3. We in accordance with the true doctrine
speak of the Son as neither like, Asserted at
Seleucia and Ariminum. nor
unlike
cf. D. Sp. S. § 4 on Aetius’
responsibility for the Anomœan formula. the
Father. Each of these terms is equally impossible, for like and unlike are
predicated in relation to quality, and the divine is free from
quality. We, on the contrary, confess identity of nature and
accepting the consubstantiality, and rejecting the composition of
the Father, God in substance, Who begat the Son, God in
substance. From this the consubstantiality τὸ
ὁμοούσιον. is proved. For God in essence or
substance is co-essential or con-substantial with God in essence
or substance. But when even man is called “god”
as in the words, “I have said ye are gods,”
Ps. lxxxii.
6. and “dæmon” as in the
words, “The gods of the nations are
dæmons,”
Ps. xcvi. 5, LXX. in the former
case the name is given by favour, in the latter untruly. God
alone is substantially and essentially God. When I say
“alone” I set forth the holy and uncreated essence and
substance of God. For the word “alone” is used
in the case of any individual and generally of human nature.
In the case of an individual, as for instance of Paul, that he
alone was caught into the third heaven and “heard
unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to
utter,”
2 Cor. xii.
4. and of human
nature, as when David says, “as for man his days are as
grass,”
Ps. cii. 15. not meaning
any particular man, but human nature generally; for every man is
short-lived and mortal. So we understand these words to be
said of the nature, “who alone hath
immortality”
1 Tim. vi.
16. and “to
God only wise,”
Rom. xvi. 27. and
“none is good save one, that is God,”
Luke xviii.
19. for here “one” means the
same as alone. So also, “which alone spreadest out the
heavens,”
Job ix. 8. and again
“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou
serve.”
Deut. vi. 13, LXX., where the text runs
κύριον
τὸν θεόν σου
φοβηθήσῃ.
St. Basil may quote the version in Matt. iv. 10 and Luke
iv. 8, προσκυνήσεις.
The Hebrew="fear".
“There is no God beside me.”
Deut. xxxii.
39, LXX. In Scripture “one”
and “only” are not predicated of God to mark
distinction from the Son and the Holy Ghost, but to except the
unreal gods falsely so called. As for instance, “The
Lord alone did lead them and there was no strange god with
them,”
Deut. xxxii.
12, LXX. and
“then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and
Ashtaroth, and did serve the Lord only.”
1 Sam. vii.
4. And so St. Paul, “For as
there be gods many and lords many, but to us there is but one god,
the Father, of whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ by
Whom are all things.”
1 Cor. viii. 5,
6.
Here we enquire why when he had said “one God” he was
not content, for we have said that “one” and
“only” when applied to God, indicate nature. Why
did he add the word Father and make mention of Christ? Paul,
a chosen vessel, did not, I imagine, think it sufficient only to
preach that the Son is God and the Holy Ghost God, which he had
expressed by the phrase “one God,” without, by the
further addition of “the Father,” expressing Him of
Whom are all things; and, by mentioning the Lord, signifying the
Word by Whom are all things; and yet further, by adding the words
Jesus Christ, announcing the incarnation, setting forth the
passion and publishing the resurrection. For the word Jesus
Christ suggests all these ideas to us. For this reason too
before His passion our Lord deprecates the designation of
“Jesus Christ,” and charges His disciples to
“tell no man that He was Jesus, the Christ.”
Matt. xvi.
19. For His purpose was, after the
completion of the œconomy, i.e. of
His work on earth as God manifest in the flesh. Vide
note, p. 7. after His
resurrection from the dead, and His assumption into heaven, to
commit to them the preaching of Him as Jesus, the Christ.
Such is the force of the words “That they may know Thee the
only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent,”
John xvii. 3. and again “Ye believe in God,
believe also in me.”
John xiv. 1.
Everywhere the Holy Ghost secures our conception of Him to save us
from falling in one direction while we advance in the other,
heeding the theology but neglecting the œconomy, cf.
note, p. 7. and so by omission falling into
impiety.