Against Eunomius 1.10–1.19

Basil of Caesarea · Against Eunomius · ca. 364 · Caesarea · 10 passages

Greek text: PG 29.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Chapter 1

1.10PG 29:529

Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως. Ἕν μὲν οὐδέν ἐστιν ὄνομα ὃ πᾶσαν ἐξαρκεῖ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φύσιν περιλαβὸν, ἱκανῶς ἐξαγγεῖλαι· πλείω δὲ καὶ ποικίλα κατ᾽ ἰδίαν ἕκαστον σημασίαν, ἀμυδρὰν μὲν παντελῶς καὶ μικροτάτην, ὡς πρὸς τὸ ὅλον, ἡμῖν γε μὴν ἐξαρκοῦσαν τὴν ἔννοιαν συναθροίζει, Ἐν τοίνυν τοῖς περὶ Θεοῦ λεγομένοις ὀνόμασι, τὰ μὲν τῶν προσόντων τῷ Θεῷ δηλωτικά ἐστι, τὰ δὲ τὸ ἐναντίον, τῶν μὴ προσόντων. Ἐκ δύο γὰρ τούτων οἱονεὶ χαρακτὴρ τις ἡμῖν ἐγγίνεται τοῦ θεοῦ, ἔκ τε τῆς τῶν ἀπεμφαινόντων ἀρνήσεως καὶ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὁμολογίας. Οἷον, … ἑαυτοῖς ἣ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ὅτι Μὴ οἴου φθορᾷ τὸν Θεὸν ὑποκεῖσθαι καὶ ὅταν ἀόρατον, ὅτι Μὴ ὑπολάβῃς αὑτὸν τῇ διὰ τῶν ὄψεων αἰσθήσει καταλαμβά… … τὸν προσγίνεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὅταν ἀγέννητον, ὅτι Μηδεμιᾶς αἰτίας μήτε ἀρχῆς ἐξῆφθαι τὸ εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ νομίσῃς. Καὶ ὅλως, ἐξ ἑκάστου τούτων διδασκόμεθα μὴ εἰς ἀπρεπεῖς ἐννοίας ἐν ταῖς περὶ Θεοῦ ὑπολήψεσι καταπίπτειν. Οὐκοῦν ἵνα τὸ ἐξαίρετον ἰδίωμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιγνῶμεν, ἀπαγορεύομεν ἀλλήλοις ἐν τοῖς περὶ Θεοῦ λόγοις, μὴ καταφέρειν τὰς διανοίας εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ, ἵνα μήποτε οἰηθῶσιν ἕν τῶν φθαρτῶν, ἢ ἕν τῶν ὁρατῶν, ἣ ἕν τῶν γεννητῶν τὸν Θεὸν ὑπάρχειν οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Ὥστε διὰ τούτων γε ἀπάντων τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων ὀνομάτων, οἱονεὶ ἀπάρνησίς τίς ἔστι τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου, διαρθρουμένης ἡμῶν τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τὰς περὶ τῶν μὴ προσόντων αὐτῷ ὑπολήψεις ἀποτιθεμένης. Πάλιν, ἀγαθὸν λέγομεν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ δίκαιον, καὶ δημιουργὸν καὶ κριτὴν, καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Ὡς οὖν ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνων ἀθέτησίν τινα καὶ ἀπαγόρευσιν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσήμαινον αἱ φωναὶ, οὕτως ἐνταῦθα θέσιν καὶ ὕπαρξιν τῶν οἰκείων τῷ Θεῷ καὶ πρεπόντως περὶ αὑτὸν θεωρουμένων ἀποσημαίνουσιν. Ἐκ τοίνυν ἑκατέρου τοῦ εἴδους τῶν προσηγοριῶν διδασκόμεθα, ἣ περὶ τῶν προσόντων, ὅτι πρόσεστιν, ἣ περὶ τῶν μὴ προσόντων, ὅτι μὴ πρόσεστι. Τό γε μὴν ἀγέννητον τῶν μὴ προσόντων ἐστὶ σημαντικόν" δηλοῖ γὰρ τὸ μὴ προσεῖναι γέννησιν τῷ Θεῷ. Τοῦτο δὲ εἴτε ἀφαιρετικὸν, εἴτε ἀπαγορευτικὸν ἢ ἀρνητικόν τι τοιοῦτον βούλοιτό τις προσαγορεύειν, οὐ διοισόμεθα. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων τῷ Θεῷ σημαντικόν ἐστι τὸ ἀγέννητον, ἀρκούντως οἶμαι δηλοῦσθαι τοῖς εἰρημένοις. Ἡ δὲ οὐσία οὐχ ἕν τι τῶν μὴ προσόντων ἐστὶν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅπερ ἐν τοῖς μὴ οὖσι καταριθμεῖν παρανοίας ἐστὶ τῆς ἀνωτάτω. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ οὐσία ἐν τοῖς μὴ οὖσι, σχολῇ γε ἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν λεγομένων εἴη. Δέδεικται δὲ τὸ ἀγέννητον τοῖς μὴ προσοῦσι συντεταγμένον ὥστε ψευδὴς ὁ τιθέμενος τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῆς εἶναι τὴν …

