Chapter I. That in nothing is the Son inferior to God the Father, but rather equal to and like Him in nature.

28 If ye loved Me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father; for My Father is greater than I.

He turns the occasion of sorrow into a source of solace, and plainly rebukes them because they do not rather rejoice at what now gives them pain: and at the same time tries to teach them, that those who practise an unaffected and sincere love towards others, must not merely seek their own pleasure and advantage, but rather to benefit those they love, when an opportunity to do this gives them inducement. Therefore also Paul exhorts us in the words: Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own. He speaks of some who seek not their own but others' good. For true love shows itself in our not only providing for our own advantage but also considering our neighbour's benefit. For our Saviour, in the words before us, persuades His disciples to lay this to heart. And, further, let us imprint the power of this thought in clearer characters on our hearts as on a tablet, and thereby attain unto the mystery of Christ. For a type taken from trifling things will oftentimes avail to enable us to arrive even at those things which we hold to admit of no comparison. It was pleasant then, for example, to the disciples of Paul that they should be always with him, but better for Paul to depart and be with Christ, as he has assured us by his own words. It was the duty then of those who chose to love him to be eager to fulfil their love towards him, and not to consider that only as endurable which was pleasant to themselves, but rather to reflect upon this, that his departure would be to the benefit of their master; for he was eager to be with Christ.

You have the outline of the speculation so far as concerns Christ's human nature. Let us therefore, illuminating as it were with varied tints our sketch of the power of the mystery of Christ, clearly show the absolute truth. For the Only-begotten, being in the form of God the Father, and in equality with the Spirit, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, and through His love towards us emptied Himself of His glory, taking the form of a servant, and underwent this that He might direct us all to perfect knowledge of virtue, so as to prepare us by the incomparable brightness of His miracles to behold the power, and glory, and exceeding might that is inherent in the Divine Nature. For so He might have induced those who have fallen into the depths of ignorance to recover knowledge once more, and no longer to worship the creature beyond the Creator, but to figure to themselves the One true and living God. And the Only-begotten has aided us in other ways by His incarnation, for He destroyed the power of death, and loosed the bonds of sin, and granted us to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. It was then, and with great reason, sweet and pleasant beyond all description to ourselves and the holy disciples, to have continual converse with Christ the Giver of such blessings to us, and to be ever present with Him and in His company. But it was clearly not to His advantage, so long a time to choose to abide in the guise of humility, which He had taken for our advantage, through His love to us, as we just now said: rather was He bound, when His dispensation towards us had been already suitably accomplished, to ascend to His own glory, and, with the flesh that He had taken for our sake, to hasten back to equality with God the Father, which thinking it not robbery to do (for He might have had this honour in His own right), He descended to human humiliation. For while He was yet upon the earth, though He was truly God and Lord of all, He was thought no better than the rest of men, by those who knew not His glory. Nay, more, He was smitten, and spat upon, and crucified, and underwent the ridicule of the impious Jews, who dared to say, If Thou art the Son of God, come down now from the cross, and we will believe Thee. And when after He had fulfilled the mystery of our redemption, He ascended to God the Father in the heavens, when the time of His humiliation was already past, and the period of His voluntary degradation accomplished, He showed Himself very God to the powers above. For heaven did not deny the Lord of all when He ascended, but the charge was given to the sentinels at the gates above, that the Lord of Hosts was drawing nigh, although He was borne upward in the raiment of the flesh; and the Spirit was representing the opening of the gates, when He said: Lift up the gates ye rulers, and be lifted up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, the Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. For the manifold wisdom of God which He purposed in Christ was known unto the principalities and the powers, as Paul says. For when He ascended to the Father, although He may be thought greater than the Son in this respect, that He remained in His everlasting home, while the Son underwent voluntary humiliation, and descended in the form of a servant, and ascended up again to His own glory, and heard the words: Sit down on My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. And it was to the intent that He might not seem too presumptuous, and that God the Father in the heavens had not of His own will made the Son sit on His right hand, the Father Himself is introduced saying this: Sit Thou on Myright hand, the Psalmist says this. And no one with any sense will say that the Father has the second place of honour though He has the Son on His right hand, but will rather take what I have said into consideration. For it is not the Father, but rather the Son, on account of His voluntary degradation and suffering, Who must be conceived as sitting on the right hand, and having a place from which no inferiority could be inferred, as He might be numbered among inferior beings by those who cannot comprehend the mystery of His Incarnation. Therefore a place on the right hand of His Father, against Whom no such charge can be brought, is allotted to the Son that His equality may be maintained.

We have done well to introduce these explanations now, which have an intimate connexion with the present subject. Now taking up again and unfolding from the beginning the whole purpose of our disquisition, I proceed to say that continual converse with our Saviour Christ is sweet and acceptable and pleasant to us, although for our sake He has emptied Himself of His glory, as has been written, and taken the form of a servant and the dishonour of man's nature. For what is man's nature as compared with God! Nor was the Incarnation to the advantage of the Son, but to ascend to His Father profited Him more, and to recover His own glory and power and Divine honour in the sight of all, and no longer obscured. For He sat on the right hand by the will of His Father. For He loves Him as His own Offspring and the fruit of His Substance, and therefore He says, If ye loved Me, ye would have rejoiced because I go unto the Father: for the Father is greater than I. Surely it was a proof of His Father's love towards Him that He did not sorrow over His seeming abandonment and the compulsory absence that He had taken on Himself, but rather took into consideration that He went to the glory befitting Him, and His due, and to His ancient honour, that is the Godhead manifest. Nay more, the Psalmist, though he speaks mysteries by the Spirit, says, Clap your hands, all ye people: then he explained the occasion of the festival, and introduced the Ascension of the Saviour into heaven, saying, God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trump: meaning by the shout and the trump the piercing and clear voice of the Spirit, when He bade the powers above open the gates, and named Him Lord of Hosts, as we said just now. On the same occasion moreover, we shall find the choir of the Saints rejoicing with great joy of heart. Then too he said in one place, The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice; and in another, The Lord reigneth: the Lord hath put on glorious apparel, the Lord hath put on and girded Himself with might. For He that was with us as a man before His resurrection from the dead, when He ascended to His Father in the heavens, then put on His own glorious apparel, and girded Himself with the might that was His from the beginning, for He sat and reigneth with the Father. Then it is right and meet that those who love Him should rejoice because He has gone to His Father in the heavens, to take upon Him His own glory, and to reign again with Him as at the beginning. And He says that He is greater, not because He sat down on the right hand as God, but as He was still with us, that is, in human shape. For as He still wore the guise of a servant, and the time had not yet come that He should be reinstated, He calls God the Father greater. Moreover, when He endured the precious cross for us, the Jews brought Him vinegar and gall when He was athirst, and when He drank, He said, It is finished. For already the time of His humiliation was fulfilled, and He was crucified as man. He had overcome the power of death, not as man but rather as God, I say by the working of His power and the glory and might of His conquest, not according to the flesh. The Father then is greater since the Son was still a servant and in the world, as He says that He is God of Himself, and adds this attribute to His human form. For if we believe that He degraded and humbled Himself, will it not be obvious to all that He descended from superiority to an inferiority, and rather from equality with the Father to the reverse. The Father underwent nothing of this, and He abode where He was at the beginning. He is greater therefore than He that chose inferiority by His own dispensation, and remained in such a state until He was restored to His ancient condition, I mean His own and natural glory in which He was at the beginning. We may rightly judge that His equality with the Father, which while He might have had it uninterruptedly He did not consider robbery to take for our sake, is His own and natural position.

And as we have spoken at length about the equality of the Son with God the Father in previous books, it may well be fitting to proceed to illustrate all things in order, leaving long discussions on the subject for the present. And since a certain dull-witted heretic, receiving from the Jews some marvellous knowledge of the holy writings, and attempting to explain the verse we have before us, has committed to writing intolerable blasphemies against the Only-begotten, I deemed it a mark of feebleness, and very unbecoming to myself, calmly to pass them by, and to dismiss in silence the awful madness of the man to whom I allude. I think then we ought to encounter him in argument, and show that his words are baseless and old wives' fables, and wholly devoid of sense, and the quibbles of a perverted logic. And with reference to the same passage, I will read over to you what he has dared to write when giving the view he took of the text: "When He called His Father greater than Himself, He not only displayed His own humility but also refuted the heresy of those who maintain that His nature is twofold." And having thus shattered the opinion of Sabellius, he makes a furious and vigorous onslaught, as he thinks, on those who put the Son on an equality with the Father in these words: "Some have reached such a pitch of madness that they cannot at all endure to say that the Father is superior to the divinity of the Only-begotten, but only that the Father seems to surpass Him when compared with Him in reference to the Incarnation, though they are not even able to look at them together in this aspect; and things different in kind can in no way be compared. For no one would ever say that man is wiser than a beast, or that a horse runs faster than a tortoise; but that one man has more reason than another, and that one horse has greater speed than another. Since then only things belonging to the same class are capable of comparison with each other, we must admit that the Father is greater even than the divinity of the Son. For those who fall into the contrary error of drawing a comparison with reference to the Incarnation, so far as in them lies, lessen the honour of the Father."

Such are his puerile babblings. And we must take care to show that he does not even know that he is inconsistent with himself. For he admits that the Son maintains becoming humility, when He says, The Father is greater than I; and I marvel that he did not also lay this to heart. For whatever was it which induced him to meddle with theology, although one would not make of no account the knowledge of the fitting time to speak or act if one were wise? What need was there then of such unseasonable discussion of the Divine Nature to His disciples in their agony, when He was about to depart from the world to God the Father? For what kind of consolation could this consideration bring to them? And why does not He merely rebuke them, saying, "If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I go to the Father, because the Father is greater than I?" Tell me then, did He think that this tended to solace the disciples, or to rid them of the sorrow they felt from their love of God, that He was going to the Father Who was greater than Himself? Although when Philip asked Him and said, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us, then indeed, and very opportunely, as the occasion for theological teaching had arrived, He showed that the Father was in Him, and He Himself in the Father, and that He was in no way inferior to Him, but distinguished by His perfect equality, when He said: Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? I and the Father are one. Then indeed, very opportunely, He unravels His discourse thereupon, and it is worthy of admiration. But here, how is the reference opportune? Or what construction would it admit of other than His desire to allay His disciples' grief, and to furnish them, as it were, with a medicine of consolation bidding them rejoice because He "goes to the Father?" Is it not then obvious to any one, however dull-witted he may be, from the very state of the case, that since He was hastening to return to His own glory with the Father, He bade those who loved Him rejoice at this, devising this admirable means of consolation for them with the rest?

