.37\
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation PG026.0308.38\
of the world .' How then, or in whom, was it PG026.0308.39\
prepared before we came to be, save in the Lord who 'before PG026.0308.40\
the world' was founded for this purpose; that we, PG026.0308.41\
as built upon Him, might partake, as well-compacted PG026.0308.42\
stones, the life and grace which is from Him? And this PG026.0308.43\
took place, as naturally suggests itself to the religious PG026.0308.44\
mind, that, as I said, we, rising after our brief PG026.0309.01\
death, may be capable of an eternal life, of which we PG026.0309.02\
had not been capable , men as we are, formed of PG026.0309.03\
earth, but that 'before the world' there had been prepared PG026.0309.04\
for us in Christ the hope of life and salvation. PG026.0309.05\
Therefore reason is there that the Word, on coming PG026.0309.06\
into our flesh, and being created in it as 'a beginning PG026.0309.07\
of ways for His works,' is laid as a foundation PG026.0309.08\
according as the Father's will was in Him before PG026.0309.09\
the world, as has been said, and before land was, PG026.0309.10\
and before the mountains were settled, and before PG026.0309.11\
the fountains burst forth; that, though the earth and PG026.0309.12\
the mountains and the shapes of visible nature pass PG026.0309.13\
away in the fulness of the present age, we on the PG026.0309.14\
contrary may not grow old after their pattern, but PG026.0309.15\
may be able to live after them, having the spiritual PG026.0309.16\
life and blessing which before these things have been PG026.0309.17\
prepared for us in the Word Himself according to PG026.0309.18\
election. For thus we shall be capable of a life not PG026.0309.19\
temporary, but ever afterwards abide and live PG026.0309.20\
in Christ; since even before this our life had been PG026.0309.21\
founded and prepared in Christ Jesus. 77. Nor in any PG026.0309.22\
other way was it fitting that our life should be PG026.0309.23\
founded, but in the Lord who is before the ages, and PG026.0309.24\
through whom the ages were brought to be; that, since PG026.0309.25\
it was in Him, we too might be able to inherit that PG026.0309.26\
everlasting life. For God is good; and being good PG026.0309.27\
always, He willed this, as knowing that our weak PG026.0309.28\
nature needed the succour and salvation which is from PG026.0309.29\
Him. And as a wise architect, proposing to build PG026.0309.30\
a house, consults also about repairing it, should it PG026.0309.31\
at any time become dilapidated after building, and, PG026.0309.32\
as counselling about this, makes preparation and gives PG026.0309.33\
to the workmen materials for a repair; and thus PG026.0309.34\
the means of the repair are provided before the house; PG026.0309.35\
in the same way prior to us is the repair of our PG026.0309.36\
salvation founded in Christ, that in Him we might even PG026.0309.37\
be new-created. And the will and the purpose were PG026.0309.38\
made ready 'before the world,' but have taken effect PG026.0309.39\
when the need required, and the Saviour came among PG026.0309.40\
us. For the Lord Himself will stand us in place PG026.0309.41\
of all things in the heavens, when He receives us into PG026.0309.42\
everlasting life. This then suffices to prove that PG026.0309.43\
the Word of God is not a creature, but that the sense PG026.0312.01\
of the passage is right . But since that passage, PG026.0312.02\
when scrutinized, has a right sense in every PG026.0312.03\
point of view, it may be well to state what it is; perhaps PG026.0312.04\
many words may bring these senseless men to shame. PG026.0312.05\
Now here I must recur to what has been said before, for PG026.0312.06\
what I have to say relates to the same proverb and the PG026.0312.07\
same Wisdom. The Word has not called Himself a creature PG026.0312.08\
by nature, but has said in proverbs, 'The Lord created PG026.0312.09\
me;' and He plainly indicates a sense not spoken 'plainly' PG026.0312.10\
but latent , such as we shall be able to find PG026.0312.11\
by taking away the veil from the proverb. For who, on PG026.0312.12\
hearing from the Framing Wisdom, 'The Lord created me PG026.0312.13\
a beginning of His ways,' does not at once question the PG026.0312.14\
meaning, reflecting how that creative Wisdom can be PG026.0312.15\
created? who on hearing the Only-begotten Son of God say, PG026.0312.16\
that He was created 'a beginning of ways,' does not PG026.0312.17\
investigate the sense, wondering how the Only-begotten PG026.0312.18\
Son can become a Beginning of many others? for it is a PG026.0312.19\