Echei de houtōs. Hen men ouden estin onoma ho pasan exarkei tēn tou Theou physin perilabon, hikanōs exangeilai; pleiō de kai poikila kat᾽ idian hekaston sēmasian, amydran men pantelōs kai mikrotatēn, hōs pros to holon, hēmin ge mēn exarkousan tēn ennoian synathroizei, En toinyn tois peri Theou legomenois onomasi, ta men tōn prosontōn tǭ Theǭ dēlōtika esti, ta de to enantion, tōn mē prosontōn. Ek dyo gar toutōn hoionei charaktēr tis hēmin enginetai tou theou, ek te tēs tōn apemphainontōn arnēseōs kai ek tēs tōn hyparchontōn homologias. Hoion, … heautois hē tois akouousin, hoti Mē oiou phthorą ton Theon hypokeisthai kai hotan aoraton, hoti Mē hypolabę̄s hauton tę̄ dia tōn opseōn aisthēsei katalamba… … ton prosginesthai tǭ Theǭ. Houtō dē kai hotan agennēton, hoti Mēdemias aitias mēte archēs exēphthai to einai tou Theou nomisę̄s. Kai holōs, ex hekastou toutōn didaskometha mē eis aprepeis ennoias en tais peri Theou hypolēpsesi katapiptein. Oukoun hina to exaireton idiōma tou theou epignōmen, apagoreuomen allēlois en tois peri Theou logois, mē katapherein tas dianoias eis ha mē dei, hina mēpote oiēthōsin hen tōn phthartōn, ē hen tōn horatōn, hē hen tōn gennētōn ton Theon hyparchein hoi anthrōpoi. Hōste dia toutōn ge apantōn tōn apēgoreumenōn onomatōn, hoionei aparnēsis tis esti tou allotriou, diarthroumenēs hēmōn tēs dianoias, kai tas peri tōn mē prosontōn autǭ hypolēpseis apotithemenēs. Palin, agathon legomen ton Theon, kai dikaion, kai dēmiourgon kai kritēn, kai alla hosa toiauta. Hōs oun ep᾽ ekeinōn athetēsin tina kai apagoreusin tōn allotriōn tou Theou esēmainon hai phōnai, houtōs entautha thesin kai hyparxin tōn oikeiōn tǭ Theǭ kai prepontōs peri hauton theōroumenōn aposēmainousin. Ek toinyn hekaterou tou eidous tōn prosēgoriōn didaskometha, hē peri tōn prosontōn, hoti prosestin, hē peri tōn mē prosontōn, hoti mē prosesti. To ge mēn agennēton tōn mē prosontōn esti sēmantikon" dēloi gar to mē proseinai gennēsin tǭ Theǭ. Touto de eite aphairetikon, eite apagoreutikon ē arnētikon ti toiouton bouloito tis prosagoreuein, ou dioisometha. Hoti de ou tōn hyparchontōn tǭ Theǭ sēmantikon esti to agennēton, arkountōs oimai dēlousthai tois eirēmenois. Hē de ousia ouch hen ti tōn mē prosontōn estin, all᾽ auto to einai tou Theou, hoper en tois mē ousi katarithmein paranoias esti tēs anōtatō. Ei gar hē ousia en tois mē ousi, scholę̄ ge an allo ti tōn legomenōn eiē. Dedeiktai de to agennēton tois mē prosousi syntetagmenon hōste pseudēs ho tithemenos tēs ousias autēs einai tēn …