But I will now pass this by, and will not lay much stress on their demented folly. But I say that we ought rather to go on to the following considerations. For He thought perhaps when comparing His Incarnate Nature with His Divine, they could not help making profit out of the inquiry, when we say that the Son was emptied of His glory when He became a Man. Is it not so? How could it be otherwise? But speaking of His Divine glory, in contrast with His place as a servant, and His position of subjection, we say that the Son was inferior to the Father, in so far as He was human; but that He was reinstated into His equality with the Father after His sojourn here, not endued with any new, or adventitious, or unaccustomed glory, but rather restored to that state in which He was at the beginning with the Father. And indeed, the inspired writer who initiates us into mysteries, I mean Paul, no longer attributing to Him the humiliation belonging to man's estate after His resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, exhorts us saying: Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know Him so no more. And of himself again: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ. And yet, why is it that when He says that on His second coming to us He will change the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory, he now denies it, saying: Not from men, neither through man, although destined to be an apostle by Jesus Christ? But how is it that he says he knew Him not in the flesh? Did he then, tell me, deny the Master that bought him? God forbid; for he is rightminded. For when the period of the actual humiliation or degradation of the Only-begotten had been accomplished, and come to an end, He makes haste to proclaim Himself and to gain recognition, not in the character which He presented when emptied of His glory, but of His natural attributes of God. For when it had once been known and admitted that He was human, He was bound to instruct believers in Him that He was also God by nature; and for this reason He chooses to speak of His divinity, rather than anything else.

And I marvel that the heretic of whom we are speaking does not blush when he says that "as only things which belong to the same class admit of comparison with each other, they must confess the Father is greater than the Divinity of the Son." For he does not perceive, it seems, that he has armed his own argument against himself. For let him answer us this pertinent inquiry: From what starting point can comparisons of things of the same class best proceed? Can we reasonably start with what they are, according to the common definition of their nature, or with the qualities which belong to, or are deficient in each, or inhere or do not inhere in each? And I will give an example, and will select that which he gave to us by way of illustration. If any one choose to compare one man with another, looking to the one common definition of their essence, he would find no distinction; for there is no difference between man and man, so far as each is a thinking animal, mortal, and capable of sense and knowledge, as in all men there is one and the same definition of their essence. Nor does one horse differ from another in its essential character as a horse; but one man differs from another in some special sort of knowledge, as writing, and in divers other ways. This does not affect the essence, but clearly proceeds from quite another cause. So also one horse excels another in speed, or is smaller or larger than another; but you will find that superiority or inferiority in these respects lies outside the definition of their essence, otherwise things brought into mutual comparison could have no distinctions made between them. For if one man had a less or greater degree of the essential character of man, how could we conceive or speak of him at all? Then all things of the same type in their essential characters are uniform. But the difference lies in those attributes which either inhere in them, or which lie outside (viewing them in the light of accidents). Since then, according to his premise or statement, which I will proceed to deal with, only things of like nature admit of comparison at all appropriately, he must start by admitting that the Son is of the same class as the Father, that is, of the same Essence. For so you will have the same class in view; for he proved that man might be compared with man, and horse with horse. Then let him go on to tell us the reason why, when the Son is compared with God the Father as being of the same class He has any kind of inferiority to Him, and where we shall find it, when one and the same definition of their essence belongs to things of the same class? For in the case of the essence of a class, its definition is not perfect in some cases and imperfect in others, but is one and the same for all. But we may say that any accident may have a separate cause and accrue to a thing in a different manner.  

In order to make what I have said quite clear, I will set before you the illustration I gave at the outset. No man differs from another in his essential character as man; but one man is pious and another wicked; and one is weak and maimed, while another is healthy and strong; and one is vile and another good. But when a man accurately investigates the reasons for these distinctions, he will not trace them to their common definition of the essence, but rather attributes the causes to diseases of mind or body. As then, there is one definition of Godhead for the Father and the Son both in conception and reality (otherwise one could not but go astray), for They are compared as belonging to the same class, and I will use his words for the purpose of the argument----let these deluded men tell us what they think it was that paved the way for the inferiority of the Son to God the Father; was it disease, or indolence, and those things which are known to affect created beings'? Who would be so mad and such a slave of contradictions as even to lend an ear to such blasphemy? When then, being (as He is), of the same class as the living God, He Himself also is manifestly by nature God----for He is brought into comparison with the Father: and nothing can hinder His having a like state with His Father----how is He inferior?

Since, then, this adversary of the truth has given in detail a mass of contradictions, with reference to the text, and has not hesitated to affirm that "the Father is greater than the Godhead of the Son," let us then, after having made a brief defence of the Incarnation, and separated it in our demonstration from the consideration of the matter under discussion, compare the Divinity of the Son with that of the Father, according to Their definition; but let us previously inquire of him who dares to say this, whether he thinks that God, when He is God, is so by nature, or something else besides, but honoured with the appellation of Divinity, as there are many so that are called gods and lords in heaven, and many on earth. When then he asserts that the Son has been honoured by the bare appellation of Divinity, but that He is not by nature really that which He is said to be, we who are rightminded will encounter him, and openly exclaim, "My good Sir, if He is not really God, we shall worship the creature in preference to the Creator, and not only we who inhabit this earthly sphere, but also the multitude of holy angels; and we shall also accuse every Saint who has spoken of Him as the real and true God, and most of all we charge S. John, who said of Him: We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know the true God, and we are in His true Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God, and eternal life." But if, rejecting all inspired writings alike, he confess that He is really God, and be so minded and still suggest the doctrine that even so He falls below the Father's dignity in some respect, has he not introduced to us a new God, wholly dissevered from His natural connexion with the Father, and conceived of as having a separate existence and not inhering in the substance of God the Father? But I think the matter is obvious to every one. For if nothing is conceived of as being greater or less than itself, but as greater than anything which is less, and less than anything which is greater, must he not perforce admit that there are two true and real Gods, so that one is thought the greater, and the other the less. So the faith of the Church is wholly destroyed and overturned by their doctrine, for we shall have not one God but two. Whose temples then are we according to the Scriptures? Surely His Who established His Spirit in our hearts. When then we find in the Holy Writings the Spirit spoken of as not of the Father only but also of the Son, what are we to infer, and what view must we take? Which of the two reject and call the other God? If, however, we are to admit a duality of Gods, one less and the other greater, we shall say that both abide in our hearts by separate Spirits, and we shall be found temples of more than one God, and there are two Spirits dwelling in us, a greater and a less, corresponding to the nature of those who gave them. For who could tolerate such ravings, and who cannot see that their doctrine is absurd and ridiculous, after he has considered the view I have just set forth? But, perhaps, if he is forced to admit that there is a duality of Gods by nature, one the greater and the other the less, he will proceed to that doctrine that is always recurring in his writings; I mean, he will say that the Son has a separate nature----though He is not wholly devoid of the nature of a created being, yet neither does He wholly decline from the Divinity of God the Father. For those who do not scruple to say plainly that He is a creature take refuge in refinements of language, trying as it were to gloss over their profanity. When then we say that the Son has such a nature as not to be wholly God, nor yet to fall entirely into the category of creatures, but that He holds an intermediate place, so as to fall beneath the dignity of God the Father, and yet to exceed created beings in glory, we will say first of all, that there is no authority to induce us to lay down the doctrine they choose to propound. For either let them satisfy us from the holy and inspired writings, or confessing they have no voucher for their private opinion, blush for laying down definitions in matters of faith from their own private judgment.

But since it occurred to them to say this in their rash folly, I will proceed to the view they have propounded, and I will say once more that if only things of the same class are properly capable of mutual comparison,----and the Son has proved that He may properly be compared with God the Father in the plainest language, The Father is greater than I,----must not then the Father be conceived of as having the same nature you attribute to the Son? What follows then? Your whole speculation is upset. For so long as you maintain that the Father is greater than the Son, but a created being is less according to you, the nature of the Only-begotten lies between the two. And when the nature of the Father is lessened to that of the Son, one of the extremes is left out, as there is no longer anything above and superior to the Son. And if, as he says, He is compared with the Father as being one of the same class, must not the definition of Their Essence be one and the same for both? And if you scruple to admit that the Son is of the same Essence with the Father, but rather put Him in a position of inferiority, and debase the glory of the Father to that of a being whom you reckon less than and inferior to Him, do you not see blasphemy springing up like a thorn? Does not then a root of bitterness springing up rankle in the heart of those thus minded? Why then do you leave the straight path of truth, and launch into such absurd discussions? Grant then to the Only-begotten in your thoughts an equality with God the Father. For thus there will be One God, worshipped and glorified in the holy and consubstantial Trinity, both by us and by the holy angels.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe.

A prophecy of the future is manifestly a sure pledge of what the future has in store for us. Christ confirms therefore the heart of His disciples, and seems to inspire in them a firm conviction that He is really ascending to God the Father in the heavens, to reign with Him and share His throne as God, and as God really begotten of Him. For do not, He says, set My departure, which is according to the flesh and an object of sight (for I will be with you as God for ever), on a level with that of the holy prophets. For they, as they passed from the earth and paid the debt of nature, were brought low, and died according to the law of human creatures. But I, Who am the true God, am not measured by the same standard as My creatures awaiting the time of the resurrection. For I live for ever, and I am the True Life. And I will send the Comforter, and I will grant you My peace also, and will not lie; but to the intent that, when you: receive the promise and are illumined by the grace of the Holy Spirit, you may ratify the truth of My words, recollecting what I have said in the light of experience, and to the intent that you may have the firm conviction that I live and reign with the Father, I have foretold and spoken this to you. The fulfilment of the promise will then confirm the truth of My words. For if I be not the Life, He says, and if I be not enthroned with God the Father, how can I Myself vouchsafe Divine and spiritual graces? And I will bestow them as I have promised, and I will bring to you the Spirit and peace. Is it not then beyond dispute that I am the Life, and that I reign with the Father. For it is not the act of one who is dead, or powerless to illumine with Divine graces those who love him, but it is the act of One Who is living and powerful and Who reigns for ever. Christ therefore has hereby taught us that He made no empty prophecy of the future. For He says that He made this discourse that they might have their faith in Him confirmed, when they came to think upon and reflect on His promises, after they had experienced His grace.

30, 31 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in Me; but that the world may know that I love the Father, as the Father gave Me commandment even so I do.

Now when the impious Jews were already at hand, with the band of soldiers whom they brought, and their leader who also had promised to betray Him, and were ready to take Him and bear Him away in no long time to His sufferings upon the cross, and before the Crucifixion, He declared that He would break off His discourse with them. For, He says, the time is short and already past. And now that the bloodthirsty spirit of the Jews is at its height against Me, and shows itself already within the gates, the time for speech with you is past, and the period of My passion has arrived. But He says, The prince of this world hath nothing in Me. And I shall die very gladly, and undergo death to save the world, and through reverence to My Father and love towards Him willingly encounter inconceivable anguish, that I may fulfil His Will. The aim of what He says here is very plain, and compressing His words into smaller compass we say: Adam, the author of our race, underwent death by a Divine curse, through his breaking the commandment given to him, accused by himself and the devil. He indeed seems to have suffered for good reason, since the doom of punishment justly pursues those who have sinned from indolence; but the second Adam, that is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who can have no such charge brought against Him at all, for He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, underwent His sufferings for us, having of Himself no responsibility whatever for them, but by His sufferings procured a ransom for the world, owing to His love for the Father, Who yearned for the salvation of the world. For it was truly the work of His love for the Father not to set at nought His decree and firm resolve, but to hasten to bring it into effect. And what was this decree? He willed that His own Son, though of like fashion with Himself and distinguished by His perfect equality with Him, should descend to such humiliation as to take the form of man for our sakes, and not shrink from death to save the world. This the Son did through love of His Father, Who is said to have ordered Him by His own power to suffer death in His fleshly nature, and to destroy the power of corruption, and to quicken the dead, and to restore them to their ancient state. Therefore He says that the time for speech is short. For My suffering is drawing nigh, and the presumptuous counsels of the Jews have burst into flame. I will suffer willingly, as for this cause I have come.

