§3. He then again admirably discusses the termπρωτότοκος as it is four times employed by the Apostle.

But that the readers of our work may find no ambiguity left of such a kind as to afford any support to the heretical doctrines, it may be worth while to add to the passages examined by us this point also from Holy Scripture. They will perhaps raise a question from the very apostolic writings which we quoted: “How could He be called ‘the first-born of creation568    Cf. Col. i. 15Πρωτότοκος may be, as it is in the Authorized Version, translated either by “first born,” or by “first-begotten.” Compare with this passage Book II. §8, where the use of the word in Holy Scripture is discussed.    Acts ii. 36.    The passage in S. Peter’s speech (Acts ii. 36) discussed in the preceding book.’ if He were not what creation is? for every first-born is the first-born not of another kind, but of its own: as Reuben, having precedence in respect of birth of those who are counted after him, was the first-born, a man the first-born of men; and many others are called the first-born of the brothers who are reckoned with them.” They say then, “We assert that He Who is ‘the first-born of creation’ is of that same essence which we consider the essence of all creation. Now if the whole creation is of one essence with the Father of all, we will not deny that the first-born of creation is this also: but if the God of all differs in essence from the creation, we must of necessity say that neither has the first-born of creation community in essence with God.” The structure of this objection is not, I think, at all less imposing in the form in which it is alleged by us, than in the form in which it would probably be brought against us by our adversaries. But what we ought to know as regards this point shall now, so far as we are able, be plainly set forth in our discourse.

Four times the name of “first-born” or “first-begotten” is used by the Apostle in all his writings: but he has made mention of the name in different senses and not in the same manner. For now he speaks of “the first-born of all creation569    Cf. Col. i. 15    Phil. ii. 7.    Cf. Gal. i. 8, 9,” and again of “the first-born among many brethren570    Rom. viii. 29.    οἰκονομικῶς γενομένην    1 Cor. i. 13.,” then of “the first-born from the dead571    Col. i. 18.    Zech. vii. 9.    The sense of this passage is rather obscure. S. Gregory intends, it would seem, to point out that, although an acknowledgment that the suffering Christ was more than man may seem at first sight to support the Eunomian view of the passibility of the Godhead of the Son, this is not its necessary effect. Apparently either οὐ μὴν must be taken as equivalent to οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ, or a clause such as that expressed in the translation must be supplied before τοῖς μὲν γὰρ κ.τ.λ.;” and in the Epistle to the Hebrews the name of “first-begotten” is absolute, being mentioned by itself: for he speaks thus, “When again He bringeth the first-begotten into the world, He saith, ‘Let all the angels worship Him572    Cf. Heb. i. 6    Cf. Phil. ii. 7    Altering Oehler’s punctuation, which here follows that of the earlier editions..’” As these passages are thus distinct, it may be well to interpret each of them separately by itself, how He is the “first-born of creation,” how “among many brethren,” how “from the dead,” and how, spoken of by Himself apart from each of these, when He is again brought into the world, He is worshipped by all His angels. Let us begin then, if you will, our survey of the passages before us with the last-mentioned.