[10] The matter stands thus. There is no one name that suffices to embrace the whole nature of God and to declare it adequately; but many and varied names, each with its own meaning, gather for us a notion that is entirely dim and very slight compared with the whole, yet sufficient for us. Of the names said of God, some indicate what belongs to God, others the opposite, what does not belong. For from these two something like an impression of God arises in us: from the denial of what is incongruous and from the confession of what exists. For example, … to ourselves or to our hearers, "Do not suppose that God is subject to corruption"; and when [we say] "invisible," "Do not suppose that he is grasped by the sense of sight …" … to accrue to God. So too when [we say] "unbegotten," [we mean], "Do not think that the being of God depends on any cause or beginning." And in general, from each of these we are taught not to fall into unfitting notions in our conceptions of God. So, in order to recognize the exceptional property of God, we forbid one another, in our discourses about God, to bring our minds down to what we should not, so that people may never think that God is one of the corruptible things, or one of the visible, or one of the begotten. So through all these prohibitive names there is, as it were, a denial of what is foreign, as our mind is given articulate shape and puts away its conceptions of what does not belong to him. Again, we call God good, and just, and creator, and judge, and other such things. As in the former case the words signified a kind of rejection and prohibition of what is foreign to God, so here they indicate the positing and existence of what is proper to God and fittingly contemplated in him. From each kind of designation, then, we are taught either, about what belongs, that it belongs, or, about what does not belong, that it does not belong. Now "unbegotten" signifies one of the things that do not belong: it shows that begetting does not belong to God. Whether one wishes to call this ablative, or prohibitive, or negative, or something of the kind, we will not quarrel. That "unbegotten" does not signify any of the things that belong to God has, I think, been shown sufficiently by what has been said. But essence is not one of the things that do not belong; it is the very being of God, and to count this among the things that are not is the height of madness. For if essence is among the things that are not, hardly could anything else said of him be anything. It has been shown that "unbegotten" is ranked with the things that do not belong; so the one who asserts that [ingeneracy] is his very essence is speaking falsely …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil explains that no single name expresses God's nature; some names affirm what belongs to God and others deny what does not.

