Oration on “The Lord Created Me”

Oratio in illud Dominus creavit me

Eustathius of Antioch · c. 320–337 AD · PG 18

The Word's Incarnation and Iconicity§1

1If the Word has taken the beginning of generation, entering a mother's womb to take on physical form, it is established that he became from a woman. But if the Word was God from above with the Father, and we say that all things came through him, then he who is was not become from a woman, being the cause of all who are born, rather God's nature is self-sufficient, infinite, and beyond understanding; but from a woman a man became, having been frozen in the Holy Spirit in the virgin womb.

For the pure and spotless one is truly a temple, a tabernacle for the Word, where God has pitched his tent. And we do not say these things from images; for he, the Son of the nature of God, announcing the release and resurrection of the new, is undoubtedly supplying and teaching us, saying to the hybrid Jews: 'destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up' (John 2:19). Thus the Word, having worked the man as a sailor, while visiting men in body, was showing all kinds of unseen miracles, and he sent out the apostles as heralds of the eternal kingdom.

For Paul did not say 'conformed to the Son's form,' but 'conformed to the Son's image', showing something else regarding the Son being, and something else regarding his image. For the Son, bringing the recognitions of the divine attributes of the Father, is an icon of the Father; since also being born similar from similar ones, those giving birth appear to be true icons of the begetters. But the man whom he carried is an icon of the Son, who is even sketched as an image of colors from dissimilar ones; some formed by human hands, others by nature and likeness. Furthermore, the Truth himself teaches this by law. For the incorporeal Spirit of Wisdom is not conformed to bodily men, but the man having been embodied by the Spirit is a character, wearing equal members to all others, and having been clothed with the same idea for each.

That the body is said to be conformed to human beings, he teaches us more clearly, writing to the Philippians: 'Our citizenship is in the heavens, from which we also await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humiliation, so as to become like the body of his glory' (Phil 3:20-21). If, then, transforming the humble body of men, he fashions it conformed to his own body, the slander of opposites is proven from every side. But just as the man, having been born from the virgin, is said to have come from a woman, so also it is written to have become under the law by means of the legal things...