“When again He bringeth in,” he says, “the first-begotten into the world.” The addition of “again” shows, by the force of this word, that this event happens not for the first time: for we use this word of the repetition of things which have once happened. He signifies, therefore, by the phrase, the dread appearing of the Judge at the end of the ages, when He is seen no more in the form of a servant, but seated in glory upon the throne of His kingdom, and worshipped by all the angels that are around Him. Therefore He Who once entered into the world, becoming the first-born “from the dead,” and “of His brethren,” and “of all creation,” does not, when He comes again into the world as He that judges the world in righteousness573    Ps. xcviii. 10.    Cf. 2 Cor. xiii. 4.    Cf. S. John i. 1, as the prophecy saith, cast off the name of the first-begotten, which He once received for our sakes; but as at the name of Jesus, which is above every name, every knee bows574    Cf. Phil. ii. 10    The quotations are from S. Basil c. Eunomius II. 3. (pp. 239–40 in the Benedictine edition.)    Cf. Bar. iii. 37, so also the company of all the angels worships Him Who comes in the name of the First-begotten, in their rejoicing over the restoration of men, wherewith, by becoming the first-born among us, He restored us again to the grace which we had at the beginning575    Oehler’s punctuation, which is probably due to a printer’s error, is here a good deal altered.    Cf. Phil. iii. 21.    Rom. viii. 32.. For since there is joy among the angels over those who are rescued from sin, (because until now that creation groaneth and travaileth in pain at the vanity that affects us576    Cf. Rom. viii. 19–23.    The latter part of the quotation from S. Basil does not exactly agree with the Benedictine text, but the variations are not material.    Cf. Rom. viii. 3, judging our perdition to be their own loss,) when that manifestation of the sons of God takes place which they look for and expect, and when the sheep is brought safe to the hundred above, (and we surely—humanity that is to say—are that sheep which the Good Shepherd saved by becoming the first-begotten577    This interpretation is of course common to many of the Fathers, though S. Augustine, for instance, explains the “ninety and nine” otherwise, and his explanation has been often followed by modern writers and preachers. The present interpretation is assumed in a prayer, no doubt of great antiquity, which is found in the Liturgy of S. James, both in the Greek and the Syriac version, and also in the Greek form of the Coptic Liturgy of S. Basil, where it is said to be “from the Liturgy of S. James.”    Reading ἑαυτοῦ for the ἑαυτῶν of Oehler’s text, for which no authority is alleged by the editor, and which is probably a mere misprint.    1 Cor. xv. 21.,) then especially will they offer, in their intense thanksgiving on our behalf, their worship to God, Who by being first-begotten restored him that had wandered from his Father’s home.

Now that we have arrived at the understanding of these words, no one could any longer hesitate as to the other passages, for what reason He is the first-born, either “of the dead,” or “of the creation,” or “among many brethren.” For all these passages refer to the same point, although each of them sets forth some special conception. He is the first-born from the dead, Who first by Himself loosed the pains of death578    Acts ii. 24.    The argument here takes the form of a reductio ad absurdum; assuming that S. Peter’s reference is to the “visible man,” and bearing in mind S. Basil’s words that S. Peter refers to Him Who “emptied Himself,” it is said “then it was the ‘visible man’ who ‘emptied himself.’ But the purpose of that ‘emptying’ was the ‘taking the form of a servant,’ which again is the coming into being as man: therefore the ‘visible man’ ‘emptied himself,’ to come into being as man, which is absurd.” The wording of S. Basil’s statement makes the argument in a certain degree plausible;—if he had said that S. Peter referred to the Son, not in regard to his actual essence, but in regard to the fact that He “emptied Himself” to become man, and as so having “emptied Himself” (which is no doubt what he intended his words to mean), then the reductio ad absurdum would not apply; nor would the later arguments, by which Eunomius proceeds to prove that He Who “emptied Himself” was no mere man, but the Word Who was in the beginning, have any force as against S. Basil’s statement.    Cf. Rom. viii. 3, that He might also make that birth of the resurrection a way for all men579    See Book II. §§4 and 8, and note on the former passage.    