Chapter 10 of Book 1 begins here and continues in staged 1.8. Lines are lost after 'For example' and at the end of the passage (marked …); Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.
Continuation of chapter 10. The opening words are lost in the scan (marked …), and the last sentence breaks off; the end of the chapter is not in the scan. 'Indicate' (ἀποσημαίνουσιν) is restored from the duplicate copy of this page in the scan (staged 1.18), where this copy has only its first letters.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): “Ἔχει δὲ → Ἔχει δὲ; ἐξαρχεῖ τὴν → ἐξαρκεῖ τὴν; περιλαθὸν, → περιλαβὸν,; ἱχανῶς ἐξαγγεῖλαι: → ἱκανῶς ἐξαγγεῖλαι·; χατ᾽ ἰδίαν → κατ᾽ ἰδίαν; ἕχαστον σημασίαν, → ἕκαστον σημασίαν,; μιχροτάτην, → μικροτάτην,; ἐξαρχοῦσαν → ἐξαρκοῦσαν; δηλωτιχά → δηλωτικά; προτόντων. → προσόντων.; Ἐχ δύο γὰρ → Ἐκ δύο γὰρ; χαραχτὴρ → χαρακτὴρ; ἐγγίνξται → ἐγγίνεται; ἔχ τε τῆς → ἔκ τε τῆς; ἀρνήσξως → ἀρνήσεως; Οἷον, ἑαυτοῖς → Οἷον, … ἑαυτοῖς; ἀχούουσιν, → ἀκούουσιν,; ὑποχεῖσθαι → ὑποκεῖσθαι; ὑπολάὄῃς → ὑπολάβῃς; καταλαμύά- (θ5) Ευ δύναιτ᾽ ἂν τό. Αἱ π|58. αιδίυογ δύναται τό. δὶ υΠτῷ ὁχ 115. ποπηΐ μι θι}5. θυ ναι νιν δβί, που. ἢ δϑίυτ οἱ ἢαι, τὰ (Ὡοἷ16 : 4105 ἠδ ἱπροιίῖο ἰη- ΡΕΙΠα πὶ δ θπ οἴ ἀϊεΐπηυ5, ποθὴ βϑουπίίυπι ἢ ππιὰ- → καταλαμβά…; Παροὲ δυίθιὴ 56 Γὺβ Πο 6 πιο. ΝΠ υτὴ αυΐ" χῆς. ξοὺ οἵ αὐτὴ ἰπν 51} 16 ην : Νὰ οχ σία οἱ οὐ ἱπροπίτ πη, Νἧ ἀγυ τγοτῖβ ὁχ }1ὰ οδυδβᾶ χυλιηθάπι, 86 ἱπιδγά οι! οη δι δἰ οἰ α"} ποι! οπει εν (εν ειτίοπ ον, δῖνα πθϑαιίοιθιη, δῖνα φυΐά ᾿νυαϑιπ οι 11... Αἱ γεγο Ευποηνῖι8. δἰ 4} (ὁ θ 60. βδουμίίαινν Δρδαγιία, δὰ γε! ρἸοβίογαπι 56} Π σαὶ βϑιθῃιλτἢ οὐἢ- ες νεγῦα, Ὡς οὖν, οἰς.. δ'ο δοθομνε ἴηι} αὶ: συοπηδιποάϊην πον μείναινα, {ηα} ἃ πὴ ἐπα τὸν → … τὸν; Μυηδεμιᾶς → Μηδεμιᾶς; ἀρχτῖς ἐξῆφθαι → ἀρχῆς ἐξῆφθαι; ἑχάστου τούτων → ἑκάστου τούτων; διδααχόμεθα → διδασκόμεθα; Οὐχοῦν ἵνα → Οὐκοῦν ἵνα; φθαρτῶν. → φθαρτῶν,; ὃ ἕν τῶν → ἢ ἕν τῶν; δίχαιον, → δίκαιον,; δ᾽ μιουργὸν, καὶ → δημιουργὸν καὶ; χριτὴν, καὶ → κριτὴν, καὶ; ἐχείνων ἀθέτησίν → ἐκείνων ἀθέτησίν; οἰχείων τῷ → οἰκείων τῷ; ἀποση Ἐχ τοίνυν → ἀποσημαίνουσιν. Ἐκ τοίνυν; ἑχατέρου → ἑκατέρου; διδασχόμεθα, → διδασκόμεθα,; σημαντιχόν" → σημαντικόν"; ἀφαιρετιχὸν, → ἀφαιρετικὸν,; ἀπαγορευτιχὸν → ἀπαγορευτικὸν; ἀρνητιχόν → ἀρνητικόν; τῶ Θεῷ σημᾶαντιο → τῷ Θεῷ σημαντικόν; κόν ἐστι → ἐστι; πὸ ἀγέννητον, → τὸ ἀγέννητον,; ἀρχούντως → ἀρκούντως; δτλοῦσθαις → δηλοῦσθαι; προσὄντων → προσόντων; χαταριθμεῖν → καταριθμεῖν; ἀνὼτάτω. → ἀνωτάτω.; τι- τῶν λεγομένων → τι τῶν λεγομένων; Δέδειχται → Δέδεικται; πὸ ἀγέννητον τοῖς → τὸ ἀγέννητον τοῖς; (71}" ὥστε → ὥστε; εἶναι τὴν → εἶναι τὴν ….

Topics: Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.10 (PG 29:529; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne PG 29 (archive.org OCR; slips, Migne's Latin and notes removed as logged corrections; chapters renumbered to Garnier's divisions) and checked privately against FOTC 122 (Against Eunomius).