dark saying ; but 'a man of understanding,' says he, PG026.0312.20\
'shall understand a proverb and the interpretation, PG026.0312.21\
the words of the wise and their dark sayings .' 78. PG026.0312.22\
Now the Only-begotten and very Wisdom of God is Creator PG026.0312.23\
and Framer of all things; for 'in Wisdom hast Thou PG026.0312.24\
made them all ,' he says, and 'the earth is full PG026.0312.25\
of Thy creation.' But that what came into being might PG026.0312.26\
not only be, but be good , it pleased God that His own PG026.0312.27\
Wisdom should condescend to the creatures, so as PG026.0312.28\
to introduce an impress and semblance of Its Image on PG026.0312.29\
all in common and on each, that what was made might be PG026.0312.30\
manifestly wise works and worthy of God . For as of PG026.0312.31\
the Son of God, considered as the Word, our word is an PG026.0312.32\
image, so of the same Son considered as Wisdom is the PG026.0312.33\
wisdom which is implanted in us an image; in which wisdom PG026.0312.34\
we, having the power of knowledge and thought, become PG026.0312.35\
recipients of the All-framing Wisdom; and through It PG026.0312.36\
we are able to know Its Father. 'For he who hath the PG026.0312.37\
Son,' saith He, 'hath the Father also;' and 'he that receiveth PG026.0312.38\
Me, receiveth Him that sent Me .' Such an impress PG026.0312.39\
then of Wisdom being created in us, and being in PG026.0312.40\
all the works, with reason does the true and framing Wisdom PG026.0312.41\
take to Itself what belongs to its own impress, PG026.0312.42\
and say, 'The Lord created me for His works;' for what PG026.0312.43\
the wisdom in us says, that the Lord Himself speaks as PG026.0312.44\
if it were His own; and, whereas He is not Himself created, PG026.0312.45\
being Creator, yet because of the image of Him created PG026.0313.01\
in the works , He says this as if of Himself. PG026.0313.02\
And as the Lord Himself has said, 'He that receiveth PG026.0313.03\
you, receiveth Me ,'because His impress is in us, so, PG026.0313.04\
though He be not among the creatures, yet because His PG026.0313.05\
image and impress is created in the works, He says, as PG026.0313.06\
if in His own person, 'The Lord created me a beginning PG026.0313.07\
of His ways for His works.' And therefore has this impress PG026.0313.08\
of Wisdom in the works been brought into being, PG026.0313.09\
that, as I said before, the world might recognise in it PG026.0313.10\
its own Creator the Word, and through Him the Father. PG026.0313.11\
And this is what Paul said, 'Because that which may be PG026.0313.12\
known of God is manifest in them, for God has shewed PG026.0313.13\
it unto them: for the invisible things of Him from the PG026.0313.14\
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood PG026.0313.15\
by the things that are made .' But if so, the Word PG026.0313.16\
is not a creature in essence ; but the wisdom which PG026.0313.17\
is in us and so called, is spoken of in this passage PG026.0313.18\
in the Proverbs. 79. But if this too fails to persuade PG026.0313.19\
them, let them tell us themselves, whether there is PG026.0313.20\
any wisdom in the creatures or not ? If not how is PG026.0313.21\
it that the Apostle complains, 'For after that in the PG026.0313.22\
Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God ?' PG026.0313.23\
or how is it if there is no wisdom, that a 'multitude PG026.0313.24\
of wise men ' are found in Scripture? for 'a wise man PG026.0313.25\
feareth and departeth from evil ;' and 'through wisdom PG026.0313.26\
is a house builded ;' and the Preacher says, PG026.0313.27\
'A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine;' and he blames PG026.0313.28\
those who are headstrong thus, 'Say not thou, what is PG026.0313.29\
the cause that the former days were better than these? PG026.0313.30\
for thou dost not inquire in wisdom concerning this ,' and this outpouring is a note, not of the Essence PG026.0313.31\
PG026.0313.32\
PG026.0313.33\
PG026.0313.34\
PG026.0313.35\
of the Very Wisdom and Only-begotten, but of PG026.0313.36\
that wisdom which is imaged in the world, how is it incredible PG026.0313.37\
that the All-framing and true Wisdom Itself, PG026.0313.38\
whose impress is the wisdom and knowledge poured out in PG026.0313.39\
the world, should say, as I have already explained, as PG026.0313.40\
if of Itself, 'The Lord created me for His works?' For PG026.0313.41\
the wisdom in the world is not creative, but is that PG026.0313.42\
which is created in the works, according to which 'the PG026.0313.43\
heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament PG026.0316.01\