But the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me; that is, I shall not be convicted of sin, and the Jews will not be able to establish their charge of drunkenness against Me, the devil hath no part in Me, for vices are as it were his attributes, and wickedness owes its parentage to him. For the truth of our Saviour's words will be most clearly seen from what follows. For how did He sin, Who knew no sin, the true and living God, Who was wholly incapable of turning from the path of righteousness? And we shall see this most clearly by the actual writings of the holy Evangelists. For the most wise John has represented Pilate saying, Ifind no crime in Him; and again, after putting on Him the crown of thorns, as saying these words: Behold, I bring Him out to you, that ye may know that I find no crime in Him; and Matthew says that he so hated the crime, that he washed his hands before the Jews and said, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; and the same Evangelist points Him out to us, when He was brought into the presence of the high priests themselves, and says: Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against the Christ, that they might put Him to death; and they found it not, though many false witnesses came. Still, though accusations were sought against Him by the agency of men, the devil used them as ministers and instruments of his own malice, and it was he more than any one else who sought to find sin in Him. It is then true that the devil had no part in Him, whom Christ called prince of this world, speaking of the present moment, not as though he were truly lord of it, but as a foreign intruder who has gained by the law of conquest what does not belong to him. For by sin he subjected mankind to himself, and driving them away from God as sheep who have no shepherd, he ruled over them though they were not his own. Therefore was he rightly cast out from the kingdom he had so obtained. For Christ has become King over us, and therefore He says: Now shall the prince of this world be east out; and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Myself.

Arise, let us go hence. 

The common and usual acceptation of the words before us suggests the thought, that as the period of the madness of the Jews had come, and the priceless Cross of our Saviour was well-nigh set up, He was hastening to depart with His holy disciples, to that place in which the band of men and officers found and took Him. And the thought is a plausible one. But probably there was another meaning hinted at; I mean a spiritual and hidden meaning. For when He says the words, Arise, let us go hence, He means to signify that to all of us there lies open by Him and with Him a change from one state to another, and a refuge from a worse condition in a better; in order that we may realise some such conception as this,----the passing from death unto life, and from corruption into incorruption, by Him and with Him, as I just said, as passing from one place into another. It is a fine saying then, Arise, and let us go hence; or you may interpret it to yourselves in some other way. From henceforth we are bound to be transformed from loving to think on earthly things into choosing the will to do God's pleasure; and besides this, to pass from slavery into the dignity of sonship; from earth into the city above; from sin to righteousness,----the righteousness I mean that is due to faith in Christ; from the impurity of man's nature to the sanctification by the Spirit; from dishonour to honour; from ignorance to knowledge; and from cowardice and faintheartedness to endurance in goodness.

Localising then, figurating as it were, our transgressions upon earth in the spot whereon He stood, He says, Arise, and let us go hence. For if this meaning entered into the scope of His speech, and He means to show thereby His affinity to us, it can do us no harm at all to act in this way, since He found it in His nature so to do. Moreover, in other places you will find Him saying to His own disciples: We must work the works of Him That sent us, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. Do you hear how He implicates Himself together with us in the duty of doing work, although He does not lie under the necessity of working as we do? And this form of speech is usual with us, and we shall find it just as much amongst ourselves; and the inspired Paul, when he rebuked the Corinthians, ventured on this expression, exhorting them in these words: Now these things, my brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos; that in us ye might learn not to think beyond the things which are written. And there is no question that we have not an elder, nor an angel, but the Lord of all Himself, though He was not subject to our infirmities, to point out the way to all that is good, and to turn us from our old lusts to better things. For we have been ransomed not by ourselves, nor by any other creature, but rather by Christ Himself our Saviour. Therefore, when escaping as it were with us, in our company, from the wickedness of the world, He says, Arise, let us go hence. He speaks these words not as subject to it as we are, or bound by human infirmities; but as our leader and champion and guide, to point out the way to incorruption and life in sanctification and love of God.  