1.11PG 29:529

Ὁ δὲ, ὡς ἐπ᾽ ἀτόπῳ τῷ κατὰ στέρησίν τι λέγεσθαι περὶ Θεοῦ δυσχεραίνων, ἐπὶ τὸ εὐσεβέστερον δῆθεν καταφεύγει, τὸ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν … πρὸς τὸ κεφάλαιον, οὕτω γράφει" ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Οὐκοῦν, εἰ μήτε κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν, μήτε κατὰ στέρησιν, μήτε ἐν μέρει (ἀμερὴς γὰρ), μήτε ἐν αὐτῷ ὡς ἕτερον (ἁπλοῦς γὰρ), μήτε παρ᾽ αὐτὸν ἕτερον (εἷς γὰρ καὶ μόνος ἀγέννητος), αὐτὸ ἂν εἴη οὐσία ἀγέννητος. ΒΑΣ. Ἤγαγε τὸν λόγον ἐφ᾽ ἃ ἐβούλετο, καὶ πανταχόθεν τὸ ἀγέννητον ἀποσπάσας, εἰς αὐτὴν συνήλασεν, ὡς ᾧετο, τὴν οὐσίαν - εἰπὼν περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ὅτι αὐτὸ ἄν εἴη οὐσία ἀγέννητος. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγέννητον εἶναι καὶ αὐτὸς ἂν φαίην, οὐ μὴν τὸ ἀγέννητον τὴν οὐσίαν. Ἔπειτα μέντοι κἀκείνῳ προσέχειν ἄξιον, ὅτι τὸ ἀμερὲς καὶ τὸ ἁπλοῦν, ταυτὸν ὑπάρχον κατὰ τὴν ἔννοιαν (ἀμερές τε γάρ ἐστι τὸ μὴ ἐκ μερῶν συγκείμενον, καὶ ἁπλοῦν ὡσαύτως τὸ μὴ ἐκ πλειόνων τὴν σύστασιν ἔχον), οὗτος ὡς διαφέροντα τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ διίστησιν ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων. Εἶτα ἀπαγορεύει μὴ δεῖν καταμερίζειν τὸν Θεὸν, μηδὲ τὸ μέν τι αὐτοῦ ἀγέννητον, τὸ δὲ γεννητὸν ὑποπτεύειν" μηδ᾽ αὖ ἐγκεῖσθαι ὡς ἕτερον ἐν ἑτέρῳ νομίζειν αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγέννητον. Τούτων δὲ τὸ μάταιον ἀποκνῶ διελέγχειν. Ἔοικε γάρ πως συνεξομοιοῦσθαι τῷ ματαιολογοῦντι ὁ ἀντιλέγων. Διόπερ, οἶμαι, ὁ σοφὸς παρεγγυᾷ Σολομὼν μὴ ἀποκρίνασθαι τῷ ἄφρονι κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην. Τοὺς γὰρ μήτε εἰρημένους μήτε λεχθέντας ποτὲ λόγους ὑπὸ διαίρεσιν ἤγαγεν, ἵνα δόξῃ ἐν πολλοῖς τοῖς ἀπηριθμημένοις, καθ᾽ ἕνα μόνον τρόπον, οἰκείως ἐξευρίσκειν λεγόμενον τὸ ἀγέννητον. Ἡμῖν δὲ ἴσως πλείονος ἔδει λόγου πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ψεύδους παράστασιν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ δεῖξαι, ὅτι περ οὐχ οὐσία Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγέννητον, εἴπερ τὰ ἐν τῇ διαιρέσει παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀπηριθμημένα μὴ σαφῶς ἐξελήλεγκτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἰσχυρῶς εἶχεν ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ, ὅτι οὔτε κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν οὔτε κατὰ στέρησιν λαμβάνεται τὸ ἀγέννητον, οὐδ᾽ οὕτω μὲν ἂν πάντως ἀκολουθίαν εἶχε τὸ συναγόμενον. Τίς γὰρ ἡ ἀνάγκη, ὑπὸ ἕν τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων τὴν ἀγεννησίαν πεσεῖν; Οὐ μὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ὡς ἀναγκαίως συνημμένον τοῖς προάγουσιν ἐπιφέρει τὸ, Οὐκοῦν εἰ μήτε κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν, μήτε κατὰ στέρησιν, μήτε κατὰ ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων τρόπον, αὑτὸ ἂν εἴη οὐσία ἀγέννητος " οὕτως ἡμεῖς ἀντιστρέψαντες εἴπωμεν, ὅτι Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν θεωρεῖται, καὶ στερητικόν ἔστι τὸ ὄνομα, οὐχὶ οὐσία τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγέννητον. Ἕως γὰρ οὐχ … τὴν ἰσχὺν ἀποδίδωσιν, οὐδεμίαν αὐτῷ χώραν ἕξει τὸ συναγόμενον.

Ho de, hōs ep᾽ atopǭ tǭ kata sterēsin ti legesthai peri Theou dyscherainōn, epi to eusebesteron dēthen katapheugei, to eis autēn tēn ousian … pros to kephalaion, houtō graphei" EUN. Oukoun, ei mēte kat᾽ epinoian, mēte kata sterēsin, mēte en merei (amerēs gar), mēte en autǭ hōs heteron (haplous gar), mēte par᾽ auton heteron (heis gar kai monos agennētos), auto an eiē ousia agennētos. BAS. Ēgage ton logon eph᾽ ha ebouleto, kai pantachothen to agennēton apospasas, eis autēn synēlasen, hōs hǭeto, tēn ousian - eipōn peri tou Theou tōn holōn, hoti auto an eiē ousia agennētos. Egō de tēn men ousian tou Theou agennēton einai kai autos an phaiēn, ou mēn to agennēton tēn ousian. Epeita mentoi kakeinǭ prosechein axion, hoti to ameres kai to haploun, tauton hyparchon kata tēn ennoian (ameres te gar esti to mē ek merōn synkeimenon, kai haploun hōsautōs to mē ek pleionōn tēn systasin echon), houtos hōs diapheronta tǭ hypokeimenǭ diistēsin ap᾽ allēlōn. Eita apagoreuei mē dein katamerizein ton Theon, mēde to men ti autou agennēton, to de gennēton hypopteuein" mēd᾽ au enkeisthai hōs heteron en heterǭ nomizein autǭ to agennēton. Toutōn de to mataion apoknō dielenchein. Eoike gar pōs synexomoiousthai tǭ mataiologounti ho antilegōn. Dioper, oimai, ho sophos parengyą Solomōn mē apokrinasthai tǭ aphroni kata tēn ekeinou aphrosynēn. Tous gar mēte eirēmenous mēte lechthentas pote logous hypo diairesin ēgagen, hina doxę̄ en pollois tois apērithmēmenois, kath᾽ hena monon tropon, oikeiōs exeuriskein legomenon to agennēton. Hēmin de isōs pleionos edei logou pros tēn tou pseudous parastasin, kai pros to deixai, hoti per ouch ousia Theou to agennēton, eiper ta en tę̄ diairesei par᾽ autou apērithmēmena mē saphōs exelēlenkto. Ei gar ischyrōs eichen ho logos autǭ, hoti oute kat᾽ epinoian oute kata sterēsin lambanetai to agennēton, oud᾽ houtō men an pantōs akolouthian eiche to synagomenon. Tis gar hē anankē, hypo hen tōn apērithmēmenōn tēn agennēsian pesein? Ou mēn all᾽ epeidē autos hōs anankaiōs synēmmenon tois proagousin epipherei to, Oukoun ei mēte kat᾽ epinoian, mēte kata sterēsin, mēte kata allon tina tōn apērithmēmenōn tropon, hauto an eiē ousia agennētos " houtōs hēmeis antistrepsantes eipōmen, hoti Oukoun epeidē kat᾽ epinoian theōreitai, kai sterētikon esti to onoma, ouchi ousia tou Theou to agennēton. Heōs gar ouch … tēn ischyn apodidōsin, oudemian autǭ chōran hexei to synagomenon.

[11] But he, objecting as if it were absurd that anything should be said of God by way of privation, takes refuge in what is supposedly more pious, the placing [of the unbegotten] in the very essence … pressing on to the main point, he writes thus:

EUNOMIUS: "Therefore, if [it is] neither by conceptualization, nor by privation, nor as a part (for he is without parts), nor in him as something other (for he is simple), nor alongside him as something other (for he is one and alone unbegotten), it would itself be unbegotten essence."