sheweth His handywork .' This if men have within them PG026.0316.02\
, they will acknowledge the true Wisdom of God; PG026.0316.03\
and will know that they are made really after God's Image. PG026.0316.04\
And, as some son of a king, when the father wished PG026.0316.05\
to build a city , might cause his own name to be printed PG026.0316.06\
upon each of the works that were rising, both to give PG026.0316.07\
security to them of the works remaining, by reason of PG026.0316.08\
the show of his name on everything, and also to make them PG026.0316.09\
remember him and his father from the name, and having PG026.0316.10\
finished the city might be asked concerning it, how it PG026.0316.11\
was made, and then would answer, 'It is made securely, for PG026.0316.12\
according to the will of my father, I am imaged in each PG026.0316.13\
work, for my name was made in the works;' but saying PG026.0316.14\
this, he does not signify that his own essence is created, PG026.0316.15\
but the impress of himself by means of his name; in the PG026.0316.16\
same manner, to apply the illustration, to those who PG026.0316.17\
admire the wisdom in the creatures, the true Wisdom makes PG026.0316.18\
answer, 'The Lord created me for the works,' for my impress PG026.0316.19\
is in them; and I have thus condescended for the PG026.0316.20\
framing of all things. 80. Moreover, that the Son should PG026.0316.21\
be speaking of the impress that is within us as if it PG026.0316.22\
were Himself, should not startle any one, considering (for PG026.0316.23\
we must not shrink from repetition ) that, when Saul PG026.0316.24\
was persecuting the Church, in which was His impress PG026.0316.25\
and image, He said, as if He were Himself under persecution, PG026.0316.26\
'Saul, why persecutest thou Me ?' Therefore (as PG026.0316.27\
has been said), as, supposing the impress itself of Wisdom PG026.0316.28\
which is in the works had said, 'The Lord created me PG026.0316.29\
for the works,' no one would have been startled, so, if PG026.0316.30\
He, the True and Framing Wisdom, the Only-begotten Word PG026.0316.31\
of God, should use what belongs to His image as about Himself, PG026.0316.32\
namely, 'The Lord created me for the works,' let PG026.0316.33\
no one, overlooking the wisdom created in the world and PG026.0316.34\
in the works, think that 'He created' is said of the Substance PG026.0316.35\
of the Very Wisdom, lest, diluting the wine PG026.0316.36\
with water , he be judged a defrauder of the truth. For PG026.0316.37\
It is Creative and Framer; but Its impress is created PG026.0316.38\
in the works, as the copy of the image. And He says, 'Beginning PG026.0316.39\
of ways,' since such wisdom becomes a sort of beginning. PG026.0316.40\
and, as it were, rudiments of the knowledge of PG026.0316.41\
God; for a man entering, as it were, upon this way first, PG026.0316.42\
and keeping it in the fear of God (as Solomon says PG026.0316.43\
, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom'), PG026.0316.44\
then advancing upwards in his thoughts and perceiving the PG026.0316.45\
Framing Wisdom which is in the creation, will perceive PG026.0317.01\
in It also Its Father , as the Lord Himself has said, PG026.0317.02\
'He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father,' and as PG026.0317.03\
John writes, 'He who acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father PG026.0317.04\
also .' And He says, 'Before the world He founded me 81. But since He PG026.0317.05\
PG026.0317.06\
PG026.0317.07\
PG026.0317.08\
PG026.0317.09\
PG026.0317.10\
PG026.0317.11\
PG026.0317.12\
PG026.0317.13\
PG026.0317.14\
PG026.0317.15\
PG026.0317.16\
PG026.0317.17\
PG026.0317.18\
PG026.0317.19\
PG026.0317.20\
proceeds to say, 'When He prepared the heaven, I was present PG026.0317.21\
with Him ,' we ought to know that He says not this PG026.0317.22\
as if without Wisdom the Father prepared the heaven or the PG026.0317.23\
clouds above (for there is no room to doubt that all things PG026.0317.24\
are created in Wisdom, and without It was made not even PG026.0317.25\
one thing); but this is what He says, 'All things took PG026.0317.26\
place in Me and through Me, and when there was need that PG026.0317.27\
Wisdom should be,created in the works, in My Essence indeed PG026.0317.28\
I was with the Father, but by a condescension to things PG026.0317.29\
originate, I was disposing over the works My own impress, PG026.0317.30\
so that the whole world as being in one body, might PG026.0317.31\
not be at variance but in concord with itself.' All those PG026.0317.32\
then who with an upright understanding, according to the wisdom PG026.0317.33\