Greek · §1

Oratio in illud: Dominus creavit me initium viarum suarum (fragmenta) Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ Ο ΕΙΣ ΤΟ· ΚΥΡΙΟΣ ΕΚΤΙΣΕ ΜΕ ΑΡΧΗΝ Ο∆ΩΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ 18 Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀρχὴν τῆς γεννήσεως εἴληφεν ὁ Λόγος, ἀφ' οὗ διὰ τῆς μητρῴας διοδεύσας γαστρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς ἐφόρεσεν ἁρμονίας, συνέστηκεν ὅτι γέγονεν ἐκ γυναικός. Εἰ δὲ Λόγος καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ἀνέκαθεν παρὰ τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τὰ σύμπαντα δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαί φαμεν, οὐκ ἄρα γέγονεν ἐκ γυναικὸς ὁ ὢν, καὶ τοῖς γεννητοῖς ἅπασιν αἴτιος ὤν· ἀλλ' ἔστι τὴν φύσιν Θεὸς αὐτάρκης, ἄπειρος, ἀπερινόητος· ἐκ γυναικὸς δὲ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ὁ ἐν τῇ παρθενικῇ μήτρᾳ Πνεύματι παγεὶς ἁγίῳ. 19 Ναὸς γὰρ κυρίως ὁ καθαρὸς καὶ ἄχραντος, ἡ κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπόν ἐστι περὶ τὸν Λόγον σκηνὴ, ἔνθα προφανῶς σκηνώσας ᾤκησεν ὁ Θεός. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐκ τῶν εἰκότων φαμέν· τούτου γὰρ ὁ φύσει τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, τὴν λύσι καὶ ἀνάστασιν προαγορεύων τοῦ νεὼ, ἀναμφιβόλως ἡμᾶς διδάσκων ἐφοδιάζει, τοῖς μιαιφόνοις φάσκων Ἰουδαίοις· λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν. 20 Ὁπηνίκα οὖν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ναουργήσας ἐφόρεσεν ὁ Λόγος, σώματι μὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιφοιτῶν, παντοδαπὰς ἀοράτως θαυματουργίας ἐπεδείκνυτο, τοὺς δὲ ἀποστόλους κήρυκας τῆς ἀϊδίου βασιλείας ἐξέπεμπε. 21 Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος συμμόρφους τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἄλλο μέν τι δεικνύων τὸν Υἱὸν εἶναι, ἄλλο δὲ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Υἱὸς, τὰ θεῖα τῆς πατρῴας ἀρετῆς γνωρίσματα φέρων, εἰκών ἐστι τοῦ Παρτός· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὅμοιοι ἐξ ὁμοίων γεννώμενοι, εἰκόνες οἱ τικτόμενοι φαίνονται τῶν γεννητόρων ἀληθεῖς. Ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὃν ἐφόρεσεν, εἰκών ἐστι τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ καὶ ἐξ ἀνομοίων κηρογραφεῖσθαι χρωμάτων εἰκόνας· καὶ τὰς μὲν εἶναι θέσει χειροτεύκτους, τὰς δὲ φύσει καὶ ὁμοιότητι γεγενημένας. Ἄλλως τε καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦθ' ὑπαγορεύει θεσμός. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἀσώματον τῆς Σοφίας Πνεῦμα σύμμορφον τοῖς σωματικοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐστίν, ἀλλ' ὁ τῷ Πνεύματι σωματοποιηθεὶς ἄνθρωπος χαρακτὴρ, ὁ τοῖς· ἄλλοις ἅπασι ἰσάριθμα μέλη φορῶν, καὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν ἑκάστοις περιβεβλημένος ἰδέαν. 22 Ὅτι δὲ τὸ σῶμα λέγει σύμμορφον τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις εἶναι, σαφέστερον ἡμᾶς διδάσκει Φιλιππησίοις ἐπιστέλλων· Ἡμῶν τὸ πολίτευμα, φησίν, ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸ σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ταπεινὸν μετασχηματίζων τῶν ἀνθρώπων σῶμα, σύμμορφον τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι κατασκευάζει, ἕωλος πανταχόθεν ἀποδέδεικται ἡ τῶν ἐναντίων συκοφαντία. 23 Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου τεχθεὶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ γυναικὸς λέγεται γεγονέναι, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὑπὸ νόμον γεγενῆσθαι γράφεται τῷ διὰ τῶν νομικῶν ἔσθ'

The Law and the Humanity of Christ§2

2When speaking of mysteries. Especially since his parents were eager to circumcise him when he was an eight-day-old child, just as the evangelist Luke reports. And they subsequently brought him into the temple to present him to the Lord, performing the pure offerings, to give a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Therefore, if he was being presented with the pure gifts according to the law, and bore the circumcision at eight days, it is written that he was not unsuitably made under the law. Nor was the Word subject to the law, as the informers glory, being the law himself; nor did God need pure sacrifices, cleansing all things instantly by a single thought and sanctifying. But even if, having taken the human organ from the virgin, he bore it and became under the law, having been purified according to the value of the firstborn, he did not remain requesting the provision of these things, but so that he might ransom those who were sold by the judgment of the curse.

For the man who died, having risen after three days, cries out to Mary, who was eager to touch the holy members, having received back: 'Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God' (Acts 10:41). And the saying, 'I have not yet ascended to my Father,' was not spoken by the Word, being God and rushing from heaven and being sustained in the bosom of the Father, nor by Wisdom, who contains all created things; but he, the one being harmonized from all directions as a man, permitted this, he who was raised from the dead, having not yet ascended to the Father after death, but being stored up as the firstfruits of the procession.

And he clearly names the crucified man as Lord of Glory, writing: since he also made him both Lord and Christ, as the apostles say they were in agreement with sensible Israel: 'Let every house of Israel know securely, then, that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ' (Acts 2:32, 2:36). He made the Jesus who was suffering Lord, and not the Wisdom, nor the Word, who holds the power of lordship from above, but the one whose hands were stretched out toward the heavens by the cross. If he is incorporeal, he neither falls under the touch of hands, nor to sensible eyes...

