Prologue #

¹ I believe the preceding book has sufficiently demonstrated, Your Majesty, that the Son of God is eternal, not separate from the Father, begotten rather than created. We have also shown through Scripture that God’s true Son is indeed God, as evidenced by the clear signs of His Majesty.

² Therefore, although what has already been presented is more than sufficient to uphold the Faith — much like how the size of a river is often judged by the way its springs rise and flow — I believe that to make our belief even clearer, we should divide the waters of our spring into three channels. There are, then, three aspects to consider: first, the clear signs indicating essential inherence in the Godhead; second, the expressions of the likeness between the Father and the Son; and lastly, the undeniable unity of the Divine Majesty. In the first category, we find names such as “begetting”, “God”, “Son”, and “The Word”. In the second, we have “brightness”, “expression”, “mirror”, and “image”. And in the third, we see “wisdom”, “power”, “truth”, and “life”.

³ These signs reveal the nature of the Son in such a way that you can understand both the eternal nature of the Father and the unity between the Father and the Son. The source of generation is He Who is, and as begotten of the Eternal, He is God. As He comes forth from the Father, He is the Son; from God, He is the Word. He is the radiance of the Father’s glory, the expression of His substance, the counterpart of God, and the image of His majesty. He embodies the bounty of the Bountiful, the wisdom of the Wise, the power of the Mighty, the truth of the True, and the life of the Living One. The attributes of the Father and the Son are in agreement, ensuring that no one might suppose any diversity between them or doubt that they share one Majesty. We could provide examples of the use of each and all of these names, but we are constrained by a desire to keep our discourse concise.

⁴ These twelve attributes form the foundation of our faith, like twelve precious stones. These are the precious stones—sardius, jasper, emerald, chrysolite, and others—woven into the robe of holy Aaron, who bears the likeness of Christ, the true Priest. These stones are set in gold and inscribed with the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones closely joined and fitting together. If any of these stones were separated or removed, the entire structure of our faith would collapse.

⁵ This, then, is the foundation of our faith: to know that the Son of God is begotten; if He were not begotten, He would not be the Son. It is not enough to call Him Son; we must also recognize Him as the Only-begotten Son. If He were a creature, He would not be God; if He is not God, He is not the Life; and if He is not the Life, then He is not the Truth.

⁶ The first three signs—generation, Son, and Only-begotten—demonstrate that the Son originates from God and possesses His divine nature.

⁷ The next three names—God, Life, and Truth—reveal His power, through which He has created and sustains the world. As Paul said, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Thus, the first three names highlight the Son’s inherent divinity, while the latter three demonstrate the unity of action between the Father and the Son.

⁸ The Son of God is also called the image, effulgence, and expression of God. These names reveal the Father’s incomprehensible and unsearchable Majesty residing in the Son, and they express His likeness in Him. Thus, these three names refer to the Son’s likeness to the Father.

⁹ We still have the operations of Power, Wisdom, and Justice remaining, through which we can individually demonstrate the Son’s eternity.

¹⁰ This is the robe adorned with precious stones, the amice of the true Priest, the bridal garment. Here is the inspired weaver who skillfully wove this work. It is not an ordinary woven fabric, as the Lord spoke through His Prophet: “Who gave women their skill in weaving?” These are not ordinary stones either—they are stones of filling, for all perfection depends on the condition that nothing is lacking. They are stones joined together and set in gold—symbolizing a spiritual union; the joining of them by our minds and their setting in convincing argument. Scripture illustrates the uncommon nature of these stones. While some offered less precious offerings, the devout princes brought these stones, wearing them upon their shoulders, and crafted from them the breastplate of judgment, a piece of woven work. When faith and action go hand in hand, we have a woven work.

¹¹ Let no one think that I am misguided for initially making a threefold division, with each part containing four terms, and then later making a fourfold division, with each part containing three terms. The beauty of a good thing is enhanced when it is presented from various perspectives. The priestly robe, which symbolizes either the Law or the Church, exemplifies this. The Church, as written, has fashioned two garments for her spouse—one of action and the other of spirit—interweaving the threads of faith and works. Thus, in one instance, as we read, she lays a foundation of gold and then weaves upon it blue, purple, scarlet, and white. And in another instance, she first creates little flowerets of blue and other colors, attaching gold, resulting in a single priestly robe. This variety in arrangement enhances the adornments of diverse grace and beauty, made up of the same bright colors, gaining fresh glory through diversity.

¹² Furthermore, to complete our interpretation of these symbols, it is clear that the refined gold and silver represent the oracles of the Lord, which uphold our faith. The oracles of the Lord are pure and tested by fire, refined of impurities, and purified seven times. Now blue resembles the air we breathe and draw in; purple represents the appearance of water; scarlet signifies fire; and white linen symbolizes earth, as its origin is from the earth. The human body is composed of these four elements.

¹³ Whether you join bodily acts agreeing with faith already present in the soul, or acts come first and faith is joined as their companion, presenting them to God, here is the robe of the minister of religion, here is the priestly vestment.

¹⁴ Faith is indeed profitable when adorned with a fair crown of good works. To summarize briefly, this faith is contained in the following principles, which are unshakable: If the Son had His origin in nothing, He is not the Son; if He is a creature, He is not the Creator; if He was made, He did not make all things; if He needs to learn, He has no foreknowledge; if He is a receiver, He is not perfect; if He progresses, He is not God. If He is unlike the Father, He is not the Father’s image; if He is Son by grace, He is not such by nature; if He has no part in the Godhead, He has the potential to sin. “No one is good except God”.

Chapter 1 #

¹ The objection I must now confront, Your Majesty, fills me with bewilderment. My soul and body grow faint at the thought that there are beings—perhaps not truly human, but resembling men outwardly, yet inwardly filled with brutish folly—who, after receiving so many and such great benefits from the Lord, can claim that the Author of all good things is not Himself good.

² They say, “It is written: ‘There is none good but God alone.’” I acknowledge the Scripture, but there is no falsehood in the letter; would that there were none in the Arians’ interpretation thereof. The written signs are blameless; it is the meaning attributed to them that is at fault. I acknowledge the words as those of our Lord and Savior—but let us consider when, to whom, and with what understanding He speaks.

³ Certainly, the Son of God is speaking as a man, and He is addressing a scribe—specifically, the one who referred to the Son of God as “Good Master” but would not acknowledge Him as God. Christ further helps him understand what he does not believe, so that he may believe in God’s Son not merely as a good master, but as the good God. For if, wherever the One God is named, the Son of God is never separated from the fullness of that unity, then how, when God alone is said to be good, can the Only-begotten be excluded from the fullness of Divine Goodness? Therefore, the Arians must either deny that the Son of God is God, or confess that God is good.