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ Α. Ὅτι κατ' οὐδὲν ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ἴσος δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ὅμοιος κατὰ φύσιν αὐτῷ.
« Εἰ ἠγαπᾶτέ με, ἐχάρητε ἂν ὅτι πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὅτι ὁ Πατήρ μου μείζων μου ἐστίν. » ἈΝΤΙΠΕΡΙΤΡΕΠΕΙ τῆς λύπης τὴν ἀφορμὴν εἰς θυμηδίας ὑπόθεσιν, καὶ ὅτι μὴ χαίρουσι μᾶλλον ἐφ' ᾧ νῦν ἀσχάλλουσι, καταιτιᾶται σαφῶς: ἐν ταὐτῷ δὲ πειρᾶται διδάσκειν, ὅτι τοὺς ἀκαπήλευτόν τε καὶ ἀληθῆ τὴν εἰς ἑτέρους ἀγάπην ἐπιτηδεύοντας ζητεῖν ἀναγκαῖον οὐχὶ δὴ πάντως μόνον τὸ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἡδύ τε καὶ φίλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀγαπωμένοις λυσιτελὲς, καιροῦ καὶ τοῦτο δρᾶν ἀναπείθοντος. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐπιστέλλων φησίν ” Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, “οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς:” λέγει δὲ πρός τινας μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ζητοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων. ἀγάπης γὰρ ἔργον τῆς ἀκριβοῦς, οὐχὶ δήπου πάντως τὸ μόνον ἡμᾶς προνοεῖν τῶν ἰδίων ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πλησίον περισκέπτεσθαι τὸ χρήσιμον: τοῦτο γὰρ φρονεῖν ἀναπείθει τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ὁ Σωτήρ. καὶ φέρε δὴ πάλιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς καθάπερ ἐπὶ πίνακι, λεπτοτέροις γραφείοις τὴν τοῦ θεωρήματος ἀνατυποῦντες δύναμιν, ἀναβαίνωμεν ἐντεῦθεν ἐπὶ τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον. προξενεῖ γὰρ πολλάκις ὁ ἐν τοῖς ἐλάττοσι τύπος τὸ ἐφικέσθαι δύνασθαι καὶ τῶν ἀσυγκρίτως ἔχειν πεπιστευμένων. οὐκοῦν ἡδὺ μὲν, φέρε εἰπεῖν, τοῖς Παύλου μαθηταῖς τὸ αὐτῷ συνεῖναι διὰ παντός: ἀλλὰ κρεῖττον τῷ Παύλῳ “τὸ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ ” εἶναι,“ καθάπερ αὐτὸς διεβεβαιώσατο γράφων. ἦν οὖν ἔργον τοῖς ἀγαπᾶν ἑλομένοις αὐτὸν, τὸ πληροῦν ἐπείγεσθαι τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπησιν, καὶ μὴ δύσοιστον ἀεὶ ποιεῖσθαι τὸ αὐτοῖς καὶ μόνον ἡδὺ, περιαθροῦντας δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ τὸ τῷ διδασκάλῳ χρήσιμον ἀποδημοῦντι συμφέρειν: ἠπείγετο γὰρ συνεῖναι Χριστῷ. Ἔχεις τοῦ θεωρήματος ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς τὴν σκιάν. φέρε δὴ τοίνυν, τῶν ἐπὶ Χριστῷ μυστηρίων τὴν δύναμιν, καθάπερ τι χρῶμα πολυειδὲς ταῖς σκιαῖς ἐπαλείφοντες, αὐτὴν ἤδη σαφῶς ἐπιδείξωμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ἐν μορφῇ γὰρ ὑπάρχων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὁ Μονογενὴς, καὶ ἐν ἰσότητι τῇ κατὰ Πνεῦμα, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, διά τε τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπησιν, κεκένωκεν ἑαυτὸν μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, καὶ ὑπέστη γε τοῦτο παθὼν, ἵνα πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀπευθύνῃ πρὸς πᾶσαν εἴδησιν ἀρετῆς, ἵνα διὰ τῆς τῶν θαυμάτων ἀσυγκρίτου φαιδρότητος θεωροὺς γενέσθαι παρασκευάσῃ τῆς ἐνούσης τῇ θείᾳ φύσει δυνάμεώς τε καὶ δόξης καὶ ὑπερφυοῦς ἐξουσίας: οὕτω γὰρ ἦν ἀναπεῖσαι τοὺς εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀμαθίαν ὠλισθηκότας ἀνασφῆλαι πάλιν εἰς σύνεσιν, καὶ προσκυνεῖν μὲν οὐκέτι τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, τὸν δὲ ἀληθῶς ἕνα καὶ φύσει Θεὸν ἐπιγράφεσθαι. ὠφέλησε δὲ καὶ καθ' ἑτέρους τρόπους ἡμᾶς ὁ Μονογενὴς ἐνανθρωπήσας: κατέστρεψε γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος, κατέλυσε τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν δύναμιν, δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ” πατεῖν “ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν ” τοῦ ἐχθροῦ.“ ἦν οὖν ἄρα καὶ λίαν εἰκότως ἡμῖν μὲν αὐτοῖς ἢ καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μαθηταῖς ἡδύ τε καὶ φίλον, καὶ παντὸς ἄξιον λόγου, τὸ συνεῖναι διὰ παντὸς τῷ τοσούτων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν δοτῆρι Χριστῷ, συμπαρόντα τε ἀεὶ καὶ συνδιαιτώμενον ἔχειν: ἀλλ' οὐ σφόδρα χρήσιμον αὐτῷ διεφαίνετο, ἐν μακροῖς οὕτω χρόνοις ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν τῷ τῆς ταπεινώσεως σχήματι παραδεχθέντι χρησίμως διὰ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπησιν, καθάπερ ἤδη προείπομεν. ἔδει γὰρ μᾶλλον, τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίας ἀκολούθως ἤδη πεπερασμένης, εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀναφοιτῆσαι δόξαν αὐτὸν, καὶ μετὰ τῆς δι' ἡμᾶς ληφθείσης σαρκὸς παλινδρομεῖν εἰς ἰσότητα τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα, ἣν οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγησάμενος: ἐξῆν γὰρ ἔχειν ὡς ἴδιον ἀγαθόν: εἰς ἀνθρωπίνην καταβέβηκεν ἀδοξίαν. ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔτι, καίτοι Θεὸς ὑπάρχων ἀληθινὸς καὶ τῶν ὅλων Κύριος, οὐδενὸς ἀμείνων τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐλογίζετο παρά γε τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ. καὶ γοῦν ἐῤῥαπίσθη, καὶ ἐνεπτύσθη, καὶ ἐσταυρώθη, καὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀνοσιότητος ὑπέστη τὸν γέλωτα τολμησάντων εἰπεῖν ” Εἰ “υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατάβηθι νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ ” πιστεύσομέν σοι.“ ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀποπληρώσας μυστήριον, πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀνεκομίζετο Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν, ἅτε δὴ παρελάσαντος ἤδη τοῦ τῆς ταπεινώσεως χρόνου, καὶ πεπερασμένων τῶν καιρῶν τῆς ἑκουσίου κενώσεως, Θεὸς ἤδη ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσι διεφαίνετο. οὐ γὰρ ἠγνόησεν ἀναβαίνοντα τὸν τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότην ὁ οὐρανὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκελεύοντο μὲν οἱ ταῖς ἄνω πύλαις ἐφεστηκότες, ὡς τὸν τῶν δυνάμεων προσίεσθαι Κύριον, καίτοι μετὰ σαρκὸς ἀνιπτάμενον, αἴρειν τε τὰς πύλας αὐτῷ διετύπου τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγον ” Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε πύλαι “αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης: Κύριος ” κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατὸς, Κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ, Κύριος “τῶν δυνάμεων, αὐτός ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης.” ἐγνώσθη γὰρ “ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἡ πολυποί” κιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἣν ἐποίησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ,“ καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν. ἀνακομισθεὶς γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, καίτοι μείζονα ἢ κατ' αὐτὸν κατ' ἐκεῖνο νοούμενον, καθόπερ ὁ μὲν ἔμεινεν ἐν οἷς ἦν ἀεὶ, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἑκούσιον ὑπομείνας κένωσιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου κατέβη μορφῇ, πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν αὖθις ἀνεβιβάσθη δόξαν, ἀκούσας ” Κάθου ἐκ “δεξιῶν μου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ” ποδῶν σου.“ ἵνα δὲ μὴ δοκοίη πλεονεκτήσας καὶ οὐχ ἑκόντα τυχὸν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν, καθῖσαι πρὸς τοῖς δεξιοῖς τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτὸς τοῦτο λέγων ὁ Πατὴρ εἰσενήνεκται, τὸ Ἐκ δεξιῶν μου κάθου, φησί. καὶ οὐ δή τις ἐρεῖ νοῦν ἔχων, ὡς τοῖς δευτέροις ὁ Πατὴρ τετίμηται τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχων ἐκ δεξιῶν, λογιεῖται δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνο καὶ διασκέψεται. ἔδει γὰρ ὄντως ἐκ δεξιῶν νοεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸν ἀνύποπτον εἰς ἐλάττωσιν ἔχειν τόπον, οὐχὶ δήπου πάντως τὸν Πατέρα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν, διὰ τὴν ἑκούσιον κένωσιν καὶ ὑποταγὴν, ὡς ἐπ' ἐλάττοσι κατηγορούμενον παρὰ τῶν συνιέναι μὴ δυναμένων τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μυστήριον. διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ μηδαμόθεν κατηγορεῖσθαι δυναμένου Πατρὸς, ἵνα τὸ ἰσότιμον σώζηται τῷ Υἱῷ. Καὶ ταυτὶ μὲν ἡμῖν εἰσεκομίσθη τὰ διηγήματα χρησίμως εἰς τὸ παρὸν, οὐκ ἀσυντελῆ τοῖς προκειμένοις ἔχοντα λόγον. ἀναλαβὼν δὲ ἐσαῦθις, καὶ ὅλον, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀναμηρυσάμενος τῆς ἐξηγήσεως τὸν σκοπὸν, ἐρῶ δὴ λοιπὸν, ὡς ἡδὺ μὲν ἡμῖν καὶ δι' εὐχῆς καὶ φίλον τὸ συνεῖναι διὰ παντὸς τῷ Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ, καίτοι δι' ἡμᾶς κεκενωκότι ἑαυτὸν, καθὰ γέγραπται, καὶ εἰς τὸ σχῆμα γενομένῳ τὸ οἰκετικὸν, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἀδοξίαν. τί γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις, ὡς πρὸς Θεόν; ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτῷ τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦτο χρήσιμον, λυσιτελὲς δὲ μᾶλλον τὸ ἀναβῆναι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀνακομίσασθαι δόξαν τε καὶ ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἀξίωμα τὸ θεοπρεπὲς ἀναφανδὸν ἤδη, καὶ οὐκέτι κατεσκιασμένως. κεκάθικε γὰρ ἐκ δεξιῶν, ἐθέλοντος τοῦτο καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρός. φιλεῖ γὰρ ὡς ἴδιον γέννημα καὶ ὡς καρπὸν τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ: οὐκοῦν διὰ τοῦτό φησιν Εἰ ἠγαπᾶτέ με, ἐχάρητε ἂν ὅτι πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων μου ἐστίν. ὄντως τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης ἀπόδειξις ἦν τὸ μὴ λυπεῖσθαι τοσοῦτον διὰ τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἀπόλειψιν καὶ ἀναγκαίως παραληφθεῖσαν ἀποδημίαν: διενθυμεῖσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον, ὅτι πρὸς τὴν αὐτῷ πρέπουσάν τε καὶ ὀφειλομένην πεφοίτηκε δόξαν, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀξίωμα, τουτέστι, τὸ θεοπρεπὲς