Greek · §2

ὅτε βαδίσαι μηνυμάτων. Ὁπότε μάλιστα παῖδα μὲν αὐτὸν ὄντα ὀκταήμερον προθύμως οἱ γονεῖς περιτέμνειν ἠπείγοντο, καθάπερ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐκδίδωσι Λοῦκας. Εἰς δὲ τὸ ἱερὸν ἀνῆγον μετέπειτα παραστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, τὰς καθαρσίους ἐπιτελοῦντες ἀναφορὰς, τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων, ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν. Εἰ τοίνυν τὰ καθάρσια δῶρα κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ προσεφέρετο, καὶ περιτομὴν ὀκταήμερον ἐφόρει, ταύτῃ καὶ ὑπὸ νόμον αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀπεικότως γεγενῆσθαι γράφει. Οὔτε δὲ ὁ Λόγος ὑπέκειτο τῷ νόμῳ, καθάπερ οἱ συκοφάνται δοξάζουσιν αὐτὸς ὢν ὁ νόμος, οὔτε ὁ Θεὸς ἐδεῖτο θυμάτων καθαρσίων, ἀθρόᾳ ῥοπῇ καθαρίζων ἅπαντα, καὶ ἁγιάζων. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ὄργανον ἀναλαβὼν ἐφόρεσε, καὶ ὑπὸ νόμον ἐγένετο, κατὰ τὰς τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀξίας καθαρισθεὶς, οὐκ αὐτὸς δεόμενος τῆς τούτων χορηγίας ὑπέμεινε τὰς θεραπείας, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῆς τοῦ νόμου δουλείας ἐξαγοράσῃ τοῦς πεπραμένους τῇ δίκῃ τῆς ἀρᾶς. 24 Ὁ ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ὁ ἀποθανὼν τριήμερος μὲν ἀνίσταται, τῇ δὲ Μαριὰμ ἅπτεσθαι προθυμουμένῃ τῶν ἁγίων μελῶν ἀνθυπενέγκας ἐκφωνεῖ· Μή μου ἅπτου, οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου· πορεύου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου, καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς· Ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου, καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν, καὶ Θεόν μου καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν. Τὸ δὲ· οὔπω ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου, οὐκ ὁ Λόγος ἔφασκε καὶ θεὸς ὁ οὐρανόθεν ὁρμώμενος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κόλποις διαιτώμενος τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐδ' ἡ πάντα τὰ γενητὰ περιέχουσα Σοφία· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ ἐκ παντοδαπῶν ἡρμολογημένος μελῶν ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ἐπέφηνεν, ὁ ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγερθεὶς, καὶ οὐδέπω μὲν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μετὰ τὸν θάνατον ἀνελθὼν, ταμιευόμενος δὲ αὐτῷ τῆς προόδου τὴν ἀπαρχήν. 25 Κύριον δὲ τῆς δόξης αὐτὸν τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν σταυρωθέντα σαφῶς ὀνομάζει γράφων· ἐπειδὴ καὶ Κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν ἀνέδειξεν αὐτὸν, καθάπερ οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῷ αἰσθητῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὁμοφρόνως διαλεγόμενοί φασιν· Ἀσφαλῶς οὖν γινωσκέτω πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησε, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε. Τὸν παθόντα τοιγαροῦν Ἰησοῦν Κύριον ἐποίησε, καὶ οὐ τὴν Σοφίαν, οὐδὲ τὸν Λόγον, τὸν ἀνέκαθεν ἔχοντα τῆς δεσποτείας τὸ κράτος, ἀλλὰ τὸν μετέωρον τῷ σταυρῷ προσεκπετάσαντα τὰς χεῖρας. 26 Εἰ γὰρ ἀσώματός ἐστιν οὔτε ἁφῇ χειρῶν ὑποπίπτει, οὔτε αἰσθητοῖς ὄμμασι

The Divine Power and the Humanity of Christ§3

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3He is contained: he does not suffer by enduring, he is not approached by calamities, he does not share in death, he is not hidden in the earth, he is not shut in a tomb, and he does not rise from monuments. No one takes the soul from me; I have authority to lay down my soul, and I have authority to take it again. And if he had the authority of both like God, he allowed them to act foolishly in the young man they were handling, but he worked more excellently in those rising. It has been shown by an irrefutable vote that he himself, working through himself, raised his own house. And the great works of the Son should also be attributed to the most divine Father. For neither does a Son create without the Father, according to the decisions of the torn sacred writings. For this very reason, it is written that the most divine Begetter raised Christ from the dead; and again, the Son promises to raise his own temple.