⁴ With divinely inspired understanding, our Lord said, “There is none good but God alone,” not “There is none good but the Father alone,” because “Father” is the proper name of Him who begets. But the unity of God in no way excludes the Godhead of the Three Persons, and therefore it is His Nature that is praised. Therefore, goodness is inherent in the nature of God, and within the nature of God exists the Son of God. Thus, what the predicate expresses does not belong to one single Person but to the complete unity of the Godhead.

⁵ The Lord does not deny His goodness; He rebukes this type of disciple. When the scribe called Him “Good Master,” the Lord responded, “Why do you call Me good?"—which implies, “It is not enough to call Me good if you do not believe Me to be God.” I do not seek disciples who only consider My humanity and regard Me as a good teacher, but rather those who recognize My divinity and believe Me to be the good God.

Chapter 2 #

¹ However, I do not wish the Son to rely solely on the prerogative of His nature and the claims of His Majesty’s special rights. Let us not call Him good if He does not deserve the title. If He does not merit this through works, through acts of kindness, let Him waive the right He possesses by virtue of His nature and submit to our judgment. The One who will judge us does not disdain to be brought to judgment, so that He may be justified in His words and clear when He is judged.

² Is He not good, who has shown me good things? Is He not good, who, when six hundred thousand of the people of the Jews fled before their pursuers, suddenly opened the tide of the Red Sea, an unbroken mass of waters? So that the waves flowed around the faithful and were walls to them, but poured back and overwhelmed the unbelievers.

³ Is He not good, at whose command the seas became firm ground for the feet of those who fled, and the rocks gave forth water for the thirsty? So that the handiwork of the true Creator might be known, when the fluid became solid, and the rock streamed with water? That we might acknowledge this as the handiwork of Christ, the Apostle said: “And that rock was Christ.”

⁴ Is He not good, who in the wilderness fed countless thousands of people with bread from heaven, ensuring they lacked nothing and could rest without toil? So that for forty years, their clothing did not wear out nor did their shoes, a symbol for the faithful of the Resurrection to come, showing that neither the glory of great deeds, nor the beauty of the power with which He has clothed us, nor the stream of human life is in vain.

⁵ Is He not good, who exalted earth to heaven, so that, just as the bright companies of stars reflect His glory in the sky, as in a mirror, so the choirs of apostles, martyrs, and priests, shining like glorious stars, might illuminate the world?

⁶ Not only is He good, but He is even more. He is a good Shepherd, not only for Himself, but also for His sheep, for the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Indeed, He laid down His life to exalt ours—but it was by the power of His Godhead that He laid it down and took it again: “I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.”

⁷ You see His goodness in that He laid it down of His own accord; you see His power in that He took it again. Do you deny His goodness when He has said of Himself in the Gospel, “If I am good, why is your eye evil?” Ungrateful wretch, what are you doing? Do you deny His goodness, in whom is your hope of good things—if indeed you believe this? Do you deny His goodness, who has given us what “eye has not seen, nor ear heard”?

⁸ It is in my best interest to believe Him to be good, for “It is a good thing to trust in the Lord.” It is to my benefit to confess Him as Lord, for it is written: “Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.”

⁹ It is in my best interest to regard my Judge as good, for the Lord is a righteous Judge to the house of Israel. If, then, the Son of God is Judge, surely, since the Judge is the righteous God and the Son of God is Judge, it follows that He who is Judge and Son of God is the righteous God.

¹⁰ But maybe you don’t believe others, or the Son. Then listen to what the Father says: “My heart has brought forth the good Word from its depths.” The Word is good— the Word of whom it is written: “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Therefore, if the Word is good, and the Son is the Word of God, then surely, even if it displeases the Arians, the Son of God is God. They should at least feel ashamed now.

¹¹ The Jews used to say, “He is good.” Though some said, “He is not,” yet others said, “He is good.” And yet you all deny His goodness.

¹² Someone who forgives the sin of one person is good; isn’t He also good who has taken away the sin of the world? For it was said of Him: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

¹³ Why do we doubt? The Church has believed in His goodness all these ages and has confessed its faith in the saying: “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for your breasts are better than wine.” And again: “And your throat is like the finest wine.” Therefore, of His goodness, He nourishes us with the breasts of the Law and Grace, soothing our sorrows by revealing heavenly things to us. Do we still deny His goodness when He is the embodiment of goodness, expressing in His person the likeness of the Eternal Bounty? As we mentioned earlier, it is written that He is the spotless reflection and counterpart of that Bounty.

Chapter 3 #

¹ What do you think, you who deny the goodness and true divinity of the Son of God, even though it is written that there is no God but One? Even though there may be so-called gods, would you place Christ among them, who are called gods but are not? Remember that eternity is His Essence, and besides Him, there is no other who is both good and true God, for God is in Him. It follows from the very nature of the Father that after Him, there is no other true God, because God is One. This means neither confusing the Persons of the Father and the Son, as the Sabellians do, nor separating the Father and the Son, as the Arians do. The Father and the Son are distinct persons, but they share the same divine essence without any division.

Chapter 4 #

¹ Seeing, then, that the Son of God is true and good, surely He is Almighty God. Can there be any doubt on this point? We have already cited the place where it is read that “the Lord Almighty is His Name”. Therefore, since the Son is Lord, and the Lord is Almighty, the Son of God is Almighty.

² But listen to a passage that leaves no room for doubt: “Look, He is coming,” says the Scripture, “with the clouds, and everyone will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. Yes, amen.” “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.” Who, I ask, did they pierce? Whose coming do we await but the Son’s? Therefore, Christ is the Almighty Lord and God.

³ Listen, your Majesty, hear what Christ is saying: “This is what the Almighty says: I have been sent with His glory to deal with the nations that have harmed you. Anyone who harms you is like someone poking the apple of His eye. I will take action against those who plundered you, I will rescue you, and they will become plunder themselves. They will realize that the Almighty has sent Me.” Simply put, the One speaking is the Almighty Lord, and the One who sent Him is also the Almighty Lord. Therefore, almighty power belongs to both the Father and the Son. Yet, there is only one Almighty God because their Majesty is united.

⁴ Furthermore, so that your distinguished Majesty may understand that it is indeed Christ who has spoken, just as in the Gospel, similarly in the words of the prophet Isaiah, it is stated as if foretelling the Gospel: “I, the One who spoke, have come,” meaning that I, the One who spoke in the Law, am now present in the Gospel.

⁵ Elsewhere, He also says: “All things that the Father has are Mine.” What does He mean by “all things”? Clearly, not created things, since all these were made by the Son. Rather, He means the things that the Father possesses—Eternity, Sovereignty, Godhead—which are His by nature as the Son begotten of the Father. Therefore, we cannot doubt that He is Almighty, for He has everything that the Father has, as it is written: “All things that the Father has are Mine.”