ἐναργῶς. καὶ γοῦν ὁ μελῳδὸς, καίτοι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος λαλῶν μυστήρια ” Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, φησὶ, “κροτήσατε χεῖρας:” εἶτα τῆς ἑορτῆς τὴν αἰτίαν ἐκδιηγούμενος, τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Σωτῆρος παρεκόμιζε λέγων “Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος ἐν φωνῇ ” σάλπιγγος,“ ἀλαλαγμὸν ὀνομάζων καὶ σάλπιγγα, τὴν ὑψηλὴν καὶ ἐξάκουστον τοῦ Πνεύματος φωνήν: ὅτε ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσι τὰς πύλας αἴρειν διεκελεύετο, καὶ Κύριον αὐτὸν ὠνόμαζε τῶν δυνάμεων, καθάπερ ἐλέγομεν ἀρτίως. ἐπ' αὐτῷ δὲ δὴ τούτῳ καὶ αὐτὸν εὑρήσομεν τὸν τῶν ἁγίων χορὸν ἐν πολλαῖς γεγονότα ταῖς θυμηδίαις. τοιγάρτοι καὶ ἔφασκε, ποτὲ μὲν ὅτι ” Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, ἀγαλλιάσθω “ἡ γῆ,” ποτὲ δὲ αὖ πάλιν “Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, εὐπρέ” πειαν ἐνεδύσατο: ἐνεδύσατο Κύριος δύναμιν καὶ περιεζώ“σατο.” ὁ γὰρ μεθ' ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος πρὸ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, ὅτε πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀνέβη Πατέρα, τότε τὴν ἰδίαν εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ περιεζώσατο δύναμιν: κεκάθικε γὰρ βασιλεύων μετὰ Πατρός. χαίρειν οὖν ἄρα δίκαιόν τε καὶ πρέπον τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὸν, ὅτι πεπόρευται πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα τὴν ἰδίαν δόξαν ἀναληψόμενος, καὶ πάλιν αὐτῷ συμβασιλεύσων, καθάπερ ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ. μείζονα δέ φησιν αὐτὸν, οὐχ ὅτι κεκάθικεν ἐκ δεξιῶν, ὡς Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἦν ἔτι μεθ' ἡμῶν, τουτέστιν, ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς. ὡς γὰρ ἔτι τὸ δουλοπρεπὲς ἔχων σχῆμα, καὶ παρόντος αὐτῷ οὔπω τοῦ καιροῦ καθ' ὃν ἔδει ἀναλαβεῖν, τὰ τοιαῦτά φησι. καὶ γοῦν ὅτε τὸν τίμιον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπέστη σταυρὸν, ὄξος αὐτῷ καὶ χολὴν Ἰουδαῖοι προσήγαγον διψήσαντι, καὶ πιὼν, ἔφη Τετέλεσται. πεπλήρωτο γὰρ ἤδη ὁ τῆς ταπεινώσεως καιρὸς, καὶ ἐσταυρώθη μὲν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος: νενίκηκε δὲ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος, οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἔτι μᾶλλον δὲ ὡς Θεὸς, φημὶ δὴ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ νικῆσαι δόξαν τε καὶ δύναμιν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν σάρκα. μείζων οὖν ὁ Πατὴρ, ὡς ἔτι δούλου καὶ ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς ὄντος τοῦ Υἱοῦ: ἐπεὶ καὶ Θεὸν ἑαυτοῦ φησιν αὐτὸν, καὶ τοῦτο τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ προσνέμων σχήματι. εἰ γὰρ πιστεύομεν ὅτι κεκένωκέ τε καὶ τεταπείνωκεν ἑαυτὸν, πῶς οὐχ ἅπασιν ἔσται καταφανὲς, ὅτι καταβέβηκεν ἐξ ὑπεροχῆς τινος εἰς ἐλάττωσιν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐξ ἰσότητος τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα πρὸς τὸ μὴ οὕτως ἔχον; οὐδὲν δὲ τούτων ὑπομεμένηκεν ὁ Πατήρ: μεμένηκε δὲ καὶ ἔστιν ἐν οἷς ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. μείζων οὖν ἄρα τοῦ τὴν ἐλάττωσιν οἰκονομικῶς ἑλομένου, καὶ τέως ὄντος ἐν αὐτῇ, ἄχρις ἂν εἰς ἐκεῖνο πάλιν ἀνακομισθῇ, τὸ ἴδιον δή φημι καὶ φυσικὸν ἀγαθὸν, ἐν ᾧπερ ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ. τόπος δὲ ὥσπερ οἰκεῖός τε καὶ φυσικὸς αὐτῷ νοηθείη ἂν εἰκότως ἡ ἰσότης ἡ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ἣν ἔχειν ἐξὸν ἀδιακωλύτως, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο δι' ἡμᾶς. Καὶ πολλοῦ ἡμῖν γεγονότος λόγου περὶ τῆς ἰσότητος τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὀπίσω βιβλίοις, τάχα πως ἦν ἤδη πρέπον ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἑξῆς σαφήνειαν ἐλθεῖν, τὸ περὶ τούτων ἔτι μακρηγορεῖν ἀφέντας εἰς τὸ παρόν. ἐπειδὴ δέ τις τῶν ἀσυνέτων αἱρετικῶν, οὐ λίαν ἀθαύμαστον παρὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις λαχὼν τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων τὴν εἴδησιν, τὰ ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ἑρμηνεύειν ἐπιχειρῶν, γραφῇ παραδέδωκεν οὐ φορητὰς δυσφημίας κατὰ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, ἀδρανὲς ᾠήθην καὶ λίαν ἀνάρμοστον ἐμαυτῷ πρᾶγμα θέλειν ὑφίστασθαι, τὸ σιωπῇ παραδραμεῖν τὴν οὕτω δεινὴν τοῦ μνημονευθέντος ἀπόνοιαν. οὐκοῦν οἰήσομαι δεῖν ὑπαντῆσαι μὲν κατὰ λόγον αὐτῷ, δεῖξαί τε σαφῶς ὅτι σαθρά τε καὶ γραώδη τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ μυθάρια, καὶ φρονήσεως μὲν τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἀμοιροῦντα παντελῶς, στροφὰς δὲ εἰκαίων ἔχοντα λογισμῶν. ἐπ' αὐτῆς δὲ ὑμῖν ἀναγνώσομαι λέξεως, ἃ συνθεῖναι τετόλμηκε, τὴν τοῦ προκειμένου, καθάπερ αὐτὸς ᾠήθη, θεωρίαν ἐξηγούμενος ” Μείζονα δὲ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Πατέρα „κηρύσσων σαφῶς, οὐ μόνον τὴν ἑαυτῷ πρέπουσαν παρέ” στησεν εὐγνωμοσύνην, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις „εἶναι νομιζόντων τὸ ψεῦδος διήλεγξε.„ καὶ τὴν Σαβελλίου διὰ τούτων περικροτήσας δόξαν, δεινὸς, ὡς οἴεται, καὶ δριμὺς ἐπιπηδᾷ τοῖς ἐν ἰσότητι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα τιθεῖσι τὸν Υἱὸν, οὕτω πάλιν εἰπών ” Εἰς τοσοῦτον πάλιν ἀπονοίας προῆλθόν „τινες, ὡς μηδὲ ὅλως ἀνέχεσθαι μείζονα εἶναι τὸν Πατέρα ” τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς θεότητος λέγειν, ἀλλὰ μόνον αὐτὸν „συγκρίσει τῇ περὶ τὴν σάρκα ὑπερέχειν δοκεῖν, μηδὲ κἂν ” τοῦτο συνιδεῖν δυνηθέντες, ὡς τὰ ἑτερογενῆ οὐδαμῶς συγ„κρίνεσθαι δύναται. οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν εἴποι ποτὲ ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ” σοφώτερός ἐστι κτήνους, οὔτε μὴν ἵππος ὀξυτέρως τρέχει „χελώνης, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπον ἀνθρώπου ἐλλογιμώτερον, ἵππον ” δὲ ἵππου ὀξύτερον φέρεσθαι. μόνων τοίνυν τῶν ὁμογενῶν „τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα σύγκρισιν ἐπιδεχομένων, ἀνάγκη αὐτοὺς ” ὁμολογῆσαι, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ Μονο„γενοῦς θεότητος ὑπάρχει. οἱ γὰρ ἐναντίως σφαλλόμενοι ” τῷ πρὸς τὴν σάρκα συγκρίνειν, ὅσον τὸ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, τὸ „πατρικὸν ἀξίωμα καθαιροῦσι.” Ταυτὶ μὲν ἐκείνου τὰ ὑθλώδη ληρήματα: διασκεπτέον δὲ ὅπως οὐδὲ εἰδότα δείξωμεν ὅτι τοῖς ἰδίοις αὐτὸς μάχεται λόγοις. ἀποδέχεται μὲν γὰρ τὸν Υἱὸν, ὡς τὴν αὐτῷ πρέπουσαν εὐγνωμοσύνην διατηρήσαντα, τῷ εἰπεῖν Ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων μου ἐστί: θαυμάζω δὲ ὅπως οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο κατὰ νοῦν εἰσεδέξατο. τί γὰρ ἦν ὅλως τὸ ἀναπεῖθον αὐτὸν θεολογίας ἅψασθαι νυνὶ, καίτοι τὸ καιρὸν εἰδέναι τὸν πρέποντα καὶ λόγου καὶ πράγματος οὐκ ἐν τῷ μηδενὶ θείη τίς ἂν, εἴ γε σωφρονοίη. τί οὖν ἔδει τῆς οὕτως ἀκαίρου θεολογίας ἀνιωμένοις τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἐπείπερ ἔμελλεν ἀποδημεῖν ἀπὸ κόσμου πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ Θεόν; ποῖον γὰρ ἂν ἐποίσειε παραμυθίας τρόπον αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα τυχόν; ἄνθ' ὅτου δ' ὅλως μονονουχὶ καὶ καταιτιᾶται λέγων Εἰ ἠγαπᾶτέ με, ἐχάρητε ἂν ὅτι πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων μου ἐστίν; ἆρα γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, διακεῖσθαι τοῦτο πρὸς θυμηδίαν ἐποίει τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἢ τῆς οὕτω φιλοθέου λύπης ἀπήλλαττεν, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν μείζονα Πατέρα πορεύεται; εἶτα ποῖον κατίδοι τις ἂν τὸν τῆς παραμυθίας ἐν τούτῳ τρόπον; καίτοι Φιλίππου μὲν ἐρομένου καὶ λέγοντος “Κύριε, δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν Πατέρα, ” καὶ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν,“ τότε δὴ τότε καὶ λίαν εὐκαίρως, ἅτε δὴ καὶ τοῦ τῆς θεολογίας ἐνεστηκότος καιροῦ, τὸν Πατέρα μὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ δεικνὺς, ἑαυτὸν δὲ αὖ πάλιν ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὅτι κατ' οὐδὲν ἐλάττων ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ, τῇ δὲ κατὰ πᾶν ἰσότητι διαπρεπὴς, ἔφασκε ” Τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι, καὶ “οὐκ ἔγνωκάς με, Φίλιππε; ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν ” Πατέρα: οὐ πιστεύεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ “ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν; ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν.” ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν εὐκαίρως τὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἡμῖν ἐξυφαίνων λόγον, εἰκότως ἐθαυμάζετο: νυνὶ δὲ ποῖον ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα καιρὸν, ἢ ποῖον ὅλως ἐπιδέξεται λογισμὸν, ἢ βούλεσθαι μὲν τὴν ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς καταραΐσαι λύπην, φάρμακα δὲ ὥσπερ παραμυθίας αὐτοῖς ἐπινοεῖν, τὸ ἐπιτάξαι χαίρειν, ὅτι πορεύεται πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα; ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο καὶ τοῖς λίαν ἀνοήτοις συμφανὲς δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος, ὡς ἐπείπερ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν αὖθις παλινδρομῆσαι δόξαν μετὰ Πατρὸς ἠπείγετο, χαίρειν ἐπὶ τούτῳ τοῖς αὐτὸν ἀγαπῶσι διεκελεύετο, ἀξιάγαστον αὐτὸν αὐτοῖς παρακλήσεως καὶ τοῦτον μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπινοήσας τὸν τρόπον; Ἀλλὰ παρήσω μὲν τοῦτο νυνὶ, καὶ ταῖς ἐκείνου φρενοβλαβείαις οὐ πολὺς ἐγκείσομαι: φημὶ δὲ δεῖν ἐπ' ἐκεῖνα μᾶλλον ἐλθεῖν: ᾠήθη γὰρ ἴσως τῇ τῆς θεότητος φύσει τὴν σάρκα συγκρίνοντας, ἀνόνητον κομιδῇ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀντεξέτασιν, ὅτε κεκενῶσθαι λέγομεν τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐπειδὴ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος: ἔχει δὲ οὐχ οὕτω, πόθεν; οἰκετικοῦ δὲ μέτρου καὶ δουλοπρεποῦς ἀξιώματος τὴν θείαν λέγοντες δόξαν, ἠλαττῶσθαί φαμεν τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, καθὸ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἀποκαταστῆναι γεμὴν εἰς τὸ εἶναι πάλιν ἐν ἴσῳ τῷ φύσαντι μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν, οὐ καινὴν ἢ ἐπίκτητον οὐδὲ ἀήθη δόξαν ἠμφιεσμένον, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐκείνῃ γεγονότα πάλιν, ἐν ᾗπερ ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ μετὰ τοῦ Πατρός. καὶ γοῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος ἡμῖν μυσταγωγὸς, φημὶ δὲ τὸν Παῦλον, τὴν πρέπουσαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ταπείνωσιν οὐκέτι περιτιθεὶς αὐτῷ μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν καὶ τὴν ἄνοδον τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς, ἐπιστέλλει λέγων “Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χρισ” τὸν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν:“ περὶ δὲ ἑαυτοῦ πάλιν ” Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων “οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.” καίτοι τί δήποτε πάλιν αὐτὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφίξεσθαι λέγων μετασχηματιοῦντα “τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν σύμμορφον τῷ ” σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ,“ νῦν ἐξαρνεῖται λέγων ” οὐκ ἀπ' “ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπου,” καίτοι προκεχειρισμένος εἰς ἀποστολὴν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; τί δὲ ὅλως αὐτὸν οὐκ εἰδέναι κατὰ σάρκα φησίν; ἆρ' οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτὸν δεσπότην ἠρνήσατο; μὴ γένοιτο, φρονεῖ γὰρ ὀρθῶς. τετελειωμένου γὰρ ἤδη καὶ εἰς πέρας ἥκοντος τοῦ καιροῦ ἐπὶ τῆς νοουμένης τῷ Μονογενεῖ κενώσεως, ἤτοι ταπεινώσεως, οὐκ ἐξ ὧν ὁρᾶται κεκενωμένος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐξ ὧν ἐστι κατὰ φύσιν Θεὸς, διακηρύττειν τε αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπιγινώσκειν ἐπείγεται. γνωσθέντος γὰρ ἅπαξ καὶ παραδεχθέντος τοῦ ὅτι γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἔδει λοιπὸν ἐκεῖνο διδάσκεσθαι τοὺς πεπιστευκότας, ὅτι καὶ Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶ, διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον τοῖς θεοπρεπέσι περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγοις ἢ τοῖς ἑτέροις ἐφήδεται. Θαυμάζω δὲ ὅπως οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷ, λέγων, ὡς ἐπείπερ μόνα τὰ ὁμογενῆ ” τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα σύγκρισιν ἐπιδέχεται, ἀνάγκη „αὐτοὺς ὁμολογῆσαι, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ” θεότητος ὑπάρχει.„ οὐκ αἰσθάνεται γὰρ, ὡς εἰκὸς, τὸν οἰκεῖον ἑαυτῷ ἐξοπλίσας λόγον: λεγέτω γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνο χρησίμως ἐρέσθαι βουλομένοις Αἱ πρὸς ἄλληλα τῶν ὁμοειδῶν συγκρίσεις, ἀπὸ ποίων μᾶλλον ἐπιτελοῖντο πρεπωδέστερον; ἆρ' ἐξ ὧν εἰσι, κατά γε τὸν κοινὸν τῆς φύσεως λόγον, ἢ ἐξ ὧν ἕκαστον ἔχει τῶν ὅσα προσγίνεταί τε καὶ ἀπογίνεται, ἐνυπάρχει τε καὶ οὐκ ἐνυπάρχει, δι' αἰτίας εὐλόγους; οἷον δὲ δή τι φημί: παραθήσω γὰρ ἐκεῖνο λαβὼν ὅπερ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν εἰσκεκόμικεν εἰς παραδείγματος λόγον: Εἴ τις ἀνθρώπῳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐθελήσαι συγκρίνειν, εἰς μὲν τὸν ἕνα καὶ κοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας ἀποβλέψας λόγον, οὐδεμίαν ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν εὕροι διαφοράν: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπου διοίσει ποτὲ, κατά γε τὸ εἶναι ζῷον λογικὸν, θνητὸν, νοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμης δεκτικόν: οὗτος γὰρ ἐν ἅπασιν, εἷς τε τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῆς ὅρος: ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἵππος ἵππου κατ' αὐτό γε τοῦτο τὸ ἵππος εἶναί φημι, διαφέρειν δὲ ἄνθρωπον ἀνθρώπου, καθ' ἥντινα οὖν ἐπιστήμην, οἷον γραμματικὴν, ἢ καὶ καθ' ἑτέρους τινὰς τοιουτουσὶ τρόπους. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὐχ ἅψεται τῆς οὐσίας, αἰτίαν δὲ μᾶλλον ἑτέραν λαχόντα φαίνεται. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἵππος μὲν ἵππου δρομικώτερος, ἢ κατὰ σῶμα μείων ἢ περιπληθέστερος, πλὴν τὴν ἐν τούτοις πλεονεξίαν, ἤτοι τὴν ἐλάττωσιν, οὐκ ἐν ὅρῳ κειμένην τῷ τῆς οὐσίας εὑρήσομεν. ἢ γὰρ ἂν κατ' οὐδὲν ἀλλήλων διήνεγκε τὰ εἰς σύγκρισιν ἀναβαίνοντα τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα. μείων γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπου τυχὸν, ἤγουν τὸ μεῖζον ἔχων, καθόπερ εἰσὶν ἄνθρωποι, πῶς ἂν ὅλως νοοῖτο καὶ λέγοιτο; οὐκοῦν, ἐν ἴσῳ μὲν μέτρῳ πᾶσι τοῖς ὁμοειδέσι τὰ φυσικά: διάφορα δὲ τὰ ἐνόντα φαίνεται, καὶ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ συμβεβηκότος ἔξωθεν ἐγκείμενα λόγον. οὐκοῦν ἐπειδήπερ κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνου πρότασιν, ἤτοι φωνήν: ἀνθέξομαι γὰρ αὐτῆς: μόνα τὰ ὁμογενῆ τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα σύγκρισιν οἰκειότερον ἐπιδέξεται, ὁμολογείτω πρῶτον, ὡς ὁμογενής ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ Πατρὶ, τουτέστιν, ὁμοούσιος: οὕτω γὰρ νοήσεις τὸ ὁμογενὲς, ἄνθρωπον γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ συγκρίνεσθαι δεῖν ἐδοκίμασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἵππον ἵππῳ: καὶ διδασκέτω λοιπὸν τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν ὁ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ συγκρινόμενος Υἱὸς, ὡς ὁμογενὴς αὐτῷ, τὴν κατά τι γοῦν ἐλάττωσιν ἔχει, ποῦ δὲ τὸ μεῖον εὑρήσομεν, ὅτε τοῖς ὁμογενέσιν εἷς ἂν ἁρμόττοι τῆς οὐσίας ὅρος; ἑκάστης γὰρ οὐσίας, ὁ περὶ αὐτῆς λόγος, οὐ τέλειος μὲν ἔν τισιν, ἀτελὴς δὲ ἐν ἑτέρῳ φαίνεται, ἀλλ' εἷς καὶ ἴσος ἐπὶ πάντων φαίνεται. αἰτίας γεμὴν ἑτέρας ἔχειν φαμὲν τῶν συμβεβηκότων ἕκαστον ἤτοι προσγεγονότων καθ' ὁνδηποτοῦν τρόπον. αὐτὸ δὲ δὴ πάλιν ὑπὲρ σαφηνείας τῶν εἰρημένων τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς παροίσω παράδειγμα. ἄνθρωπος μὲν ἀνθρώπου διοίσει μὲν ὅλως οὐδὲν, καθόπερ εἰσὶν ἄνθρωποι τυχόν: ἀλλ' ὁ μέν τις ἐστὶν εὐσεβὴς, ὁ δὲ κακόνους, καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀσθενὴς καὶ λελωβημένος τὸ σῶμα, σῶος δὲ καὶ εὔρωστος ἕτερος, καὶ ὁ μέν τις βάσκανος, ὁ δὲ ἀγαθός: ἀλλ' ὅταν τις τούτων τὰς αἰτίας ἀκριβῶς κατασκέπτηται, τὸν μὲν τῆς αἰτίας ὅρον οὐκ αἰτιάσεται, πάθεσι δὲ μᾶλλον σωματικοῖς ἤγουν ψυχικοῖς ἀνατίθησι τὰς αἰτίας. ἑνὸς τοιγαροῦν νοουμένου τε καὶ ὄντος ἐπί τε Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ τῆς θεότητος ὅρου, ἢ ὅπως ἄν τις εἰπὼν οὐκ ἂν τοῦ πρέποντος ἐξοίχοιτο: συγκρίνονται γὰρ ὡς ὁμογενεῖς, κεχρήσομαι δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην τοῦ θεωρήματος καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ λόγοις: διδασκόντων οἱ τάλανες τί ἄρα νομίζουσι παρασκευᾶσαι τὸν Υἱὸν ἐν ἐλάττοσιν εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός; ἆρα πάθος, ἢ ῥᾳθυμία καὶ ὅσα συμβαίνειν οἶδε τοῖς γενητὴν ἔχουσι τὴν φύσιν; εἶτα τίς οὕτω ληρήσει καὶ διακείσεται παραλόγως, ὡς καὶ μόνον ἀνασχέσθαι κἂν γοῦν εἰς οὖς ἑλέσθαι τὴν βλασφημίαν; ὅτε τοίνυν, ὡς ὁμογενὴς ὑπάρχων τῷ κατὰ φύσιν Θεῷ, Θεός ἐστι δηλονότι κατὰ φύσιν καὶ αὐτός: συγκρίνεται γὰρ τῷ Πατρί: διακωλύσει δὲ οὐδὲν τὸ ὡσαύτως ἔχειν τῷ φύσαντι: πῶς ἐλάττων ἐστίν; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἀμαθέστατά τε καὶ ἀλογώτατα ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις διεξιὼν, οὐ κατέδεισεν εἰπεῖν ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρὸς, „ὅτι μείζων ὁ Πατὴρ τῆς θεότητος τοῦ Υἱοῦ:” φέρε τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸν λόγον βραχύ τι περιστείλαντες, καὶ τῆς τῶν προκειμένων ἐννοίας ἀποδιελόντες διὰ τὸν ἔλεγχον, τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς συγκρίνωμεν κατά γε τὸν ἐκείνων λόγον, ἐκεῖνο δὴ πρῶτον εἰπεῖν ἀπαιτήσαντες τὸν τοῦτο φάναι τολμήσαντα, πότερόν ποτε Θεὸν ὄντα κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχειν οἴεται τὸν Θεὸν, ἢ ἕτερον μέν τι παρὰ τοῦτο, τετιμῆσθαι γεμὴν τῇ τῆς θεότητος κλήσει, καθάπερ οὖν ἀμέλει πολλοὶ μὲν ἐν οὐρανῷ θεοὶ καὶ κύριοι, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἶναι λέγονται. διαβεβαιουμένου μὲν γὰρ ψιλῇ δεδοξάσθαι προσηγορίᾳ τῇ τῆς θεότητός φημι τὸν Υἱὸν, μὴ μὴν καὶ ὑπάρχειν κατὰ φύσιν αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς τοῦθ' ὅπερ εἶναι καὶ λέγεται, τὰ εἰκότα φρονοῦντες ὑπαντήσομεν, διαῤῥήδην ἀνακεκραγότες Ὦ τᾶν, ὡς εἰ μὴ φύσει Θεός ἐστι, κτίσματι προσκυνοῦμεν ἔτι παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, καὶ οὐχὶ μόνον ἡμεῖς οἱ τόνδε τὸν περίγειον ἔχοντες χῶρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων ἡ πληθύς: κατηγορήσομεν δὲ καὶ παντὸς ἁγίου λοιπὸν, Θεὸν αὐτὸν κατὰ φύσιν εἰρηκότος καὶ ἀληθινὸν, μάλιστα δὲ πάντων αἰτιασόμεθα τὸν μακάριον Ἰωάννην εἰρηκότα περὶ αὐτοῦ “Οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει, καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν διά” νοιαν ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ “ἀληθινῷ αὐτοῦ Υἱῷ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς ” Θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ ἡ αἰώνιος.