The Twelve Springs and the Star

Regarding the number of the apostles, twelve springs are remembered. Thus, concerning the fleshly generation, the Lord spoke through the prophet Solomon, saying, 'before the springs of the waters came forth' (Ps 89:9). Likewise, the Savior said toward the holy springs, 'having gone, make disciples of all nations' (Matt 28:19). It is evident from everywhere that the holy apostles and springs were figuratively named by the prophetet. Since we have spoken about those that went before, it follows to fill up the remainder. The remainder concerns the mountains and the hills. For he says, 'before the mountain was established' (Ps 132:6), and 'before all the hills, I beget you' (Ps 132:5). He calls the apostles and the successors of the apostles mountains and hills, so that the just administration concerning them might be indicated proverbially among other men.

Therefore, it seems to me that it is good to pass through even those things which we have not yet previously passed through. For most of those written by him have become clear to us from those already mentioned to us. 'From the womb,' he says, 'before the Morning Star, I begat you' (Ps 71:6), instead of 'I brought you forth'; for he thought that someone, having stolen the intention, would join in with the opinion of the heresy. Therefore, regarding the most important matter, having removed the syllable 'ex', he wished to indicate his ancient rebirth.

How then do those who are 'full of guile and fraudulence' (1 Tim 4:2), to speak apostolically, transfer the word to his first, as they think, creation, even though David clearly spoke this concerning his fleshly generation? For since darkness existed previously through the ignorance of godliness, he appropriately names the Morning Star after the day that is about to shine ('I am,' he says, 'the day' Ps 110:3). Therefore, because the Morning Star, who makes the day manifest, was so named by the prophet David, it is no longer right to seek who this Morning Star is, whoever he may be; for he was the star that appeared most recently, both bringing and declaring the day to the magi.

It is therefore evident that the phrase 'I begot you before the morning star' Rev 22:16, spoken by the Pantokrator regarding the Word being born with human flesh through the Virgin, clearly signifies this of the Gospel: first, that our Lord was produced through the Virgin, and later, that the star which indicates the day appeared. For where else from the divine utterances can we find written that one is unbegotten and one is begotten in this way, as they themselves believed him to have been begotten; neither have prophets, evangelists, or apostles said this?

Therefore, the holy apostle and disciple of the Lord, John, remembering his simplicity, became a true witness of the Word, saying, 'In the beginning was the Word' John 1:1, 'and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' John 1:1. Not mentioning any beginning of the Word there, but using three alternating testimonies, he established that the Word was in the beginning. I will remind you of what he himself wrote, presenting it to those written badly by Eusebius, so that you may know it clearly stands apart from the former promise. For he wrote to them in these words: the main point of the epistle is to bring forward the will of the Father regarding the generation of the Son, and not to let the birth of God appear as a passion. This is what the wisest of the fathers declared in their local compositions, guarding against the impiety of the heretics, who, setting forth dogmas, falsely judged the Godhead's childbearing to be something physical and passional.

Thus, Asterius, wishing to sympathize with Eusebius who wrote badly, by mentioning the nature of the Father and the nature of the unbegotten, has himself become his own accuser. For it was much better for the depth of Eusebius's meaning, as he himself wrote, to be left unexamined lying in brevity, than to use such a theory to bring the craftiness of the letter into the light. To say that he was begotten before the ages seems to follow; for an offspring comes from the one preceding it as a father. But regarding the other matter, he has not responded to it healthily or piously. For to not say that the one proceeding from him is the Word, and that this is the true manner of the generation, but merely a son, seems to provide some to those hearing a human perspective.

Paulinus did not write these things reminding of evangelical teaching, but confessing that some move thus from themselves, and some have this manner from the readings of the aforementioned men. Then finally, as if bringing a crown to the proof, he himself subscripted from the original words in his letter,