Chapter 5 #

¹ Although it is written about God as the Blessed and only Sovereign, I am confident that this does not separate the Son of God from Him, because the Scripture refers to God, not just the Father alone, as the only Sovereign. The Father Himself also declares through the prophet, regarding Christ, “I have given help to one who is mighty.” Therefore, it is not just the Father who is the only Sovereign; the Son is also Sovereign, for in praising the Father, the Son is praised as well.

² Can anyone point out something the Son of God cannot do? Who helped Him when He created the heavens? Who assisted Him when He laid the foundations of the world? Did He need any help to free humanity, when He needed none to create angels and rulers?

³ They say, “It is written: ‘My Father, if it is possible, take this cup from Me.’” If He is Almighty, why would He doubt its possibility? This means that, since I have shown Him to be Almighty, I have also shown that He cannot doubt what is possible.

⁴ You say these are the words of Christ. True—but consider the context in which He spoke them and the role He was taking on. He had assumed human nature, along with its emotions and feelings. Furthermore, in the passage mentioned, you see that He went a little farther, fell on His face, and prayed, saying: “Father, if it is possible.” He speaks not as God, but as a man, for could God be unaware of what is possible or impossible? And is anything impossible for God, when Scripture says: “For You, nothing is impossible?”

⁵ But whom does He doubt—Himself or the Father? Surely, He doubts the One who says, “Take this from Me,” being moved as any human would. The prophet believes nothing is impossible for God. The prophet does not doubt; do you think the Son doubts? Would you place God lower than man? What—God has doubts about His Father and is fearful of death? Is Christ afraid, while Peter fears nothing? Peter says, “I will lay down my life for Your sake.” But Christ says, “My soul is troubled.”

⁶ Both accounts are true, and it is equally natural that the lesser person does not fear, while the greater person experiences this feeling. The lesser person is ignorant of the power of death, while the greater, being God in human form, reveals the weakness of the flesh. This ensures that those who deny the mystery of the Incarnation have no excuse.Thus He spoke, yet the Manichaean did not believe; Valentinus denied it, and Marcion judged Him to be a ghost.

⁷ But indeed, He humbled Himself to the level of humanity, demonstrating the reality of His physical body, by saying, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Although, in truth, it is Christ’s unique power to will what the Father wills, just as it is His to do what the Father does.

⁸ Let this be the end of the objection you customarily raise against us, based on the Lord’s words, “Not as I will, but as You will,” and again, “For this cause I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Chapter 6 #

¹ Let’s take a moment to explore why our Lord said, “If it be possible,” and let’s temporarily set aside any disagreements to show that He indeed had free will. You deny—and your denial leads you into serious error—that the Son of God had free will. Moreover, you tend to downplay the role of the Holy Spirit, although you can’t deny that it is written: “The Spirit breathes where He wills.” Scripture says “where He wills,” not “where He is commanded.” If the Spirit can act according to His own will, can’t the Son do the same? It’s the same Son of God who, in His Gospel, acknowledges that the Spirit has the power to act according to His own will. Does the Son, therefore, admit that the Spirit is greater because He can do what the Son supposedly cannot?

² The Apostle also says that everything is the work of the same Spirit, who distributes gifts to each person according to His will. According to His will—meaning by the decision of a free will, not out of obligation. Furthermore, the gifts given by the Spirit are not insignificant; they are the kinds of works that God typically performs, such as the gift of healing and performing powerful deeds. While the Spirit distributes gifts as He wishes, the Son of God cannot set people free on His own. But listen to Him speak when He acts according to His own will: “I have desired to do Your will, O my God”; and also: “I will offer You a freewill offering.”

³ The holy Apostle later realized that Jesus had the power to do as He pleased. Therefore, when he saw Him walking on the sea, he said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Peter believed that if Christ commanded, the laws of nature could be altered so that water could support human footsteps, bringing disparate things into harmony and agreement. Peter asks Christ to command, not to request. Christ did not request; He commanded, and it was done. And yet, Arius denies it!

⁴ What indeed is there that the Father desires, but the Son does not, or that the Son desires, but the Father does not? The Father gives life to whom He wills, and the Son gives life to whom He wills, as it is written. Now tell me, who has the Son given life to that the Father would not give life to? Since the Son gives life to whom He wills, and their actions are unified, you see that not only does the Son fulfill the Father’s will, but the Father also fulfills the Son’s. For what is the act of giving life but giving life through the passion of Christ? And the passion of Christ is the will of the Father. Therefore, whom the Son gives life to, He gives life by the will of the Father; hence, their will is unified.

⁵ Again, what was the will of the Father but that Jesus should come into the world and cleanse us from our sins? Listen to the words of the leper: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Christ replied, “I am willing,” and immediately, healing—the outcome—followed. Do you not see that the Son is the master of His own will, and Christ’s will is identical to the Father’s? Indeed, since He has said, “All things that the Father has are Mine,” with nothing omitted, it follows that the Son possesses the same will as the Father.

Chapter 7 #

¹ Therefore, there is unity of purpose when there is unity of action; in God, His will is immediately realized in effect. However, the will of God is one, while the human will is different. Additionally, to illustrate that the purpose of human will is life, since we fear death, and the passion of Christ was dependent on the Divine Will for Him to suffer for us, the Lord said to Peter when he tried to prevent Him from suffering: “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

² He took my will and my grief upon Himself. I confidently call it grief because I preach His Cross. The will that He called His own is mine, for as a man, He bore my grief and spoke as a man, saying, “Not as I will, but as You will.” The grief was mine, and the weight He carried was mine, as no one rejoices when they are on the brink of death. He suffers with me and for me; He feels sadness for me and bears my burdens. In my place, and within me, He grieved even though He had no reason to grieve for Himself.

³ It was not Your wounds, but mine, that hurt You, Lord Jesus; not Your death, but our weakness, just as the Prophet says: “He was wounded for our transgressions.” We, Lord, considered You afflicted, when You grieved not for Yourself, but for me.

⁴ And is it any surprise that He grieved for everyone, having wept for one person? Is it any surprise that, in the moment of death, He carries the burden for all, having wept before raising Lazarus from the dead? Back then, He was moved by the tears of a loving sister because they touched His human heart. Now, through His hidden grief, He achieved this: just as His death ended death and His wounds healed our wounds, His sorrow took away our sorrow.

⁵ As a human, therefore, He doubts; as a human, He is astonished. Neither His power nor His divinity is astonished, but His soul; He is astonished because He has taken upon Himself human weakness. Therefore, since He took upon Himself a soul, He also took on the emotions of a soul, for God could not have been distressed or died in His divine nature. Finally, He cried out: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He speaks as a human, bearing with Him my fears, for when we are in the midst of dangers, we often feel abandoned by God. Therefore, as a human, He is distressed, as a human, He weeps, as a human, He is crucified.