S. John i. 1 sqq.    2 Cor. xiii. 4.. Again, He becomes “the first-born among many brethren,” Who is born before us by the new birth of regeneration in water, for the travail whereof the hovering of the Dove was the midwife, whereby He makes those who share with Him in the like birth to be His own brethren, and becomes the first-born of those who after Him are born of water and of the Spirit580    With this passage may be compared the parallel passage in Bk. II. §8. The interpretation of the “many brethren” of those baptized suggests that Gregory understood the “predestination” spoken of in Rom. viii. 29 to be predestination to baptism.    S. John i. 14    Rom. vi. 10.: and to speak briefly, as there are in us three births, whereby human nature is quickened, one of the body, another in the sacrament of regeneration, another by that resurrection of the dead for which we look, He is first-born in all three:—of the twofold regeneration which is wrought by two (by baptism and by the resurrection), by being Himself the leader in each of them; while in the flesh He is first-born, as having first and alone devised in His own case that birth unknown to nature, which no one in the many generations of men had originated. If these passages, then, have been rightly understood, neither will the signification of the “creation,” of which He is first-born, be unknown to us. For we recognize a twofold creation of our nature, the first that whereby we were made, the second that whereby we were made anew. But there would have been no need of the second creation had we not made the first unavailing by our disobedience. Accordingly, when the first creation had waxed old and vanished away, it was needful that there should be a new creation in Christ, (as the Apostle says, who asserts that we should no longer see in the second creation any trace of that which has waxed old, saying, “Having put off the old man with his deeds and his lusts, put on the new man which is created according to God581    Cf. Col. iii. 9, and Eph. iv. 24.    Cf. Phil. ii. 7, 8.    2 Cor. v. 21.,” and “If any man be in Christ,” he says, “he is a new creature: the old things are passed away, behold all things are become new582    Cf. 2 Cor. v. 17    1 Cor. ii. 8.:”) —for the maker of human nature at the first and afterwards is one and the same. Then He took dust from the earth and formed man: again, He took dust from the Virgin, and did not merely form man, but formed man about Himself: then, He created; afterwards, He was created: then, the Word made flesh; afterwards, the Word became flesh, that He might change our flesh to spirit, by being made partaker with us in flesh and blood. Of this new creation therefore in Christ, which He Himself began, He was called the first-born, being the first-fruits of all, both of those begotten into life, and of those quickened by resurrection of the dead, “that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living583    Rom. xiv. 9.    2 Cor. iii. 17.,” and might sanctify the whole lump584    Cf. Rom. xi. 16 by means of its first-fruits in Himself. Now that the character of “first-born” does not apply to the Son in respect of His pre-temporal existence the appellation of “Only-begotten” testifies. For he who is truly only-begotten has no brethren, for how could any one be only-begotten if numbered among brethren? but as He is called God and man, Son of God and Son of man,—for He has the form of God and the form of a servant585    Cf. Phil. ii. 6, being some things according to His supreme nature, becoming other things in His dispensation of love to man,—so too, being the Only-begotten God, He becomes the first-born of all creation,—the Only-begotten, He that is in the bosom of the Father, yet, among those who are saved by the new creation, both becoming and being called the first born of the creation. But if, as heresy will have it, He is called first-born because He was made before the rest of the creation, the name does not agree with what they maintain concerning the Only-begotten God. For they do not say this,—that the Son and the universe were from the Father in like manner,—but they say, that the Only-begotten God was made by the Father, and that all else was made by the Only-begotten. Therefore on the same ground on which, while they hold that the Son was created, they call God the Father of the created Being, on the same ground, while they say that all things were made by the Only-begotten God, they give Him the name not of the “first-born” of the things that were made by Him, but more properly of their “Father,” as the same relation existing in both cases towards the things created, logically gives rise to the same appellation. For if God, Who is over all, is not properly called the “First-born,” but the Father of the Being He Himself created, the Only-begotten God will surely also be called, by the same reasoning, the “father,” and not properly the “first-born” of His own creatures, so that the appellation of “first-born” will be altogether improper and superfluous, having no place in the heretical conception.

ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν μή τι τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι τοῖς πόνοις ἡμῶν ἀμφίβολον ὑπολείποιτο τῶν τινα συνηγορίαν τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς δόγμασι παρεχομένων, ἐκ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς ἄξιον ἂν εἴη καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἐξητασμένοις παρ' ἡμῶν προστεθῆναι. ἐροῦσι γὰρ ἴσως ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀποστολικῶν, ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐπεμνήσθημεν, ὅτι πῶς ἂν πρωτότοκος κτίσεως ὠνομάσθη, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν ὅπερ ἡ κτίσις ἐστί; πᾶς γὰρ πρωτότοκος οὐ τῶν ἑτεροφυῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἐστι πρωτότοκος, ὡς ὁ Ῥουβὶμ τῶν μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἀριθμουμένων προτερεύων κατὰ τὸν τόκον πρωτότοκος ἦν ἀνθρώπων ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν συναριθμουμένων ἀδελφῶν πρωτότοκοι λέγονται. λέγουσι τοίνυν ὅτι « ἥνπερ ἂν πάσης τῆς κτίσεως οὐσίαν νοήσωμεν, καὶ τὸν ταύτης πρωτότοκον τῆς αὐτῆς εἶναι λέγομεν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁμοούσιός ἐστι τῷ πατρὶ τῶν ὅλων ἡ πᾶσα κτίσις, τοῦτο καὶ τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτῆς εἶναι οὐκ ἀρνησόμεθα: εἰ δὲ διαφέρει κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς κτίσεως ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μηδὲ τὸν πρωτότοκον ταύτης κοινωνεῖν τῷ θεῷ τῆς οὐσίας λέγειν ». ἡ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἀντιθέσεως κατασκευὴ τοιαύτη, οὐδὲν ἀγενέστερον, οἶμαι, παρ' ἡμῶν ἀντιτεθεῖσα τῷ λόγῳ ἢ ὡς εἰκὸς ἦν ἀντεπενεχθῆναι παρὰ τῶν μαχομένων ἡμῖν. ἃ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα γινώσκειν χρή, νῦν ὡς ἂν οἷοί τε ὦμεν τῷ λόγῳ σαφηνισθήσεται.
Τετράκις εἴρηται παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα, διαφόρως δὲ καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου τὴν μνήμην πεποίηται. νῦν μὲν γάρ φησι πρωτότοκον πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, πάλιν δὲ πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, εἶτα πρωτότοκον ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολῇ ἀπόλυτόν ἐστιν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ μνημονευθὲν τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα. λέγει γὰρ οὕτως: Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ. οὕτω δὲ τούτων διῃρημένων, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι ἕκαστον τούτων ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ διελέσθαι χωρίς, πῶς τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστι πρωτότοκος καὶ πῶς ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καὶ πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ πῶς ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ χωρὶς ἑκάστου τούτων μνημονευθείς, ὅταν πάλιν εἰσάγηται εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, προσκυνεῖται ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. οὐκοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν τελευταίων, εἰ δοκεῖ, τῆς τῶν προκειμένων θεωρίας ἀρξώμεθα.
Ὅταν πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ, φησί, τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην. ἡ τοῦ πάλιν προσθήκη τὸ μὴ πρώτως γίνεσθαι τοῦτο διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ταύτην σημασίας ἐνδείκνυται: ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς ἐπαναλήψεως τῶν ἅπαξ γεγονότων τῇ λέξει ταύτῃ κεχρήμεθα. οὐκοῦν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει τῶν αἰώνων φοβερὰν τοῦ κριτοῦ ἐπιφάνειαν σημαίνει τῷ λόγῳ, ὅτε οὐκέτι ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου καθορᾶται μορφῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας μεγαλοπρεπῶς προκαθήμενος καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων πάντων τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν προσκυνούμενος. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ ἅπαξ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πρωτότοκος γενόμενος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν τε καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ὅταν πάλιν εἰσέρχηται εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καθὼς ἡ προφητεία λέγει, οὐκ ἀποβάλλει τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα, ὃ ἅπαξ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατεδέξατο, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμπτει τῷ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄντι ὄνομα, οὕτως καὶ τὸν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πρωτοτόκου γενόμενον προσκυνεῖ ἅπαν τῶν ἀγγέλων τὸ πλήρωμα, τῇ ἀνακλήσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπευφραινόμενον, ἣν διὰ τοῦ γενέσθαι ἡμῶν πρωτότοκος πάλιν εἰς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς χάριν ἀνεκαλέσατο. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ χαρὰ γίνεται τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνασῳζομένοις ἐξ ἁμαρτίας, διότι μέχρι τοῦ νῦν συστενάζει ἡ κτίσις ἐκείνη καὶ συνωδίνει τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ματαιότητι, ζημίαν οἰκείαν κρίνουσα τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπώλειαν, ὅταν ἡ ἀποκάλυψις γένηται τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀεὶ καραδοκοῦσι καὶ ἀπεκδέχονται, καὶ ὅταν ἀποσωθῇ τῇ ἄνω ἑκατοντάδι τὸ πρόβατον (ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντως ἐσμέν, ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις, τοῦτο τὸ πρόβατον, ὃ διὰ τοῦ γενέσθαι πρωτότοκος ὁ ἀγαθὸς ποιμὴν ἀνεσώσατο), τότε διαφερόντως ἐν ἐπιτεταμένῃ τῇ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίᾳ προσάξουσι τῷ θεῷ τὴν προσκύνησιν τῷ διὰ τῆς πρωτοτοκίας ἀνακαλεσαμένῳ τὸν τῆς πατρῴας ἑστίας ἀποφοιτήσαντα.