If, therefore, the divine Spirit of Christ has been shown to be indifferent to the things examined before, then those who enter into the apostolic boundaries are excessively concerned. For if Paul spoke of the Lord of glory being crucified, clearly looking toward the man, this will not cause him to apply passion to the Divine. What, then, are they weaving together, saying that Christ was crucified out of weakness?

If it were indeed fitting to surround him with the appearance of weakness, someone might say it was consistent for the man to attach these things to himself, but certainly not to the fullness of deity, or to the dignity of the highest Wisdom, or to God described by Paul as being over all. This is indeed the way of weakness, through which it is written according to Paul that one reaches death; for man lives by the power of God, clearly sharing with the divine Spirit; since the one believing in him has also been shown to be the power of the Most High according to the terms that have passed away.

If, having mounted the virgin womb, he did not diminish his authority, nor does the Spirit suffer harm when the wood of the cross fastens the body. For the body was indeed crucified as a mere shell, but the divine Spirit of Wisdom passed through the body, and mounted the heavens, and encompassed all the earth, and held the abysses, and discerning each soul, distinguished them, and did all things simultaneously as God did. For the highest Wisdom, having been brought down, is not contained within the physical masses, just as the elements of the moist and dry are within the vessels...

Greek · §3

περιλαμβάνεται· οὐ τρῶσιν ὑπομένει, οὐχ ἥλοις προσηλοῦται, οὐ θανάτῳ κοινωνεῖ, οὐ κρύπτεται γῇ, οὐ τάφῳ κατακλείεται, οὐκ ἐκ μνημάτων ἀνίσταται. 27 Οὐδεὶς αἴρει τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν. Εἰ δὲ ἑκατέρων τὴν ἐξουσίαν εἶχεν οἷα Θεὸς, συνεχώρει μὲν αὐτοῖς λύειν ἀβούλως τὸν νεὼν ἐγχειροῦσιν, ἐπιφανέστερον δὲ ἀνιστῶν ἐνεούργει. Ἐξ ἀναντιρρήτων δέδεικται ψήφων, ὅτι αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν ἴδιον ἀνεστήσατο νεουργήσας οἶκον. Ἀναθετέον δὲ καὶ τῷ θειοτάτῳ Πατρὶ τὰς τοῦ Υἱοῦ μεγαλουργίας. Οὔτε γὰρ Υἱὸς ἄνευ τοῦ Πατρὸς δημιουργεῖ, κατὰ τὰς ἀρραγεῖς τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων ἀποφάσεις. Τούτου γὰρ δὴ χάριν, τότε μὲν ὁ θειότατος Γεννήτωρ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγηγερκέναι γράφεται· τότε δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς τὸν ἴδιον ἀναστήσειν ὑπισχνεῖται ναόν. Εἰ οὖν ἐκ τῶν προεξητασμένων ἀπαθὲς δέδεικται τὸ θεῖον τοῦ Χριστοῦ Πνεῦμα, περιττῶς τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς ἐπισκήπτουσιν ὅροις οἱ ἐναγεῖς. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος ἔφρασε τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταυρῶσθαι, σαφῶς εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀφορῶν, οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο δεήσει πάθος τῷ θείῳ προσάπτειν. Τί οὖν τοῦτο συνάπτουσι πλέκοντες, ἐξ ἀσθενείας ἐσταυρῶσθαι λέγοντες τὸν Χριστόν; 28 Εἰ δὲ δὴ καὶ ἀσθενείας εἶδος περιάπτειν αὐτῷ προσῆκον ἦν, τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ταῦτα προσαρτᾷν ἀκόλουθον εἶναι φαίη τις ἂν, οὔτι γε δὴ τῷ πληρώματι τῆς θεότητος, ἢ τῷ ἀξιώματι τῆς ἀνωτάτω Σοφίας, ἢ τῷ ἐπὶ πάντων κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον γραφομένῳ Θεῷ. 29 Οὗτος μὲν δὴ τῆς ἀσθενείας ὁ τρόπος, δι' ὃν εἰς θάνατον γράφεται κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον ἀφῖχθαι· Ζῇ γὰρ ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ, τῷ θείῳ Πνεύματι δηλονότι συνδιαιτώμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος· ἐπειδὴ καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ πιστευόμενος κατὰ τοὺς φθάσαντας ὅρους ἀποδέδεικται. 30 Εἰ δὲ τῆς παρθενικῆς ἐπιβατεύσας μήτρας οὐκ ἐμείωσε τὴν ἐξουσίαν, οὐδὲ τῷ ξύλῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ προσπαγέντος τοῦ σώματος, χραίνεται τὸ Πνεῦμα. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ σῶμα μετάρσιον ἐσταυροῦτο, τὸ δὲ θεῖον τῆς Σοφίας Πνεῦμα καὶ τοῦ σώματος εἴσω διῃτᾶτο, καὶ τοῖς οὐρανίοις ἐπεβάτευε, καὶ πᾶσαν περιεῖχε τὴν γῆν, καὶ τῶν ἀβύσσων ἐκράτει, καὶ τὰς ἑκάστων ψυχὰς ἀνιχνεύων διέκρινε, καὶ πάντα ὁμοῦ συνήθως οἷα Θεὸς ἔπραττεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἴσω τῶν σωματικῶν ὄγκων ἡ ἀνωτάτω Σοφία καθειργμένη περιέχεται, καθάπερ αἱ τῶν ὑγρῶν καὶ ξηρῶν ὕλαι τῶν μὲν ἀγγείων εἴσω