⁶ As the Apostle Paul also said: “Because they have crucified the flesh of Christ.” And again, the Apostle Peter says: “Christ having suffered according to the flesh.” It was the flesh, therefore, that suffered; the divinity, secure from death; His body yielded to suffering according to the law of human nature. If the soul cannot die, can the divinity die? “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” said our Lord. If the soul cannot be killed, how much more so the divinity?

⁷ When we read, then, that the Lord of glory was crucified, let us not assume that He was crucified in His glory.It is because He who is God is also man—God by virtue of His Divinity, and by taking on the flesh, the man Christ Jesus—that the Lord of glory is said to have been crucified. Possessing both natures, the human and the divine, He endured the Passion in His humanity. Thus, without distinction, He who suffered is called both the Lord of glory and the Son of man, as it is written: “Who descended from heaven.”

Chapter 8 #

¹ Therefore, it was due to His humanity that our Lord doubted, was deeply distressed, and rose from the dead, for what falls also rises again. Furthermore, it was because of His humanity that He uttered those words, which our adversaries maliciously use against Him: “Because the Father is greater than I.”

² But when we read in another passage: “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father,” how does He leave except through death, and how does He return except by rising again? Moreover, He added, to indicate He was speaking about His Ascension: “I told you beforehand, so that when it happens, you may believe.” He was referring to the sufferings and resurrection of His body, and through that resurrection, those who had previously doubted came to believe. God, who is always present everywhere, does not move from place to place. Just as a man goes, so He Himself comes. Additionally, He says in another place: “Rise, let us go from here.” In this way, He goes and comes, sharing in what is common to Him and to us.

³ How can He be a lesser God when He is perfect and truly God? Yet, in terms of His humanity, He is lesser. So why are you surprised that, as a human, He referred to the Father as greater than Himself? Remember, as a man, He also called Himself a worm and not a man, saying: “But I am a worm, and not a man,” and “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.”

⁴ If you declare Him to be less than the Father in this way, I cannot argue against that. However, to use the words of Scripture, He was not begotten as inferior but “made lower,” meaning made inferior. And how was He “made lower” except by “being in the form of God, He did not consider it something to be grasped to be equal with God, but emptied Himself”? He didn’t give up what He was; rather, He took on what He was not, for “He took the form of a servant.”

⁵ Moreover, to demonstrate that He was made lower by taking on a body, David prophesied about a man, saying: “What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You care for him? You have made him a little lower than the angels.” And in interpreting this same passage, the Apostle says: “For we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

⁶ Thus, the Son of God was made lower than not only the Father but also the angels. And if you interpret this as dishonorable, is then the Son, in His divinity, less than His angels who serve and minister to Him? In your attempt to diminish His honor, you inadvertently elevate the nature of angels above the Son of God, which borders on blasphemy. But the servant is not above his master. Furthermore, angels ministered to Him even after His Incarnation, so that you should recognize that He suffered no loss of majesty due to His bodily nature. For God could not undergo any diminishment of Himself, while that which He took from the Virgin neither adds to nor subtracts from His divine power.

⁷ Therefore, He, possessing the fullness of Divinity and glory, is not inferior in His divinity. Greater and lesser are distinctions appropriate to corporeal existences; one who is greater may be so in rank, qualities, or age. However, these terms lose their meaning when we discuss matters pertaining to God. Wisdom that it has been built up by teachings received from another, for it has laid the foundation of all teachings itself. How wisely the Apostle wrote: “So that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone,” to prevent us from assuming that it was the Godhead, not the flesh, that endured that Passion!

⁸ If our opponents have found no means to prove the Father greater than the Son, let them not distort words to spread falsehoods, but seek out their true meaning. I ask them, therefore, why do they consider the Father greater? If it is because He is the Father, then we have no question of age or time here—the Father is not distinguished by white hairs, nor the Son by youthfulness—and it is under these conditions that the greater dignity of a father typically depends. Father and son are indeed names, one of the parent, the other of the child—names that seem to unite rather than divide. For filial respect does not diminish personal worth, as kinship binds people together rather than tearing them apart.

⁹ If they cannot find support for their questioning in the order of nature, let them believe the testimony of Scripture. The Evangelist testifies that the Son is not inferior to the Father because He is the Son; indeed, he even declares that in being the Son, He is equal, saying, “For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

¹⁰ You’re correct. It is the Evangelist who testifies that in calling Himself God’s own Son, He made Himself equal to God. The Jews are not presented as saying, “For this cause we sought to kill Him”; rather, the Evangelist, speaking for himself, says, “For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him.” Indeed, the Evangelist has revealed the reason by stating that the Jews were stirred to kill Him because, as God, He broke the Sabbath and also claimed God as His own Father. In doing so, He attributed to Himself not only the majesty of divine authority by breaking the Sabbath but also, by speaking of His Father, the right pertaining to eternal equality.

¹¹ The Son of God gave a most fitting answer to these Jews, proving Himself to be the Son and equal of God. “Whatever the Father does, the Son also does in like manner,” He said. Therefore, the Son is both rightfully and demonstrably the equal of the Father—a true equality that not only excludes any difference in Godhood but also reveals, along with the Son, the Father, to whom the Son is equal. Indeed, there is no equality where there is difference, nor is there equality where there is only one person, since none is equal to himself alone. Thus, the Evangelist has shown why it is fitting for Christ to call Himself the Son of God, thereby making Himself equal with God.

¹² Therefore, the Apostle, following this revelation, has stated: “He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped.” For what one lacks, they seek to seize unlawfully. Thus, equality with the Father, which He inherently possessed as God and Lord, He did not need to wrongfully seize. Hence, the Apostle added: “He took on the form of a servant.” Indeed, a servant is the antithesis of an equal. Thus, the Son is equal in the form of God but inferior in assuming flesh and in His sufferings as a man. Indeed, how could the same essence be both lesser and equal? And if the Son is inferior, how can He perform the same actions in the same manner as the Father? How can there be consistency of action with diversity of authority? Can the lesser ever bring about similar effects as the greater, or can there be harmony of action where there is divergence of essence?

¹³ Therefore, admit that Christ, in His divinity, cannot be called inferior to the Father. Christ speaks to Abraham: “By Myself I have sworn.” Now the Apostle shows that He who swears by Himself cannot be lower than anyone else. Thus, he says, “When God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, ‘Surely I will bless you and multiply you.’” Christ had, therefore, no one greater, and for that reason, He swore by Himself. Moreover, the Apostle rightly added, “For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.” This is because people have someone greater than themselves, but God has no one greater.

¹⁴ Otherwise, if our adversaries understand this passage as referring to the Father, then the rest of the account does not align with it. For the Father did not appear to Abraham, nor did Abraham wash the feet of God the Father, but the feet of Him in whom is the image of the man who is to come. Moreover, the Son of God says, “Abraham saw My day and rejoiced.” It is He, therefore, who swore by Himself and whom Abraham saw.