“ εἰ δὲ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ δυσωπούμενος τὸν θεόπνευστον γραφὴν, Θεὸν ὄντως αὐτὸν προσερεῖ καὶ ὑπάρχειν οὕτω διακείσεται, πιστεύειν τε οὕτω μειονεκτεῖσθαι τοῦ Πατρὸς κατά τι γοῦν ὅλως ὑπολαμβάνει: ἆρ' οὐχ ἕτερον ἡμῖν εἰσκεκόμικε Θεὸν, τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα σχέσεως φυσικῆς ὁλοκλήρως διακεκομμένον, καὶ ἐν ἰδίᾳ μέν τινι νοούμενον ὑποστάσει, μὴ μὴν ἐνυπάρχειν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐσίᾳ; ἀλλ' οἶμαι δῆλον ἅπασι τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν. εἰ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἑαυτοῦ μεῖζον ἢ ἔλαττον, ἀλλ' ἐλάττονος μέν τινος μεῖζόν τι νοεῖται, μείζονος δέ τινος ἔλαττον, πότερόν πως οὐκ ἀνάγκη δύο δὴ πάντως ὁμολογῆσαι θεοὺς κατὰ φύσιν καὶ ἀληθινοὺς, ἵν' ὁ μὲν νοῆται μείζων, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττων αὐτοῦ; οὐκοῦν οἴχεται μὲν ἤδη καὶ ἀνατέτραπται κατ' ἐκείνους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ πίστις: Θεὸς δὲ οὐχ εἷς ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δύο λοιπόν. τίνος οὖν ἄρα ναοὶ κεχρηματίκαμεν, κατὰ τὰς γραφάς; ἢ δῆλον ὅτι τοῦ τὸ ἴδιον Πνεῦμα ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἐγκατοικίσαντος ψυχαῖς; ὅταν οὖν εὑρίσκωμεν ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων, οὐχὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ Πνεῦμα λεγόμενον, τί λογισόμεθα; τί δὲ προσῆκε φρονεῖν; τίνα τῶν δύο παρωσάμενοι, τὸν ἕτερον εἶναι Θεὸν λέγομεν; εἰ μὲν οὖν δύο θεοὺς, τὸν ἐλάττω τε καὶ τὸν μείζω, παραδεξώμεθα, ἄμφω τε ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς ἐναυλίζεσθαι φήσομεν διὰ τῶν ἰδίων πνευμάτων, ναοὶ θεῶν ἤδη γεγονότες ἁλωσόμεθα: δύο δὲ ἡμῖν ἐνοικεῖ πνεύματα, μεῖζόν τε καὶ ἔλαττον, ἀνολόγως τῇ φύσει τῶν δεδωκότων αὐτά. τίς οὖν ἄρα τῶν τοιούτων ἐμέτων ἀνέξεται; τίς δὲ τὸν παρ' ἐκείνοις ἀμαθῆ τε καὶ γελοιότατον οὐ κατόψεται λόγον, τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀρτίως ἡμῖν διασκεψάμενος ἔννοιαν; ἀλλ' ἴσως ἀναγκαζόμενος δύο κατὰ φύσιν ὁμολογῆσαι θεοὺς, εἴπερ ὁ μέν ἐστι μείζων, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττων, ἐπ' ἐκεῖνο βαδιεῖται τὸ σύνηθές τε καὶ τετριμμένον αὐτῷ, φημὶ δὴ τὸ φύσιν ἰδίαν τινὰ λέγειν ἔχειν τὸν Υἱὸν, εἰ μήτε τῆς γενητῆς ἀπήλλακται παντελῶς, μήτε μὴν ὁλοκλήρως ἀποπίπτει τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. οἱ γὰρ κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα λέγειν ἐναργῶς οὐ παραιτούμενοι, ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν τοιούτων ῥημάτων καταφεύγουσι κομψείας, ἀστειοτέραν ὥσπερ ἐπινοοῦντες τὴν δυσφημίαν. ὅταν τοίνυν οὕτως ἔχειν λέγωμεν τὸν Υἱὸν, ὡς μήτε Θεὸν κατὰ φύσιν ὁλοκλήρως ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν, μήτε μὴν ἐν κτίσμασιν ὁλοκλήρως τελεῖν, εἶναι δέ τινα μέσον, ὡς καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἀξίας ἀπολιμπάνεσθαι, καὶ τὴν τῶν κτισμάτων ὑπεράλλεσθαι δόξαν: πρῶτον μὲν ἐροῦμεν, ὡς οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐπέτρεψε λόγος νομοθετεῖν ἃ βούλονται καὶ λαλεῖν. ἢ γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν τε καὶ θείων πληροφορούντων γραμμάτων, ἢ μηδαμόθεν μεμαρτυρημένον τὸν ἴδιον ἔχοντες λόγον, αἰσχυνέσθωσαν τὰ ἀπὸ γνώμης ἰδίας ἐπὶ πίστει διοριζόμενοι. Πλὴν ἐπείπερ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦτο παρέστη ἐξ ἀκρίτου λέγειν φρενοβλαβείας, ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτῶν βαδιοῦμαι πρότασιν, ἐρῶ δὲ δὴ λοιπὸν πάλιν Εἰ γὰρ μόνα τὰ ὁμοειδῆ ” τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα „σύγκρισιν„ κυρίως ἂν ἐπιδέξαιτο, συγκρίνεσθαι δὲ δεῖν ἑαυτὸν κυρίως τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ δεδοκίμακεν ὁ Υἱὸς, σαφέστατα λέγων Ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων μου ἐστί: πῶς οὐκ ἀνάγκη τοιοῦτον νοεῖσθαι καὶ τὸν Πατέρα, ὁποῖος ἂν λέγοιτο παρ' ὑμῶν ὁ Υἱός; καὶ τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν; ὅλον ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ μηδὲν καταστρέφει τὸ θεώρημα. ἕως μὲν γὰρ μείζων λέγεται τοῦ Υἱοῦ παρ' ὑμῶν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἡ δὲ κτίσις ἐλάττων, μέση τις ἦν καθ' ὑμᾶς ἡ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς φύσις. καταβιβασθείσης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας εἰς τὴν Υἱοῦ, τίνος ἔσται μέσος λοιπὸν, οὐκ ὄντος ἔτι τοῦ ὑπερκειμένου καὶ ὑπερέχοντος; εἰ δὲ καθά φησιν, ὡς ὁμογενὴς ὁμογενεῖ τῷ Πατρὶ συγκρίνεται, πῶς οὐχ εἷς ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν ὁ τῆς οὐσίας ἔσται λόγος; παραιτούμενοι δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν ὁμοούσιον ὑπάρχειν ὁμολογεῖν τῷ Πατρὶ, τιθεῖν δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐν ἐλάττοσι, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς κατεσπάσατε δόξαν εἰς τὴν τοῦ καθ' ὑμᾶς ἐλάττονός τε καὶ μειονεκτουμένου, ἆρ' οὐχ ὁρᾶτε λοιπὸν ἀκάνθης δίκην ἀνατέλλουσαν τὴν δυσφημίαν; ἆρ' οὐχὶ ” ῥίζα πικρίας ἄνω φύουσα“ τὴν τῶν οὕτω διακειμένων καρδίαν παρενοχλεῖ; τί τοίνυν ἀφέντες τὸν εὐθῆ τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον εἰς τοσαύτην ἀτοπίαν παρελαύνετε λογισμῶν; δότε δὴ δότε τῷ ὁμογενεῖ καθ' ὑμᾶς τὸ ἐν ἰσότητι κεῖσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. οὕτω γὰρ εἷς ἔσται Θεὸς, ἐν ἁγίᾳ τε καὶ ὁμοουσίῳ Τριάδι προσκυνούμενός τε καὶ δοξολογούμενος πρός τε ἤδη ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων.
« Καὶ νῦν εἴρηκα ὑμῖν πρὶν γενέσθαι, ἵνα ὅταν γένηται πιστεύσητε. » Ἀσφαλὲς ἐνέχυρον τῶν ἔσεσθαι προσδοκωμένων ἡ περὶ αὐτῶν ὁρᾶται πρόῤῥησις: βεβαιοῖ τοιγαροῦν τῶν μαθητῶν τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ ἀραρότως φρονεῖν ἀναπείθει Χριστὸς, ὅτι περ ἄνεισιν ἀληθῶς πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν, συμβασιλεύσων τε αὐτῷ καὶ συνεδρεύσων ὡς Θεὸς, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ὡς Θεὸς γεγεννημένος. μὴ γὰρ δὴ, φησὶ, τὴν ἐμὴν ἀπόλειψιν, τὴν κατὰ σαρκὰ καὶ ἐμφανῆ: συνέσομαι γὰρ ὑμῖν ὡς Θεὸς διὰ παντός: ἐν ἴσῳ λογίσησθε τῆς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς γεγονότες καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ φύσει τὸ χρεὼν ἀποτίσαντες, συνεστάλησάν τε καὶ κεχωρήκασιν εἰς τὸν ἀνθρώποις πρέποντα νόμον: Θεὸς δὲ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων ἐγὼ, οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ μέτρῳ τοῖς δι' ἐμαυτοῦ γεγονόσι κείσομαι, τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως περιμένων καιρόν: ζῶ γὰρ ἀεὶ, ζωὴ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων: καὶ ἀποστελῶ τὸν Παράκλητον, ἐπιδώσω δὲ ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν, καὶ οὐ διαψεύσομαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα τυχόντες τῆς ἐπαγγελίας καὶ τῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος λελαμπρυσμένοι χάριτι, τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις ἐπιψηφισθήσεσθε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἰς ἀνάμνησιν, ὡς ἔφην, μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν ἐρχόμενοι, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύσητε πεπηγότως ὅτι σύνειμι καὶ συμβασιλεύω τῷ Πατρὶ, προδιείλεγμαι ταυτὶ καὶ λελάληκα πρὸς ὑμᾶς: ἐξεγγυήσεται τὴν ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀλήθειαν τοίνυν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ πέρας. εἰ γὰρ μὴ ζωὴ, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ συνεδρεύω τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, πῶς ἂν αὐτὸς ἐπιδοίην τὰ θεῖα καὶ πνευματικὰ χαρίσματα; διανεμῶ δὲ, καθάπερ ἐπήγγελμαι, χορηγήσω δὲ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην. εἶτα πῶς οὐκ ἀναμφίλογον, ὅτι ζωή εἰμι καὶ συμβασιλεύω μετὰ Πατρός; οὐ γὰρ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος ἢ μηδὲν ἰσχύοντος ἔργον ἐστὶ, τὸ τοῖς θείοις καταλαμπρύνειν χαρίσμασι τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ὄντος τε καὶ δυναμένου καὶ εἰσαεὶ βασιλεύοντος. ὅτι τοίνυν οὐκ εἰκαίαν τὴν πρόῤῥησιν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐσομένοις ἐποιήσατο, διὰ τούτων ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Χριστός. ἵνα γὰρ ἀσφαλεστέραν ἔχοιεν τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῷ πίστιν, μετὰ τὴν τῶν χαρισμάτων πεῖραν εἰς ἔννοιάν τε καὶ μνήμην τῶν προεπηγγελμένων ἐρχόμενοι, πεποιῆσθαί φησι τὴν διάλεξιν.
« Οὐκέτι πολλὰ λαλήσω μεθ' ὑμῶν: ἔρχεται γὰρ ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἄρχων, καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἔχει οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' ἵνα γνῷ ὁ κόσμος ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν Πατέρα, καθὼς ἐντολήν μοι δέδωκεν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὕτω ποιῶ. » Ὡς τῶν ἀνοσίων Ἰουδαίων παρεσομένων τε ἤδη, μεθ' ἧς ἐπήγοντο σπείρας καὶ τοῦ ταύτης ἄρχοντος, ὃς καὶ παραδώσειν αὐτὸν ἐπηγγείλατο, συλληψομένων τε ἤδη καὶ μελλόντων ἀποίσειν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν εἰς τὰ ἐπὶ τῷ σταυρῷ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ πάθη, καταλήξειν ἤδη τοῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔφη λόγου. συνεστάλθαι γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὸ μηδέν φησιν ἐλάσαι τὸν καιρόν: τῆς γὰρ Ἰουδαίων μιαιφονίας ἡβώσης τε λίαν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ, καὶ θυρῶν εἴσω λοιπὸν ὁρωμένης, οὐ ῥημάτων ἔτι τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ παθεῖν ἐνέστηκεν ὁ καιρός: πλὴν ἥκει, φησὶν, ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἄρχων καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔχει οὐδέν. τεθνήξομαι δὲ καὶ λίαν ἀσμένως καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων ζωῆς ὑποστήσομαι θάνατον, αἰδοῖ τῇ πρὸς τὸν γεννήτορα καὶ ἀγάπῃ τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐθελοντὴς ὁμιλήσας καὶ τοῖς παρὰ γνώμην, ἵνα τὴν αὐτῆς πληρώσω βούλησιν. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοῦ προκειμένου σκοπὸς γένοιτ' ἂν εὖ μάλα ἐν τούτοις διαφανής: ἰσχνότερον δὲ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ διαπτύσσοντες, ἐκεῖνό φαμεν Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν ἀρχηγέτης Ἀδὰμ τὸν ἐκ τῆς θείας ἀρᾶς ὑπέδυ θάνατον, διὰ τοῦ παραλῦσαι τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν, αὐτός τε ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου κατηγορούμενος. φαίνεται γεμὴν ἐπ' εὐλόγοις τοῦτο παθὼν αἰτίαις: ἕψεται γὰρ οὐκ ἀδίκως τοῖς ἐκ ῥᾳθυμίας ἡμαρτηκόσι τὸ κολάζεσθαι δεῖν: ὁ δὲ δεύτερος Ἀδὰμ, τουτέστιν, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τὸ σύμπαν κατηγορεῖσθαι δυνάμενος: οὐ γὰρ ” ἐποί“ησεν ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ:” τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπέστη πάθος, ἀνυπαίτιος μὲν ὑπάρχων δι' ἑαυτὸν παντελῶς, ἀντίλυτρον δὲ τῆς ἁπάντων ζωῆς ἑαυτὸν τῷ παθεῖν προσκεκομικώς: ἐπειδήπερ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Πατέρα τὴν τοῦ κόσμου διψήσαντα σωτηρίαν. τοῦ δὲ ἀγαπῶντος τὸν Πατέρα, πάντως δήπου καὶ ἔργον ἦν τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις λελογισμένον, μὴ παρ' οὐδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι μᾶλλον, ἀλλ' εἰς πέρας ἄγειν ἐπείγεσθαι. τί δὲ τοῦτο ἦν; ἠθέλησε τὸν ἴδιον Υἱὸν, καίτοι σύμμορφόν τε ἔχων αὐτὸν καὶ τῇ κατὰ πᾶν ἰσότητι διαπρεπῆ, εἰς τοσαύτην καταβῆναι ταπείνωσιν, ὡς καὶ ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι δι' ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων ζωῆς μὴ ἐρυθριᾶσαι θάνατον: τοῦτο πέπραχεν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀγαπῶν τὸν γεννήτορα, τὸν ἐντετάλθαι λεγόμενον, ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει νεκρῶσαι μὲν τῷ τῆς σαρκὸς πάθει τὸν θάνατον, τὸ δὲ τῆς φθορᾶς καταλῦσαι κράτος, ζωοποιῆσαί τε τοὺς κατεφθαρμένους, καὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν αὐτοῖς αὖθις ἀνανεῶσαι δόξαν. διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι στενὸς μὲν ὁ τῶν λόγων καιρός: εἰσελαύνει γὰρ ἤδη τὸ πάθος, καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐπ' ἐμοὶ λογισθὲν ἀνεκαύθη τόλμημα: πείσομαι γὰρ ἐθελοντὴς, ἐπείπερ ἀφῖγμαι διὰ τοῦτο. Πλὴν ἔρχεται ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἄρχων καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἔχει οὐδέν: τουτέστιν, οὐχ ἁλώσομαι πεπλημμεληκὼς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρόφασις ἔσται τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τῆς εἰς ἐμὲ παροινίας εὔλογος: οὐδὲν ἐν ἐμοὶ τῶν ἰδίων ὁ διάβολος ἔχει: ἴδια γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐκείνου τὰ φαῦλα, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ γένεσις ἐκεῖνον οἶδεν ἀρχήν. ὅτι δὲ ἀληθὴς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ λόγος μάλιστα μὲν καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς κατίδοι τις ἂν τῆς ἀκολουθίας. πῶς γὰρ ἐξήμαρτεν ὁ μὴ εἰδὼς ἁμαρτίαν, ὁ φύσει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ Θεὸς, ὁ τροπῆς τῆς ἐπί τι τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων ὀρθῶς ἀνεπίδεκτος παντελῶς; οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ὀψόμεθα τοῦτο τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις εὐαγγελισταῖς. ὁ μὲν γὰρ σοφώτατος Ἰωάννης τὸν Πιλάτον εἰσκεκόμικε λέγοντα “Ἐγὼ ” οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ,“ καὶ πάλιν μετὰ τὸ ἐπιθεῖναι στέφανον τὸν ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, προσφωνοῦντα καὶ λέγοντα ” Ἴδε ἄγω αὐτὸν ὑμῖν ἔξω, ἵνα γνῶτε ὅτι οὐδεμίαν “αἰτίαν εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ:” ὁ δέ γε Ματθαῖος εἰς τοσαύτην αὐτὸν μισοπονηρίαν ἀφῖχθαί φησιν, ὡς καὶ ἀπονίψασθαι αὐτὸν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τὰς χεῖρας καὶ εἰπεῖν “Ἀθῷός εἰμι ” ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ δικαίου τούτου:“ ἐπ' αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν ἀρχιερέων εἰσκεκομισμένον ἡμῖν ἐπιδείξας, οὕτω φησίν ” Οἱ “δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὅλον ἐζήτουν ψευδομαρ” τυρίαν κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅπως αὐτὸν θανατώσωσι, καὶ “οὐχ εὗρον, πολλῶν προσελθόντων ψευδομαρτύρων.” εἰ γὰρ καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπων ἐζητεῖτο τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ὡς ὀργάνοις καὶ ὑπουργοῖς τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ δυστροπίας ἐχρῆτο ὁ διάβολος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν μᾶλλον ἤπερ ἕτερός τις, ὁ εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτῷ ζητῶν πλημμέλημα. οὐκοῦν ἀληθὲς, ὅτι τῶν ἰδίων οὐδὲν εἶχεν ὁ διάβολος ἐν αὐτῷ, ὃν καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ κόσμου πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ὠνόμασεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀληθῶς ὄντα δεσπότην, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τινὰ τῶν ἀλιτηρίων βαρβάρων, πλεονεξίας νόμῳ κρατήσαντα τῶν κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον προσηκόντων αὐτῷ. ὑφ' ἑαυτῷ γὰρ ἐποιήσατο διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ ποίμνην ἀνεπιστάτητον ἀποβουκολήσας Θεοῦ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐκράτει. τοιγάρτοι καὶ τῆς οὕτω πορισθείσης ἀρχῆς δικαίως ἐκβέβληται. βεβασίλευκε γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς, διό φησι “Νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ ” κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω, κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ “τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.”
« Ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν. » Ὁ μὲν κοινὸς τοῖς πολλοῖς καὶ τετριμμένος τοῦ προκειμένου λόγος ἐκεῖνο δίδωσι νοεῖν, ὡς ἐπείπερ ὁ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀπονοίας εἰσελάσας ἤδη καιρὸς, μονονουχὶ πεπηγότα λοιπὸν τὸν τίμιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδεικνύει σταυρὸν, εἰς ἐκείνους ἀποτρέχειν τοὺς τόπους ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἁγίοις μαθηταῖς ἠπείγετο, ἐν οἷσπερ αὐτὸν ἡ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν συνελάβετο εὑροῦσα σπεῖρα. καὶ πιθανὸς μὲν ὁ νοῦς: πλὴν εἰκός τε καὶ ἕτερον ἐθέλειν ὑποδηλοῦν, πνευματικὸν δηλονότι καὶ κεκρυμμένον. τὴν γὰρ ἐξ ἑτέρου τινὸς πρὸς ἕτερόν τι μετάστασιν καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν χειρόνων εἰς τὸ ἄμεινον ἀποδρομὴν, δι' αὐτοῦ τε καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ἐσομένην κατασημῆναι θέλων, τό Ἐγείρεσθε ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν ἐπιφωνεῖ: ἵνα τι τοιοῦτον ὡς ἐν ἀληθείᾳ νοῆσαι μέλλωμεν, ἀπὸ μὲν θανάτου πρὸς ζωὴν, ἀπὸ δὲ φθορᾶς εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν, δι' αὐτοῦ τε καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ, καθάπερ ἔφην ἀρτίως, ὡς ἀπό τινος τόπου μεταχωρεῖν εἰς ἕτερον. καλῶς οὖν ἄρα τό Ἐγείρεσθε ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθέν φησιν: ἢ καὶ καθ' ἕτερόν τινα τρόπον ἐφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἐκλήψῃ τὸ εἰρημένον. ἐμέλλομεν ἤδη μεθίστασθαι ἐκ τοῦ φιλεῖν τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ ἑλέσθαι δρᾶν ἐθέλειν τὸ δοκοῦν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτῳ, ἐκ δουλείας ἀναφοιτᾶν εἰς τὸ τῆς υἱοθεσίας ἀξίωμα, ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς τὴν ἄνω πόλιν, ἐξ ἁμαρτίας εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τὴν διὰ πίστεως δὲ δηλονότι τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐξ ἀκαθαρσίας τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης εἰς τὸν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἁγιασμὸν, ἐξ ἀτιμίας εἰς δόξαν, ἐξ ἀμαθίας εἰς σύνεσιν, ἀπὸ δὲ δειλίας καὶ ἀνανδρίας εἰς εὐτολμίαν τὴν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς. Τόπον οὖν ὥσπερ τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἡμῶν πλημμελήμασι τὸ ἐνθάδε τιθείς Ἐγείρεσθέ φησιν ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν: εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ λόγου σχῆμα, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἡμῖν συνδήσας φαίνεται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ἀδικήσει τοῦτο παντελῶς, ἐπείπερ αὐτῷ τοῦτο σύνηθες δρᾶν. καὶ γοῦν ἐν ἑτέροις ἁλώσεται λέγων πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητάς “Ἡμᾶς δεῖ ” ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πέμψαντος ἡμᾶς ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστίν: “ἔρχεται νὺξ, ὅτε οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐργάσασθαι.” ἀκούεις ὅπως ἑαυτὸν ἡμῖν εἰς τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι πρέπειν συναναπλέκει, καίτοι τῷ ἐργάζεσθαι δεῖν καθ' ἡμᾶς οὐ συνυποκείμενος; ἀλλ' εὐτριβὲς ἡμῖν τοῦτο τοῦ λόγου τὸ σχῆμα καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς οὐδὲν ἧττον εὑρήσομεν: καὶ γοῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος ἐπιπλήξας Κορινθίοις τοῦτο τετόλμηκεν, ἐπιστέλλει δὲ ὡδί “Ταῦτα δὲ, ἀδελφοί μου, μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ” καὶ Ἀπολλῶ, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τὸ μὴ ὑπὲρ ὃ γέγραπται “φρονεῖν.” ὅτι δὲ εἰ καὶ μὴ συνυπαίτιον ταῖς αὐτῶν ἀσθενείαις, ἀλλ' οὖν ἡγεμόνα τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἐφ' ἅπασιν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τῆς ἐκ παθῶν τῶν ἀρχαίων ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἐπιστροφῆς, οὐ πρέσβυν, οὐκ ἄγγελον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν ἐσχήκαμεν τὸν ἁπάντων Κύριον, οὐδαμόθεν ἀμφίβολον. λελυτρώμεθα γὰρ, οὐ δι' ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ δι' ἑτέρου τινὸς τῶν γενητῶν, δι' αὐτοῦ δὲ μᾶλλον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ. οὐκοῦν ὅταν ὡς σὺν ἡμῖν καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν τὴν ἐν κόσμῳ παραδραμὼν φαυλότητα λέγῃ τό Ἐγείρεσθε ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν, οὐχ ὡς συνυπαίτιος, ἤγουν ἐνεχόμενος τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις πάθεσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀρχηγὸς καὶ προστάτης καὶ καθηγητὴς τῆς εἰσόδου εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ ζωὴν τὴν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ φιλοθεΐᾳ, τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐρεῖ.