[ Gennema ]

 Offspring . This word is of very frequent occurrence in Athan. He speaks of it, Orat. iv. 3, as virtually Scriptural. If any one declines to say 'offspring,' and only says that the Word exists with God, let such a one fear lest, declining an expression of Scripture, ([ to legomenon ],) he fall into extravagance, etc. Yet Basil, contr. Eunom. ii. 6-8, explicitly disavows the word, as an unscriptural invention of Eunomius. That the Father begat we are taught in many places: that the Son is an offspring we never heard up to this day, for Scripture says, 'unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.' c. 7. He goes on to say that it is fearful to give Him names of our own, to whom God has given a name which is above every name; and observes that offspring is not the word which even a human father would apply to his son, as for instance we read, Child, ([ teknon ],) go into the vineyard, and Who art thou, my son? moreover that fruits of the earth are called offspring, ( I will not drink of the offspring of this vine, ) rarely animated things, except indeed in such instances as, O generation (offspring) of vipers. Nyssen defends his brother, contr. Eunom. Orat. iii. p. 105. In the Arian formula an offspring, but not as one of the offsprings, it is synonymous with work or creature. On the other hand Epiphanius uses it, e.g. Hær. 76, 8, and Naz. Orat. 29. 2. Eusebius, Demonstr. Ev. iv. 2. Pseudo-Basil. adv. Eunom. iv. p. 280 fin. It may be added, too, that S. Basil seems to have changed his mind, for he uses the word in Hom. contr. Sabell. t. 2, p. 192. It is remarkable that this Homily in substance (i.e. the contr. Sabell. Greg. which is so like it that it cannot really be another, unless S. Basil copies it) is also given to S. Athan.