¹⁵ How could He be greater than Himself when He is one with the Father in divinity? In unity, there is no difference, while between greater and lesser, there is a distinction. Thus, the teaching from the Scripture about the Father and the Son is that neither is the Father greater, nor does the Son have anyone above Him. The Father and the Son share the same divine nature without any separation in their majesty.

Chapter 9 #

¹ I have no fears regarding the commonly advanced objection that Christ is inferior because He was sent. Even if He were inferior, this is not proven; on the contrary, His equal right to honor is indeed proven. Since everyone honors the Son just as they honor the Father, it is certain that the Son is not inferior in being sent.

² Therefore, do not focus on the limited bounds of human language, but on the plain meaning of the words, and believe in accomplished facts. Consider that our Lord Jesus Christ said in Isaiah that He had been sent by the Spirit. Is the Son, therefore, less than the Spirit because He was sent by the Spirit? Thus, you have the record that the Son declares Himself sent by the Father and His Spirit. “I am the beginning,” He says, “and I live forever, and My hand has laid the foundations of the earth. My right hand has made the heavens to stand abidingly.” And further on: “I have spoken, and I have called; I have brought him, and have made his way to prosper. Draw near to Me and hear these things: not in secret have I spoken from the beginning. When they were made, I was there: and now the Lord and His Spirit have sent Me.” Here, indeed, He who made the heaven and the earth Himself says that He is sent by the Lord and His Spirit. You see, then, that the poverty of language does not detract from the honor of His mission. Thus, He is sent by the Father, and He is also sent by the Spirit.

³ To understand that there is no difference in majesty between them, consider that the Son sends the Spirit, as He Himself has said: “But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father.” He has also taught that this same Comforter will be sent by the Father, saying, “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name.” Behold their unity: the one whom God the Father sends, the Son also sends, and whom the Father sends, the Spirit also sends. Otherwise, if the Arians refuse to admit that the Son was sent because we read that the Son is the right hand of the Father, then they must either acknowledge the same for the Father or deny their own logic. Unless, of course, they have somehow discovered another Father or another Son entirely.

⁴ Let’s stop arguing over words, for the kingdom of God, as it is written, is not in persuasive words but in power clearly demonstrated. Let’s focus on the distinction between the divine and the human. The same Son of God speaks in both, for both natures are present in Him. Yet, while it is the same person speaking, He doesn’t always speak in the same way. Observe in Him the glory of God at one moment and the emotions of man at another. As God, He speaks the things of God because He is the Word; as man, He speaks the things of man because He shares in our nature.

⁵ This is the living bread that came down from heaven. This bread is His flesh, as He Himself said: “This bread which I will give is My flesh.” This is He who came down from heaven, this is He whom the Father has sanctified and sent into this world. Even the letter itself teaches us that not the Godhead but the flesh needed sanctification, for the Lord Himself said, “And I sanctify Myself for them,” in order that you may acknowledge that He is both sanctified in the flesh for us and sanctifies by virtue of His Divinity.

⁶ This is the same One whom the Father sent, but born of a woman, born under the law, as the Apostle has said. This is He who says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; therefore He has anointed Me to bring good tidings to the poor. He has sent Me.” This is He who says, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God or whether I speak of Myself.” Doctrine that is of God, then, is one thing; doctrine that is of man, another. So, when the Jews, regarding Him as a man, questioned His teaching, saying, “How does this man know letters, having never learned?” Jesus answered and said, “My doctrine is not Mine,” for in teaching without elegance of letters, He seems to teach not as man, but rather as God, having not learned but devised His doctrine.

⁷ For He has discerned and crafted all paths of instruction, as mentioned earlier, for even of the Son of God it has been proclaimed: “This is our God, and none other shall be esteemed alongside Him, who has discerned all the paths of instruction.” Following these events, He was witnessed on earth and interacted with humanity. How, then, could He, being divine, lack His own teaching? He who had already discerned all the ways of instruction before appearing on earth? Or how is He inferior, of whom it is declared, “None shall be esteemed alongside Him”? Surely, He is rightfully deemed incomparable, compared to whom no other can be esteemed—yet in a manner that does not equate Him with the Father. Therefore, if people assume that the Father is referenced, they will inevitably stumble into the heresy of Sabellius, attributing the assumption of human nature to the Father.

⁸ Let’s delve into what follows: “He who speaks of himself seeks his own glory.” Notice the unity in which the Father and the Son are clearly revealed. “He who speaks cannot but be,” yet what He speaks isn’t solely His own, for everything within Him naturally originates from the Father.

⁹ So, what exactly do the words “seeks his own glory” signify? It doesn’t imply a glory in which the Father has no share—after all, the Word of God is inherently His glory. Furthermore, our Lord states: “that they may see My glory.” However, that glory of the Word is also the glory of the Father, as it’s written: “The Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.” Concerning His divine nature, therefore, the Son of God possesses His own glory, yet the glory of the Father and the Son is inseparable; it is one. Therefore, He is not deficient in brilliance, as the glory is unified, nor is He inferior in divinity, for the fullness of the Godhead resides in Christ.

¹⁰ So, you ask, how it is written, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son?” You argue that the one who says these words seeks glory. You’re right about that part. But you miss the rest of the Scripture, which continues: “that Your Son may glorify You.” Does the Father need anything so that He requires the Son to glorify Him?

Chapter 10 #

¹ Similarly, our opponents often raise a question about the obedience of the Son, citing the passage: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death.” The author not only states that the Son was obedient unto death but also establishes beforehand that He was human, clarifying that obedience unto death was a trait of His Incarnation, wherein He assumed both the roles and titles associated with our humanity.

² So, what we’ve grasped is that the unity of the Trinity is evident, as we’re instructed during and after the Crucifixion: the Son undergoes suffering in His physical form, which is a testament to it; the Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles; the spirit is entrusted into the Father’s care; and God, with a resounding voice, proclaims the Father. We understand that there’s a singular essence, a shared image, a unified sanctification of the Father and the Son, a cohesive operation, a collective glory, ultimately, a singular divine nature.

³ There is, therefore, only one God, as it is written: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” This means there is one God, not because the Father and the Son are the same Person, as the heretic Sabellius claims, but because the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share the same divine nature. Where there is one divine nature, there is one will and one purpose.

⁴ To understand that the Father exists, the Son exists, and their work is united, consider the Apostle’s words: “Now may God Himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you.” Both the Father and the Son are mentioned, but there is unity in direction because of their shared power. Similarly, in another passage we read: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts.” The Apostle shows us a perfect unity, emphasizing that the source of comfort is not many, but one. Let doubt be silent, and if reason cannot overcome it, let the thought of our Lord’s gracious kindness change it.

