The Word is from the Father, not as our words from us. 19 ETSYM for another to understand: so That Wisdom Which God the DEFIDE Father begat, seeing that by It there is made known unto BOLO. worthy minds the most hidden Father, is most suitably called His Word. tia. 4. But there is a very great interval between our mind and our words, by which we endeavour to make known this our mind. That is, we do not beget audible' words, but1 sonanmake them, and body is the subject-matter for making them. But there is a very great difference between mind and body. But God when He begat the Word, begat That which Himself is: nor yet out of nothing, nor out of any matter already made and created: but out of Himself That which Himself Is. For this we also endeavour, in speaking, if we diligently consider the aim of our will; not when we lie, but when we speak the truth. For what other thing do we attempt, than to carry our very mind, if practicable, into the mind of the hearer, that he may know and see it thoroughly; that we may indeed ourselves remain within ourselves, and not depart from ourselves, and yet may put forth such a sign as that there be produced in the other a knowledge of us; that so, as far as the power is granted, there be put forth by the mind as it were another mind whereby to declare itself? This we do endeavouring both by words, and by the very sound of the voice, by the countenance, and by the gesture of the body, that is to say, by so many contrivances desiring to shew that which is within: because we are unable to put forth some such thing, and therefore the mind of him who speaks cannot become entirely known; whence also there is a place open for lies. But God the Father, Who both willed and was able to declare Himself most truly to minds about to know Him, This begat in order to declare Himself, Which Himself Is Who begat; Who also is called His Power and Wisdom, because by Him He wrought and set in order all things; of Whom therefore it is said, It reacheth from one end even unto the Wisd. 8, other end in Its strength, and setteth all things in order in 1. Its sweetness. 5. Wherefore the Only-begotten Son of God was neither iv. made by the Father; because, as the Evangelist says, All things bal. making effort with the offspring of a word. John 1, 3. ET SYM pore. Phil. 2, 6. agt. Ar. 20 The Son uncreated, and equal in Godhead, yet made Man. DE FIDE were made by Him; nor begotten in time', seeing that God BOLO. being ever-eternally wise, hath with Himself Ilis ever-eternal lex tem- Wisdom; nor unequal to the Father, that is, in any thing less; because also the Apostle says, Who, being set in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Wherefore by this Catholic Faith both they are excluded who say, that the Same Who is the Father is the Son: because both this Word could not be with God, save only with God the Father, and He Who is alone is equal to none. 2St. Ath. They also are excluded who say that the Son is a creature, D.ii, 16, although not such as are the rest of creatures. For how great soever they may say that a creature is, if it is a creature, it hath been created and made. For condere (to build) is the same as creare (to create), although in the usage of the Latin tongue creare is sometimes said, where the proper word is gignere (to beget); but the Greeks make a distinction. For we call creatura what they call ríoμa or xris; and when we wish to speak without any ambiguity, we say not, creare, but condere (to build). If therefore the Son be a creature, how great soever it be, it hath been made. But we believe in Him, by Whom all things were made, not in Him by Whom all other things were made: for neither in this place can we understand, all, in any other sense, than, whatsoever things have been made. John 1, 14. 6 mongst Prov. 8, me,' But since the Word was made Flesh and dwell among us, the same Wisdom which was begotten of God, deigned also 3 al. a-to be created among men. And to this applies the saying, all The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways. For things. the beginning of His ways is the Head of the Church, which 22. is Christ clothed in human nature, by Whom should be 44 'possessed given unto us an example of life, that is, a certain way whereby we might attain unto God. For, save by humility, we were unable to return, who fell by pride, as was said Gen. 3, unto our first creation, Taste, and ye shall be as Gods. An example therefore of this humility, that is, of the way whereby it was necessary that we should return, our Restorer Himself hath deigned to shew us in Himself, Who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet emptied Himself, receiving the form of a servant; that He might be created a Man in the beginning of His ways, the Word by Whom Eng. T. 5. Phil. 2, 6.7. The Son taught Moses His own Name, I AM. 21 ET SYM tum. 21. Heb. all things were created. Wherefore according to this, that DEFIDE He is the Only-begotten, He hath not brethren; according BOLO. to this, however, that He is the First-begotten, He hath deigned to call brethren, all who after and through His First-born-ship' are born again unto the grace of God' primathrough the adoption of sons, as the Apostolic teaching Luke 8, instructs us. The Son by Nature therefore, of the very 2, 11. Substance of the Father, was He the Only One born; being Gal. 4, That Which the Father Is; God of God, Light of Light; 1,5 5. Eph. but we are not by nature the Light, but are enlightened by That Light, that we may be able to shine with wisdom, for That was, it is said, the true Light, Which enlighteneth every John 1, man coming into this world. We add therefore to our faith 9. of things eternal the temporal dispensation also of our Lord, which He deigned to bear and minister for our salvation. For according to this, that He is the Only-begotten Son of God, it cannot be said, He was, and, He shall be, but only, He Is because that, which hath been, now is not, and that, which shall be, is not as yet. He therefore