given unto them, come to contemplate the creatures, PG026.0317.34\
are able to say for themselves, 'By Thy appointment all things PG026.0317.35\
continue ;' but they who make light of this must PG026.0317.36\
be told, 'Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools;' PG026.0317.37\
for 'that which may be known of God is manifest in them; PG026.0317.38\
for God has revealed it unto them; for the invisible PG026.0317.39\
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly PG026.0317.40\
seen, being perceived by the things that are made, even His PG026.0317.41\
eternal Power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. PG026.0320.01\
Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not PG026.0320.02\
as God, but served the creature more than the Creator PG026.0320.03\
of all, who is blessed for ever. Amen .' And they will PG026.0320.04\
surely be shamed at hearing, 'For, after that in PG026.0320.05\
the wisdom of God (in the mode we have explained above), PG026.0320.06\
the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God PG026.0320.07\
by the foolishness of the preaching to save them that PG026.0320.08\
believe .' For no longer, as in the former times, PG026.0320.09\
God has willed to be known by an image and shadow PG026.0320.10\
of wisdom, that namely which is in the creatures, but PG026.0320.11\
He has made the true Wisdom Itself to take flesh, PG026.0320.12\
and to become man, and to undergo the death of the cross; PG026.0320.13\
that by the faith in Him, henceforth all that PG026.0320.14\
believe may obtain salvation. However, it is the same PG026.0320.15\
Wisdom of God, which through Its own Image in the creatures PG026.0320.16\
(whence also It is said to be created), first PG026.0320.17\
manifested Itself, and through Itself Its own Father; PG026.0320.18\
and afterwards, being Itself the Word, has 'become PG026.0320.19\
flesh ,' as John says, and after abolishing death PG026.0320.20\
and saving our race, still more revealed Himself and PG026.0320.21\
through Him His own Father, saying, 'Grant unto them PG026.0320.22\
that they may know Thee the only true God, and Jesus PG026.0320.23\
Christ whom Thou hast sent .' 82. Hence the whole PG026.0320.24\
earth is filled with the knowledge of Him; for PG026.0320.25\
the knowledge of Father through Son and of Son from PG026.0320.26\
Father is one and the same, and the Father delights in PG026.0320.27\
Him, and in the same joy the Son rejoices in the Father, PG026.0320.28\
saying, 'I was by Him, daily His delight, rejoicing PG026.0320.29\
always before Him .' And this again proves PG026.0320.30\
that the Son is not foreign, but proper to the Father's PG026.0320.31\
Essence. For behold, not because of us has He come PG026.0320.32\
to be, as the irreligious men say, nor is He out of PG026.0320.33\
nothing (for not from without did God procure for Himself PG026.0320.34\
a cause of rejoicing), but the words denote what PG026.0320.35\
is His own and like. When then was it, when the Father PG026.0320.36\
rejoiced not? but if He ever rejoiced, He was ever, PG026.0320.37\
in whom He rejoiced. And in whom does the Father PG026.0320.38\
rejoice, except as seeing Himself in His own Image, PG026.0320.39\
which is His Word? And though in sons of men also He PG026.0320.40\
had delight, on finishing the world, as it is written PG026.0320.41\
in these same Proverbs , yet this too has a consistent PG026.0320.42\
sense. For even thus He had delight, not because PG026.0320.43\
joy was added to Him, but again on seeing the works PG026.0320.44\
made after His own Image; so that even this rejoicing PG026.0320.45\
of God is on account of His Image. And how too PG026.0320.46\
has the Son delight, except as seeing Himself in the PG026.0321.01\
Father? for this is the same as saying, 'He that hath PG026.0321.02\
seen Me, hath seen the Father,' and 'I am in the PG026.0321.03\
Father and the Father in Me .' Vain then is your vaunt as PG026.0321.04\
is on all sides shewn, O Christ's enemies, and vainly did ye PG026.0321.05\
parade and circulate everywhere your text, 'The Lord created PG026.0321.06\
me a beginning of His ways,' perverting its sense, and PG026.0321.07\
publishing, not Solomon's meaning, but your own comment PG026.0321.08\
. For behold your sense is proved to be but a fantasy; but PG026.0321.09\
the passage in the Proverbs, as well as all that is above PG026.0321.10\
said, proves that the Son is not a creature in nature and essence, PG026.0321.11\
but the proper Offspring of the Father, true Wisdom PG026.0321.12\
and Word, by whom 'all things were made,' and 'without Him was not made one thing ' PG026.0321.13\