8. And therefore, although in the two last books I
have proved from the teaching of the Law and Prophets that God and God,
true God and true God, true God the Father and true God the Son, must be confessed as One
true God, by unity of nature and not by confusion of Persons, yet, for
the complete presentation of the faith, I must also adduce the teaching
of the Evangelists and Apostles. I must show from them that true
God, the Son of God, is not of a different, an alien nature from that
of the Father, but possesses the same Divinity while having a distinct
existence through a true birth. And, indeed, I cannot think that
any soul exists so witless as to fancy that, although we know
God’s self-revelations, yet we cannot understand them; that, if
they can be understood, would not wish to understand, or would dream
that human reason can devise improvements upon them. But before I
begin to discuss the facts contained in these saving mysteries, I must
first humble the pride with which these heretics rebuke the names of
other heresies. I shall hold up to the light this ingenious cloak
for their own impiety. I shall shew that this very means of
concealing the deadliness of their teaching serves rather to reveal and
betray it, and is a widely effectual warning of the true character of
this honeyed poison.