⁵ Let’s recall how graciously our Lord treated us by teaching us not only faith but also manners. When He took on human form, He willingly subjected Himself to Joseph and Mary. Was He any less than all humanity because He was obedient? The role of obedience is distinct from that of sovereignty, but obedience doesn’t negate sovereignty. So, in what way was He subject to the Father’s will? Surely, in His human form, where He submitted to His mother’s authority.

Chapter 11 #

¹ Similarly, let’s show kindness and seek to persuade our adversaries for their own benefit. Let’s worship and lament before the Lord our Maker. We aim not to overthrow but to heal; we don’t set traps, but fulfill our duty to warn them. Kindness often softens those who cannot be swayed by force or argument. Once more, our Lord healed the man who fell among thieves on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, using oil and wine. He chose not to administer the harsh remedies of the Law or the sternness of Prophecy, but instead showed compassion and tenderness.

² So, let all who seek wholeness come to Him. Let them receive the medicine He has brought down from His Father, made in heaven from the juices of celestial fruits that never wither. This is not of earthly origin, as nature does not possess this compound. In a marvelous plan, He took on our flesh to demonstrate that the law of the flesh had been subjected to the law of the mind. He became incarnate so that as the Teacher of humanity, He could overcome as a human.

³ What benefit would it have brought me if He had merely revealed His divine power as God, untouched by human experience? Why would He take on human nature if not to allow Himself to be tempted under the same conditions of my nature and weakness? It was necessary for Him to be tempted and to suffer alongside me so that I could learn how to conquer temptation and escape when I am under pressure. He conquered through self-control, by disregarding the allure of wealth, and through faith. He crushed ambition, avoided excess, and rejected indulgence.

⁴ Peter witnessed this remedy and abandoned his nets, representing the tools and security of his livelihood, renouncing the desires of the flesh like a leaky ship that takes in the bilge of numerous passions. Truly, it’s a powerful remedy that not only heals the scars of old wounds but also cuts off the root and source of passion. Oh, Faith, more valuable than all treasures; oh, excellent remedy, healing our wounds and sins!

⁵ Let’s consider the value of holding true beliefs. It benefits me to understand that Christ took on my weaknesses, experienced the pains of my body, and was made sin and cursed for my sake, and for everyone. He was humbled and made subject for me, He represents the Lamb, the Vine, the Rock, the Servant, the Son of a handmaid, unaware of the day of judgment for my sake, not knowing the day and the hour.

⁶ How could the One who created days and times be unaware of a specific day? How could He not know, when He has proclaimed both the timing and the reasons for judgment to come? The curse He bore was not in relation to His divinity but to His humanity; as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” So, in His human form, He hung on the cross, and for this reason, the One who carried our curses became a curse. He shed tears so that you, as a human, might not weep endlessly. He endured humiliation so that you might not be overwhelmed by the injustices done to you.

⁷ What a wonderful solace it is to find comfort in Christ! He endured these trials with extraordinary patience for our sake, yet we often struggle to endure even minor inconveniences for the sake of honoring His Name! Who among us cannot learn to forgive when we are attacked, considering that even on the Cross, Christ prayed for those who persecuted Him? Do you not see that what you perceive as weaknesses in Christ are actually your sources of strength? Why do you doubt His ability to provide remedies for us? His tears wash away our sins, His weeping purifies us—and even in doubt, there is strength, for if you start to doubt, you risk falling into despair. The greater the insult, the greater the gratitude owed.

⁸ Even in the moment of mockery and insult, recognize His divine nature. As He hung upon the Cross, all the elements paid homage to Him. The sun hid its rays, daylight faded, darkness descended upon the land, and the earth shook; yet He who hung there remained steadfast. What did these signs signify if not reverence for the Creator?You, who hold Arian beliefs, focus on Christ’s crucifixion, but you neglect to acknowledge that He offers the kingdom of God. You acknowledge that He experienced death, but you overlook the fact that He also welcomed the repentant thief into paradise. You see the women weeping at the tomb, but you fail to recognize the angels guarding it. You focus on what He said, such as when He told the Canaanite woman, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” but you overlook what He actually did in response to her plea.

⁹ You should understand that His being “sent” does not mean He was forced to act by someone else’s command; rather, it signifies that He acted of His own free will and judgment. Otherwise, you would be accusing Him of disregarding His Father. If, as you explain, Christ came into Judea solely to carry out the Father’s commands and to help the inhabitants of Judea alone, yet before accomplishing that, He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman from her affliction, it shows that He was not just following someone else’s orders but had the freedom to make His own decisions. Where there is true freedom to act, one cannot violate the terms of one’s mission.

¹⁰ Do not fear that the Son’s actions displeased the Father, for the Son Himself says: “Whatever pleases Him, I always do,” and “The works that I do, He Himself does.” How, then, could the Father be displeased with what He Himself accomplished through the Son? For it is One God, who, as it is written, “has justified circumcision on the basis of faith and uncircumcision through faith.”

¹¹ If you carefully read all the Scriptures and diligently ponder them, you will discover that Christ revealed Himself in such a way that God could be perceived in humanity. Do not misinterpret maliciously the Son’s rejoicing in the Father when you hear the Father expressing His delight in the Son.

Chapter 12 #

¹ However, if our adversaries cannot be swayed by kindness, let us bring them before the Judge. To which Judge shall we go? Surely to Him who possesses all judgment. To the Father, then? No, for the Father judges no one, as He has entrusted all judgment to the Son. He has given, not as a gift, but in the act of generation. Consider how reluctant He was for you to dishonor His Son—so much so that He appointed Him to be your Judge.

² Let us examine, then, before the judgment, who has the better case, you or I? Surely, it is wise for a party in a lawsuit to first win the favor of the judge. You honor man—do you not honor God? Which of the two, I ask, earns the favor of the magistrate—respect or contempt? Suppose I am mistaken—which I certainly am not: is Christ displeased with the honor given to Him? We are all sinners. Who, then, deserves forgiveness? The one who offers worship or the one who shows rudeness?

³ If reasoning doesn’t convince you, let the clear nature of the judgment sway you! Look up to the Judge and see who is seated, with whom He is seated, and where. Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. If you can’t see this with your eyes, listen to the prophet’s words: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand.’” The Son, therefore, sits at the right hand of the Father. Now tell me, you who believe that the things of God should be judged by worldly standards—do you consider the One who sits at the right hand to be inferior? Is it any dishonor to the Father that He sits at the Son’s left hand? The Father honors the Son, yet you interpret it as an insult! The Father intends this invitation to be a sign of love and esteem, but you see it as a command from a superior! Christ has risen from the dead and sits at the right hand of God.