Divine Power and the Council of Nicaea§4

4They are being seized, or rather encompassed, rather than they encompass the spheres. But a certain divine and unutterable power, encompassing the innermost and outermost of the cosmos, strengthens them, and having sounded through from here and there, it holds all the masses together, encompassing them.

If the sun, being a visible body and perceptible by sense, endures such and such ravages everywhere on earth without changing its order, or feeling a small or large wound, we should think that the incorporeal Wisdom endures the same, and does not change her nature, even if her temple is fastened to a cross, or undergoes dissolution, or suffers wounding, or receives corruption. But the cosmos suffers, while the unclouded essence remains entirely pure.

I proceed from here already even to the things accomplished. What then? Since because of these things the assembly at Nicaea arrives greatest, perhaps even two hundred and seventy in number being gathered together (for the exact number I am not able to write because of the multitude of many people, since I do not investigate all this with great care), and as the way of the faith was being sought, the letter of Eusebius was being put forward as a clear proof, a blasphemy. And after all was read, it immediately increased the unmeasured disaster of the defection for those who had heard it, and provided unendurable shame to the writer. And since the work of those concerning Eusebius was clearly caught, some of a device, putting forward the name of peace, tearing apart the unlawful letter in the sight of all, silenced all those who spoke most eloquently.

But the Arian ones, fearing lest they should be ostracized from such a same assembly, first anathematize the forbidden doctrine, having signed with their own hands agreeing letters. And having held the presidencies through most of the circuit, it is necessary for them to take a pretext, sometimes through oblivion, sometimes obviously, to represent the rejected opinions, attacking the proofs in various ways. Wishing to fix the weed-like fabrications, they condemn the overseers; and in this way they wage war against the preachers of piety. But we do not believe that atheistic men can ever hold fast to the divine. For even if they should be strong again, they shall be defeated again according to the solemn-sounding prophet Isaiah.