Is unchangeable, without respect of times and variation. Nor do I think that it is to be ascribed to any other source that He suggested unto His servant Moses such as His Name. For when he inquired of Him, in case the people, to whom he was being sent, should despise him, by Whom he should say that he was sent, he received an answer of Him, saying, I AM THAT Exod. 3, I AM. Afterwards He added, These things shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, HE THAT is hath sent me unto you. 7. From which I trust that it is by this time clear to spiritual minds, that no nature can exist contrary to God. For if He is, and this word can properly be spoken of God only, (for that which truly is, abideth unchangeably; seeing that that which is changed, hath been something which now it is not, and will be something which as yet it is not,) therefore hath God nothing contrary to Himself. For if it were asked of us, what is contrary to white, we should answer, black; if it were asked, what is contrary to hot, we should answer, cold; if it were asked, what is contrary to quick, we should answer, slow; and all such like things. But when it is asked what is contrary to That Which is, it is rightly answered, that which is not. 14. DE FIDE homi nem. 22 The Son, made Man, truly born of a Woman. 8. But since (as I have said) through a temporal disBOLO. pensation, in order to our salvation and restoration, through the operation of the goodness of God, by That Unchangeable Wisdom of God our changeable nature was assumed; we add the belief in temporal things done for us in order to our health, believing in That Son of God, WHO WAS BORN BY THE HOLY GHOST of the VIRGIN MARY. For by the gift of God, that is, by the Holy Spirit, there was granted unto us so great humiliation of so great a God, as that He deigned to I totum assume the entire Man' in the womb of the Virgin, His Mother's body undefiled indwelling in, undefiled leaving. Which temporal dispensation in many ways the heretics lay wait against. But, if one shall hold the Catholic Faith, so as to believe that the entire Man was assumed by the Word of God, that is, body, soul, spirit, he is sufficiently fortified against them. Forasmuch as, seeing that that assumption was made for our salvation, one must take heed lest, by believing that some part of us pertains not unto that assumption, it pertains not unto salvation. And whereas man, except the form of his limbs, which hath been assigned different to different kinds of living beings, is not separate from the cattle, save by a reasonable spirit, which also is called mind; how is the faith sound, wherein it is believed that the Wisdom of God assumed that of ours which we have in common with the cattle, but did not assume that which is enlightened by the light of wisdom, and which is peculiar to man? 9. But they also are to be abhorred, who deny that our Lord Jesus Christ had a mother, Mary, upon earth; whereas that dispensation hath honoured either sex, the male and the female, and hath shewn that it pertaineth unto God's care, not only that sex which He assumed, but that also by means of which He assumed it, by bearing man's nature, by being born of a woman. Nor are we compelled to deny the Mother John 2, of Christ, by that saying of His, Woman, what have I to do with thee? not yet is Mine hour come. But He admonishes us rather that we may understand that according to that He 2 perso- was God He had no mother, the character of which majesty He was about to display by turning water into wine. But in that He was crucified, according to that He was Man was 4. nam. Objections to this shewn to be futile. 23 ET SYM- nem. 48. He crucified; and that was the hour, which was not yet DEFIDE come, when it was said, What have 1 to do with thee? not yet is Mine hour come; that is, the hour in which I shall acknowledge thee. For then being crucified as Man He knew His human1 Mother, and most humanely entrusted her1 homito His best beloved disciple. Nor let that move us, that John19, when word was brought to Him of His mother and His 26. 27. brethren, He answered, Who is My mother, or who My Mat.12, brethren? &c. But let it rather teach us, that our ministry, whereby we minister the Word of God to our brethren, when parents hinder, they ought not to be known by us. For if each one shall therefore think that He had no mother upon earth, because He said, Who is My mother? he must of necessity be compelled to deny also that the Apostles had fathers upon earth; seeing that He gave them charge, saying, Call ye not any your father upon earth: for One is your Mat.23, Father, Who is in Heaven. 9. 10. Nor let it take away in us from that faith, the thought of the woman's womb, as that it should therefore be necessary to reject such a conception of our Lord, because baseminded men think it base. Because most truly does the 2 sordidi. Apostle declare, both that the foolishness of God is wiser 1 Cor. 1, than man, and that to the pure all things are pure. There- 25. Tit. 1, fore they, who thus think, ought to consider, that the rays of 15. this sun, which at least they praise not as a creature of God, but adore as God, is every where poured abroad through foul smells of sewers and whatsoever things are horrible, and in these works according to its nature, and yet becomes not thence vile by any contamination, although the visible light be naturally more allied to visible filth: how much less therefore could the Word of God, Which is neither corporeal nor visible, be polluted out of a female body, where It assumed human flesh together with soul and spirit, by the intervention of which the Majesty of the Word dwells more retired and separate from the frailty of a human body. Whence it is clear that in no way could the Word of God be spotted by a human body, whereby not even the very human soul is spotted. For not when it rules and quickens the body, but when it lusts after its mortal goods, the soul is spotted of the body. But if they wished to avoid the spots |