Τούτων δὲ οὕτως ἡμῖν νοηθέντων οὐκέτ' ἄν τις περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀμφιβάλλοι, ὅτου χάριν ἢ « ἐκ » νεκρῶν γίνεται πρωτότοκος ἢ κτίσεως ἢ ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν σκοπὸν βλέπει, κἂν ἑκάστῳ τι κατὰ τὸ ἰδιάζον ἐμφαίνηται νόημα. πρωτότοκος γὰρ ἐκ νεκρῶν γίνεται ὁ πρῶτος δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ θανάτου λύσας ἵνα καὶ πᾶσιν ὁδοποιήσῃ τὸν ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τόκον. ἐν ἀδελφοῖς δὲ πάλιν πρωτότοκος γινόμενος ὁ τοῦ καινοῦ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας τόκου προγεννηθεὶς ἐν τῷ ὕδατι, οὗ τὰς ὠδῖνας ἡ πτῆσις τῆς περιστερᾶς ἐμαιεύσατο, δι' οὗ τοὺς συμμετασχόντας αὐτῷ τῆς ὁμοίας γεννήσεως ἀδελφοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖ, καὶ πρωτότοκος γίνεται τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν γεννωμένων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατός τε καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος: καὶ συνελόντι φάναι, τριῶν οὐσῶν ἐν ἡμῖν τῶν γεννήσεων, δι' ὧν ζωοποιεῖται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις, τῆς μὲν ἀπὸ σώματος, τῆς δὲ κατὰ τὸ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας μυστήριον, τῆς δὲ διὰ τῆς ἐλπιζομένης ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν πάλιν ἀναστάσεως, ἐν ταῖς τρισὶ πρωτότοκος γίνεται, τῆς μὲν διπλῆς παλιγγενεσίας τῆς δι' ἀμφοτέρων ἐνεργουμένης, διά τε τοῦ βαπτίσματος καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, αὐτὸς γενόμενος ἀρχηγὸς καθ' ἑκάτερον: ἐν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ πρωτότοκος γίνεται πρῶτος καὶ μόνος τὸν ἄγνωστον τῇ φύσει τόκον ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τῆς παρθενίας καινοτομήσας, οὗ μηδεὶς ἐν ταῖς τοσαύταις τῶν ἀνθρώπων γενεαῖς καθηγήσατο. εἰ ταῦτα τοίνυν κατὰ λόγον νενόηται, οὐδὲ τὸ τῆς κτίσεως σημαινόμενον, ἧς πρωτότοκός ἐστιν, ἀγνοηθήσεται. διπλῆν γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν τὴν κτίσιν ἐγνώκαμεν, τήν τε πρώτην καθ' ἣν ἐπλάσθημεν καὶ τὴν δευτέραν καθ' ἣν ἀνεπλάσθημεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἦν τῆς δευτέρας ἡμῶν κτίσεως χρεία, εἰ μὴ τὴν πρώτην διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς ἠχρειώσαμεν. ἐκείνης τοίνυν παλαιωθείσης τε καὶ ἀφανισθείσης ἔδει καινὴν ἐν Χριστῷ γενέσθαι κτίσιν, καθώς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ὃς οὐδὲν ἔτι τῶν πεπαλαιωμένων ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας κτίσεως ἀξιοῖ βλέπειν, Ἀπεκδυσάμενοι, λέγων, τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσι καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ: Ἐνδύσασθε τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα, καὶ Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, φησί, καινὴ κτίσις, τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά: εἷς γὰρ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ποιητὴς καὶ τὸ κατ' ἀρχὰς καὶ τὸ μετὰ ταῦτα. τότε λαβὼν χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔπλασε, πάλιν λαβὼν τὸν ἐκ τῆς παρθενίας χοῦν οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔπλασεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῷ περιέπλασε: τότε ἔκτισε, μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκτίσθη: τότε ὁ λόγος σάρκα ἐποίησε, μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἵνα μετασκευάσῃ πρὸς πνεῦμα τὴν ἡμετέραν σάρκα διὰ τοῦ συμμετασχεῖν ἡμῖν σαρκός τε καὶ αἵματος. ταύτης τοίνυν τῆς καινῆς ἐν Χριστῷ κτίσεως, ἧς αὐτὸς καθηγήσατο, πρωτότοκος ὠνομάσθη, πάντων ἀπαρχὴ γενόμενος καὶ τῶν εἰς ζωὴν γεννωμένων καὶ τῶν δι' ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ζωοποιουμένων, ἵνα καὶ νεκρῶν καὶ ζώντων κυριεύσῃ καὶ ὅλον διὰ τῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἀπαρχῆς συναγιάσῃ τὸ φύραμα. ὅτι γὰρ οὐ κατὰ τὴν προαιώνιον ὕπαρξιν ἐφαρμόζεται τῷ υἱῷ τὸ πρωτότοκον, ἡ τοῦ μονογενοῦς προσηγορία διαμαρτύρεται. ὁ γὰρ ἀληθῶς μονογενὴς ἀδελφοὺς οὐκ ἔχει. πῶς « γὰρ » ἄν τις εἴη μονογενὴς ἐν ἀδελφοῖς ἀριθμούμενος; ἀλλ' ὡς λέγεται θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος, υἱὸς θεοῦ καὶ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, μορφὴ [γὰρ] θεοῦ καὶ μορφὴ δούλου, τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν ὑπερέχουσαν φύσιν ὤν, τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν φιλάνθρωπον οἰκονομίαν γενόμενος, οὕτω καὶ μονογενὴς θεὸς ὢν πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως γίνεται, μονογενὴς μὲν ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ πατρῴῳ κόλπῳ, ἐν δὲ τοῖς διὰ τῆς καινῆς κτίσεως σῳζομένοις πρωτότοκος τῆς κτίσεως καὶ γενόμενος καὶ λεγόμενος. εἰ δέ, καθὼς ἡ αἵρεσις βούλεται, διὰ τὸ προκατεσκευάσθαι τῆς λοιπῆς κτίσεως πρωτότοκος λέγεται, οὐ συμφωνεῖ τοῖς παρ' αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ κατασκευαζομένοις τὸ ὄνομα. οὐ γὰρ τοῦτό φασιν, ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ὁμοίως ὅ τε υἱὸς καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ « ποίημα » μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ θεὸν λέγουσιν, τούτου δὲ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα. ᾧ τοίνυν λόγῳ κτισθῆναι τὸν υἱὸν δογματίζοντες πατέρα τοῦ κτίσματος τὸν θεὸν ὀνομάζουσι, τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ πάντως παρὰ τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ τὰ πάντα κατεσκευάσθαι λέγοντες οὐ πρωτότοκον τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένων, ἀλλὰ πατέρα κυριώτερον αὐτὸν ὀνομάσουσι, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐπ' ἀμφοτέρων πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα σχέσεως τὴν αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον προσηγορίαν ποιούσης. εἰ γὰρ κυρίως τοῦ ἰδίου κτίσματος ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸς οὐ πρωτότοκος, ἀλλὰ πατὴρ ὀνομάζεται, τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ πάντως καὶ τῶν ἰδίων κτισμάτων πατὴρ ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, οὐ πρωτότοκος κυρίως ὀνομασθήσεται, ὡς ἄκυρον κατὰ πάντα καὶ παρέλκουσαν εἶναι τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἐπὶ τῆς αἱρετικῆς ἐννοίας χώραν οὐκ ἔχουσαν.