⁴ But you object, saying that the Father said it. Fine, then listen to a passage where the Father does not speak, and the Son prophesies: “Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power.” He said this concerning taking back His body—this is to whom the Father said, “Sit at My right hand.” If you are asking about the eternal abode of the Godhead, remember that when Pilate asked Him if He were the King of the Jews, He replied, “For this I was born.” The Apostle teaches us that it is good to believe that Christ sits at the right hand of God, not by command or favor, but as God’s most beloved Son. As it is written: “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God; focus on the things above.” This is to focus on the things above—to believe that Christ, in His sitting, does not obey as one who receives a command, but is honored as the beloved Son. Therefore, it is concerning Christ’s Body that the Father says: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

⁵ If you still seek to distort the meaning of these words, “I will make Your enemies Your footstool,” I respond that the Father brings to the Son those whom the Son raises and gives life to. As Christ says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” And you claim that the Son of God is subject to weakness—the very Son to whom the Father brings people so that He may raise them up on the last day. Does this seem like subjection to you, I ask, when the kingdom is prepared for the Father, and the Father brings people to the Son? There is no room for twisting words here, since the Son gives the kingdom to the Father, and no one is placed above Him. For inasmuch as the Father renders to the Son, and the Son, again, to the Father, here are plain proofs of love and regard: seeing that They so render, the One to the Other, that neither He Who receives obtains as it were what was another’s, nor He That renders loses.

⁶ Moreover, sitting at the right hand is not a matter of higher status, nor does sitting at the left hand signify dishonor. In the Godhead, there are no degrees of status, for it is not confined by space or time, which are mere constructs of our limited human understanding. There is no variation in love, nothing that divides the Unity.

⁷ But why wander so far? You have observed everything around you, seen the Judge, and noticed the angels proclaiming Him. They praise Him, yet you revile Him! Dominions and powers bow before Him—yet you speak ill of His Name! All His Saints worship Him, but the Son of God does not worship, nor does the Holy Spirit. The seraphim declare: “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

⁸ What does this threefold repetition of the same name “Holy” signify? If it’s repeated thrice, why is it considered one act of praise? If it’s one act of praise, why repeat it three times? Why the triple repetition, unless to signify that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are united in holiness? The seraph uttered the name not once, to avoid excluding the Son; not twice, to avoid overlooking the Holy Spirit; not four times, to prevent associating created beings with the praise of the Creator. Furthermore, to demonstrate the unity of the Trinity, the seraph added, in the singular, “the Lord God of hosts” after the threefold “Holy.” Therefore, the Father is holy, the Son is holy, and likewise, the Spirit of God is holy. Thus, the Trinity is worshipped but does not worship, praised but does not praise. As for me, I will believe as the seraphim do and worship in the manner of all the principalities and powers of heaven.

Chapter 13 #

¹ Let us proceed then, with your accusations, and see how you fare before your Judge. Speak now, speak, I say, and tell Him: “I consider You, O Christ, to be unlike Your Father.” And He will respond: “Observe, if you can, observe, I say, and tell Me in what way you believe Me to be different.”

² Repeat: “I regard you to be a created being”; and Christ will respond: “If the testimony of two individuals holds true, shouldn’t you have believed both Me and My Father, who has acknowledged Me as His Son?”

³ Then you will assert: “I dispute Your absolute goodness”; and He will reply: “Let it be as you have faith; therefore, I won’t demonstrate goodness to you”.

⁴ “You are not the Almighty”; and He will counter, saying: “Then I can’t forgive your sins”.

⁵ “You are a subordinate being”. To this, He will respond: “Why, then, do you seek freedom and forgiveness from Him who you perceive to be subordinate like a servant?”

⁶ Your accusation ceases here. I do not press you further, as I am aware of my own sins. I do not withhold forgiveness from you, for I seek indulgence for myself as well. However, I desire to understand the purpose of your supplications. Therefore, as I stand before the Judge, I will recount your desires. I do not expose your sins, but I seek to witness your prayers and aspirations presented in their sequence.

⁷ Speak then, those desires which everyone desires to be granted to them. “Lord, make me in the image of God.” To this, He will reply: “In what image? The image which you have rejected?”

⁸ “Make me incorruptible.” Surely His response will be: “How can I make you incorruptible, when you consider me a created being, and thus imply I am corruptible? The dead shall rise purified from corruption — do you call corruptible the One whom you acknowledge as God?”

⁹ “Be good to me”. “Why do you request what you have denied to Me? I desired you to be good, and I declared, ‘Be holy, for I am holy,’ yet you persist in denying My goodness? Are you seeking forgiveness for sins? No, only God alone can forgive sins. Since you do not acknowledge Me as the true and only God, I cannot forgive your sins in any way.

¹⁰ Let the followers of Arius and Photinus say: “I deny Your divinity.” To whom the Lord will respond: “‘The fool has said in his heart: There is no God.’ To whom do you think this is said? Of Jews, Gentiles, or even of the devil.” Whoever it refers to, O disciple of Photinus, at least they didn’t say it out loud. You, on the otherhand, dared to raise your voice to utter it, proving yourself more foolish than the fool! You deny My divinity, whereas I declared, “You are gods, and you are all children of the Most High.” And you deny Him to be God, despite witnessing His godlike works all around you.

¹¹ Let the Sabellian speak in turn. “I consider You, by Yourself, to be at once Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” To whom the Lord responds: “You hear neither the Father nor the Son. Is there any doubt on this matter? The Scripture itself teaches you that it is the Father who gives over judgment, and the Son who judges. You have not listened to My words: ‘The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone’”

¹² Alright, let the Manichaean speak his piece. I believe that the devil is the one behind our physical bodies. But here’s the thing: if that’s true, what are you doing up in heavenly places? You should be heading back to your supposed creator. “I want those with Me who my Father has given Me.” You, Manichean, believe yourself to be a creature of the devil. Hurry, then, to his dwelling, the place of fire and brimstone, where the fire never goes out, lest the punishment ever come to an end.

¹³ I disregard other heretical beliefs, considering them more like signs than individuals. What kind of judgment awaits them, and what will be the nature of their punishment? To all these, the response will likely be more sorrowful than furious: “My people, what have I done to you? How have I troubled you? Didn’t I rescue you from Egypt, leading you out of slavery into freedom?”

¹⁴ It’s not merely about leading us out of Egypt into freedom or rescuing us from slavery; You’ve done something even greater by giving Yourself for us. You might ask: “Haven’t I endured all your sufferings? Didn’t I offer My Body for you? Didn’t I willingly face death, though it had no place in My divinity, all for the sake of your redemption?” Is this the gratitude I’m to expect? Is this what My sacrifice, My Blood, has earned? Just as I foretold through the prophet, “What benefit is there in My Blood, since I have descended to the grave?” Is this the outcome, that you should unjustly reject Me — you, for whom I endured all those hardships?

¹⁵ As for me, Lord Jesus, though I am fully aware of my significant sins, I can still declare: I haven’t denied You; please forgive the weaknesses of my human nature. I confess my wrongdoing; I don’t deny my sin. If You wish, You can cleanse me. Just like the leper who made this plea and was granted healing. I plead, do not judge me, Your servant. I don’t ask for judgment, but for forgiveness.

Chapter 14 #

¹ What verdict do we anticipate from Christ? I know it well. Do I wonder what judgment He will deliver? No, He has already declared it. We hold it in our hands. “Let everyone,” He says, “show respect to the Son just as they do to the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

² If you’re dissatisfied with the verdict, appeal to the Father, ask Him to revoke the judgment He has passed. Claim that He has a Son who is different from Him. But He will respond: “Then have I spoken falsely, I, who said to the Son, ‘Let us create man in Our image and likeness.’”

³ Tell the Father that He has created the Son, and He will reply: “Then why did you worship One whom you believed to be a created being?”

⁴ Tell Him that He has fathered a Son who is inferior to Himself, and He will respond: “Compare Us, and let Us see.”

⁵ Tell Him that you owed no belief to the Son, and He will reply: “Did I not say to you, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him’?” What do these words mean, ’listen to Him,’ if not ‘Listen to Him when He says: “All things that the Father has are Mine”’? The apostles heard this, just as it’s recorded: “And they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.” If those who confessed Him fell to the ground, what will those do who have denied Him? But Jesus laid His hand upon His apostles and lifted them up — whereas you, He will allow to remain prostrate, so that you may not witness the glory you have rejected.

⁶ Let’s consider this carefully, because whoever the Son condemns, the Father also condemns. Therefore, let’s honor the Son just as we honor the Father, so that through the Son, we may have access to the Father.

Chapter 15 #

¹ Your Majesty, let me present these arguments in a concise manner, without delving into intricate details or precise organization. If the Arians find them incomplete, I admit they’re merely in their infancy. If they believe there are more to be presented, I concede there are plentiful. While non-believers require arguments, believers have an abundance. Truly, Peter’s singular confession held enough weight to instill faith in Christ: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It suffices to comprehend His divine origin, whole and undiminished, not derived or created.

² This truth is unequivocally stated in the scriptures, without exception, yet it remains a point of contention for unbelievers. As it is written, “the hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart.” Similar to the Jews, the Arians tend to close their ears or create disturbances whenever the message of salvation is proclaimed.

³ Is it any wonder that non-believers doubt human words when they reject the Word of God Himself? As recorded in the Gospel, the Son of God said, “Father, glorify Your Name,” and the Father’s voice responded from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” Despite hearing these words, non-believers refused to accept them. The Son spoke, the Father answered, yet some Jews dismissed it as thunder, while others speculated it was an angel speaking.

⁴ Additionally, in the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul received the call of grace through Christ’s voice, although he was with several companions, only he claimed to have heard Christ’s voice. Thus, Your Majesty, it is clear that a believer hears—and through hearing, believes—while a non-believer does not hear, and indeed, will not and cannot hear, lest they should come to believe!

⁵ Personally, I hope that people will be willing to listen with genuine love and humility, seeking truth instead of rejecting it altogether. We are reminded not to listen to “myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”

⁶ The same apostle also advises us to “avoid foolish controversies and genealogies.” He tells us to avoid those who cause divisions—heretics, as they are called. He warns that some will abandon their faith, being led astray by deceitful spirits and teachings inspired by demons.

⁷ Similarly, John states that heretics are Antichrists, clearly identifying the Arians. This heresy emerged after all others and has amalgamated the toxins of them all. Just as it is written of the Antichrist, who opened his mouth to blaspheme against God and His Name and to wage war against His saints, so too do the Arians dishonor the Son of God and spare not His martyrs. Furthermore, they have twisted the holy Scriptures, doing what Antichrist might potentially refrain from doing. Thus, whoever claims that Jesus is not the Christ is indeed Antichrist; whoever denies the Savior of the world denies Jesus; and whoever denies the Son denies the Father as well, for it is written: “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.”

Chapter 16 #

¹ I shouldn’t keep Your Majesty any longer, especially now, as we gear up for war and strive for triumph over the Barbarians. Venture forth, fortified by the sheild faith and armed with the sword of the Spirit. Pursue the victory that has long been promised and foreseen in divine prophecies.

² Even in the distant past, Ezekiel prophesied about the decline of our people and the wars with the Goths. He declared: “Son of Man, prophesy and say: O Gog, thus says the Lord — Will you not, on that day when My people Israel dwell in peace, come forth from your distant northern land with many nations, all mounted on horses, a formidable assembly, and the strength of many armies? Indeed, you will advance against my people Israel like clouds covering the land in the days to come.”

³ Gog represents the Goth, whose emergence we have witnessed, and over whom future victory is assured, as promised by the word of the Lord: “They will plunder those who once plundered them, and seize the spoils of those who once preyed upon their goods, declares the Lord. And on that day, I will grant to Gog — that is, to the Goths — a renowned place, while Israel will create a vast burial site for the multitude of men who have perished in battle, extending to the sea and blocking the valley’s entrance. There, Israel will defeat Gog and his forces, and the place will be known as the Valley of Gog’s Multitude. Israel will triumph over them, purifying the land.”

⁴ Your Majesty, we have no reason to doubt that we, who have taken up the struggle against foreign disbelief, will receive the support of the robust Catholic Faith that you embody. It is evident that the cause of God’s displeasure has been revealed, as faith in the Roman Empire was initially subverted where belief in God faltered.

⁵ I have no inclination to enumerate the deaths, tortures, and exiles of the faithful, nor the sacred offices bestowed upon traitors. Have we not heard from all along the borders — from Thrace, through Dacia along the river, Mœsia, and the entire region of Valeria in Pannonia — a cacophony of blasphemers preaching and barbarians invading? What benefit could such bloodthirsty neighbors bring us, and how could the Roman State be secure with such defenders?

⁶ We have paid a heavy price, Almighty God, for the deaths of confessors, the exile of priests, and the enormity of wickedness, with our own blood and banishment. It is abundantly clear that those who have betrayed their faith cannot find safety. Turn once more, O Lord, and raise high the banners of Your faith.

⁷ Our army is not led by military eagles or flocks of birds, but by Your Name, Lord Jesus, and Your worship. This is not a land of unbelievers, but a land that produces confessors — Italy; Italy, often tempted but never swayed; Italy, which Your Majesty has long protected and once again saved from barbarians. Our emperor’s mind is unwavering, his faith steadfast.

⁸ Manifest, O Majesty, a clear sign of Your presence, so that those who believe in You as the true Lord of Hosts and Captain of the heavenly armies, those who believe in You as the true Power and Wisdom of God, not bound by time or creation but as written, the eternal Power and Divinity of God, may, strengthened by Your supreme might, achieve victory for their faith.