Greek · §4

κατακλείονται, περιέχονται δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ περιέχουσι τὰς θήκας. Ἀλλὰ θεία τις οὖσα καὶ ἀνέκφραστος δύναμις, τὰ δ' ἐνδοτάτω καὶ ἐξωτάτω τοῦ νεὼ περιλαμβάνουσα κραταιοῖ, κἀντεῦθεν ἐπέκεινα διήκουσα, πάντας ὁμοῦ τοὺς ὄγκους κρατεῖ περιέχουσα. 31 Εἰ δ' ὁ ἥλιος, σῶμα ὢν ὁρατὸν, καὶ αἰσθήσει καταληπτὸν, τοσαύτας καὶ τοιαύτας πανταχοῦ γῆς ὑπομένων αἰκίας, οὐ μεταβάλλει τὴν τάξιν, οὐδὲ αἴσθηται μικρᾶς ἢ μεγάλης πληγῆς, τὴν ἀσώματον Σοφίαν οἰόμεθα χραίνεσθαι, καὶ μεταλλάττειν τὴν φύσιν, εἰ ὁ ναὸς αὐτῆς σταυρῷ προσηλοῦται, ἢ λύσιν ὑπομένει, ἢ τρῶσιν ὑφίσταται, ἢ διαφθορὰν δέχεται; Ἀλλὰ πάσχει μὲν ὁ νεὼς, ἡ δὲ ἀκηλίδωτος οὐσία παντάπασιν ἄχραντος τὴν ἀξίαν καθέστηκεν. 32 Βαδιοῦμαι δὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ πεπραγμένα. Τί οὖν; ἐπειδὴ διὰ ταῦτα σύνοδος εἰς τὴν Νικαέων ἀφικνεῖται μεγίστη, διακοσίων μήτι γε καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὁμόσε συναχθέντων (τὸ γὰρ σαφὲς διὰ τὸν τῆς πολυανδρίας ὄχλον οὐκ οἷός τέ εἰμι γράφειν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ πάντη τοῦτο περισπουδάστως ἀνίχνευον), ὡς δὲ ἐζητεῖτο τῆς πίστεως ὁ τρόπος, ἐναργὴς μὲν ἔλεγχος τὸ γράμμα τῆς Εὐσεβίου προὐβάλλετο βλασφημίας. Ἐπὶ πάντων δὲ ἀναγνωσθὲν, αὐτίκα συμφορὰν μὲν ἀστάθμητον τῆς ἐκτροπῆς ἕνεκα τοῖς αὐτηκόοις προὐξένει, αἰσχύνην δὲ ἀνήκεστον τῷ γράψαντι παρεῖχεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ ἐργαστήριον τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸν Εὐσέβιον σαφῶς ἑάλω, τοῦ παρανόμου γράμματος διαρραγέντος ὑπ' ὄψει πάντων ὁμοῦ τινες ἐκ συσκευῆς, τοὔνομα προβαλλόμενοι τῆς εἰρήνης, κατεσίγησαν μὲν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἄριστα λέγειν εἰωθότας. Οἱ δ' Ἀρειομανῖται δείσαντες μή πη ἄρα τοσαύτης ἐν ταὐτῷ συνόδου συγκεκροτημένης ἐξοστρακισθεῖεν, ἀναθεματίζουσι μὲν προπηδήσαντες τὸ ἀπηγορευμένον δόγμα, συμφώνοις γράμμασιν ὑπογράψαντες αὐτοχειρί. Τῶν δὲ προεδριῶν διὰ πλείστης ὅσης περιδρομῆς κρατήσαντες, δέον αὐτοὺς ὑπόπτωσιν λαμβάνειν, τότε μὲν λεληθότως, τότε δὲ προφανῶς τὰς ἀποψηφισθείσας πρεσβεύουσι δόξας, διαφόροις ἐπιβουλεύοντες τοῖς ἐλέγχοις. Βουλόμενοι δὲ δὴ παγιῶσαι τὰ ζιζανιώδη φυτουργήματα, δεδοίκασι τοὺς ἐφόρους· καὶ ταύτῃ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας κήρυκας ἐκπολέμουσιν. Οὐχ οὕτως δὲ πιστεύομεν, ὡς ἀνθρώπους ἀθέους δύνασθαι κρατῆσαι πώποτε τοῦ θείου. Κἂν γὰρ πάλιν ἰσχύσωσι, πάλιν ἡττηθήσονται κατὰ τὸν σεμνόφωνον προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν.

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