BASIL: He has brought his argument where he wanted, and having dragged "unbegotten" away from every side, he has driven it, as he thought, into the essence itself, saying of the God of the universe that "it would itself be unbegotten essence." For my part, I too would say that the essence of God is unbegotten, but not that the unbegotten is the essence. Then it is also worth noticing that "without parts" and "simple," though they are the same in concept (for what is not composed of parts is without parts, and likewise what does not have its constitution from many things is simple), he separates from each other as if they differed in their substrate. Then he forbids us to divide God up, or to suspect that one part of him is unbegotten and another begotten, or to think that the unbegotten lies in him as one thing in another. I shrink from refuting the vanity of these things; for somehow the one who answers comes to resemble the one who talks vanities. That, I think, is why the wise Solomon advises not to answer a fool according to his folly. For he subjected to division arguments that were never stated or ever said by anyone, so that, among the many things he enumerated, he might seem to find that "unbegotten" is properly said in one way only. Perhaps we would need a longer argument to establish the falsehood and to show that "unbegotten" is not the essence of God, if the items listed by him in his division had not already been clearly refuted. For even if his argument were strong that "unbegotten" is taken neither by conceptualization nor by privation, not even so would his conclusion follow at all. For what necessity is there that ingeneracy fall under one of the items he listed? Nevertheless, since he himself infers, as necessarily connected with the premises, "Therefore, if neither by conceptualization nor by privation nor in any other of the ways listed, it would itself be unbegotten essence," let us turn it around and say, "Therefore, since it is contemplated by conceptualization and the name is privative, the unbegotten is not the essence of God." For so long as … gives it its force, his conclusion will have no place at all.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Prov 26:4 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil answers Eunomius's argument by elimination that God is 'unbegotten essence,' granting that God's essence is unbegotten but denying that 'unbegotten' is the essence.

Chapter 11 of Book 1. Lines are lost after 'in the very essence' and near the end (marked …); Migne's Latin and notes of variant readings are removed by logged corrections. The same chapter appears again in the scan (staged 1.19-1.20).
Prov 26:4.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); word broken at a line end rejoined): χατὰ στέρησίν → κατὰ στέρησίν; εὐσεθέστερον → εὐσεβέστερον; χαταφεύγει, → καταφεύγει,; ᾿ὶς ἐλλειπτιχῶς ᾿θοτν [ε886, εἷς αι ροβὶ υοσθιη εἴη 5 ϑηθίδίαν ἐν οὖσι, ἐπ ὀχειαπίϊϑιι : 4188. πρὸς → … πρὸς; χεφάλαιον, → κεφάλαιον,; Οὐχοῦν, εἰ → Οὐκοῦν, εἰ; χατὰ στέρησιν, → κατὰ στέρησιν,; αὖὐτῷ ὡς → αὐτῷ ὡς; ἐδούλετο, → ἐβούλετο,; πανπαχόθεν → πανταχόθεν; Ἐτγὼ δὲ τὴν → Ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν; χἀχείνῳ προσέχειν → κἀκείνῳ προσέχειν; ἀμε- Β ρὲς → ἀμερὲς; συγχείμεγον, → συγκείμενον,; ἐχ πλειόνων → ἐκ πλειόνων; ὑποχειμένῳ → ὑποκειμένῳ; χα- «μερίζειν τὸν → καταμερίζειν τὸν; ἐγχεῖσθαι → ἐγκεῖσθαι; Τούτῶν δὲ → Τούτων δὲ; ἀποχνῶ διελέγχειν. → ἀποκνῶ διελέγχειν.; ἼἜοιχε γάρ → Ἔοικε γάρ; ἀποχρίνασθαι → ἀποκρίνασθαι; χατὰ τὴν → κατὰ τὴν; ἐχείνου ἀφροσύγην. → ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην.; χαθ᾽ ἕνα → καθ᾽ ἕνα; οἰχείως ἐξευρίσχειν → οἰκείως ἐξευρίσκειν; Θ:οϑ τὸ ἀγέννητον, → Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγέννητον,; αὖποῦ ἀπηριθμημένα → αὐτοῦ ἀπηριθμημένα; ἐξελήλεγχτο. → ἐξελήλεγκτο.; χατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν → κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν; χατὰ στέρησιν λαμθάνεται → κατὰ στέρησιν λαμβάνεται; ἀχολουθίαν → ἀκολουθίαν; ἀνάγχη, ὑπὸ → ἀνάγκη, ὑπὸ; στέρήησιν, → στέρησιν,; χατὰ ἄλλον → κατὰ ἄλλον; ἀπηριθμημέτων → ἀπηριθμημένων; οἱ δι ιηρΙοχ δἰ 6 γ φυοὰ ἃ ῥ᾽] υγῖθι.8. ποι) σοηϑίδ!); 8076 οἱ, αἱ, λυ 18 ὀηυ πο Γαι5, ἰηνθηῖγα υἱ θαι ΠΕΠῚ δου Γαΐα βυηϊ, ζω) ᾿ἰφυΐο τοίαιδια 6856 η}. τρόπον, → τρόπον,; ἢ. ἀντιστρέψαντες → ἀντιστρέψαντες; Οὐχοῦν ἐπειδὴ → Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ; γὰο οὐχ ταφεύγει, τὸ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν τίθεσθαι τὸ ἀγέννητον. ϑιιρρίδ ἤτοι ἐπί, αἱ ἰ6ψ:15 ἤτοι ἐπὶ τὸ εἰς αὖτὴν τήν, εἰς. γ᾽αοι σοι 60 σου φῖι τ δας Πὰν, τὸ εἰς αὑτὴν, ἰῃνδγίθ, αἱ ἰ6βι5, εἰς τὸ αὐτὴν τήν, 6ἰς., ἐία ( Βορ. φυλγίυ8 ἀποσπάσας ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν. δέ γαιΐοης σὈηβιἀδγαῖαν, οἱ ρυί γι νυ πὶ "χ σοιππιυη πα ποιίοηο 3. Αἵ 95. Π δυο πὶ 6856, ποη αυΐά "θη, σὐπὶ οἰεὶῖ : Μιταν 5 [αοία δε ΞΟ ἐπ ΐα τα δας πο 5 (6 βυυδίδητϊα Πεὶ ἀοοίγίνα πη τοὶ υΐι ἢ Ηἰς δὰ ἐπιρεγυιθει ρα δε υἷι εἾιια 121 Ουοά 58] πῶς {ΠΠ] ἱρϑὶ τὴν → γὰρ οὐχ … τὴν.

Topics: Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.11 (PG 29:529; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.12PG 29:529

Ὅλως δὲ, τὸ οἴεσθαι τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν ἐξευρηκέναι, πόσης ὑπερηφανίας ἐστὶ καὶ φυσιώσεως ; Σχεδὸν γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸν ἀποκρύπτουσι τῇ μεγαληγορίᾳ τὸν εἰπόντα - Ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου" οἵ γε οὐχὶ ἀστέρων, ἣ οὐρανοῦ κατατολμῶσιν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὴν ἐμβατεύειν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τὴν οὐσίαν …ται. Ἐξετάσωμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν, πόθεν αὐτῆς φασιν ἐν περινοίᾳ γεγενῆσθαι. Ἆρ᾽ ἐκ τῆς κοινῆς ἐννοίας; Ἀλλ᾽ αὕτη τὸ εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν, οὐ τὸ τί εἶναι ἡμῖν ὑποβάλλει. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐκ τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Πνεύματος; Ποίας; ἣ τῆς ποῦ κειμένης; Οὐχ ὁ μὲν μέγας Δαβίδ, ᾧ τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σοφίας ἐδήλωσεν ὁ Θεὸς, φανερῶς ὁμολογεῖ τῆς γνώσεως τὸ ἀπρόσιτον, λέγων: Ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ, ἐκραταιώθη" οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὑτήν; Ἡσαῖας δὲ, ὁ ἐν θεωρίᾳ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ γενόμενος, τί περὶ τῆς θείας οὐσίας ἐδήλωσεν ἡμῖν; ὃς γε ἐν τῇ περὶ Χριστοῦ προφητείᾳ διαμαρτύρεται λέγων" Τὴν γενεὰν αὖτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; Τί δὲ τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς Παῦλος, ὁ λαλοῦντα ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Χριστὸν, ὁ ἕως τρίτου ἁρπαγεὶς οὐρανοῦ, ὁ τὰ ἄῤῥητα ἀκούσας ῥήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι, τίνα ἡμῖν περὶ οὐσίας Θεοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἀφῆκεν; ὅς γε ὅτε εἰς ἰλιγγιάσας πρὸς τὸ τῆς θεωρίας ἀδιεξόδευτον, ἐκείνην ἐξεβόησε τὴν φωνήν" Ὦ βάθος πλούτου καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ " ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ ! Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς εἰς τὸ τῆς Παύλου γνώσεως μέτρον ἐφθακόσιν ἀνέφικτα, πόσος ὁ τῦφος τῶν ἐπαγγελλομένων εἰδέναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν; Οὖς ἠδέως ἂν ἐρωτήσαιμι περὶ τῆς γῆς ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἑστᾶσι, καὶ ἀφ᾽ ἧς γεγόνασι, τί ποτε λέγουσι; τίνα αὐτῆς τὴν οὐσίαν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ἡμῖν; ἵνα, ἐὰν ἄρα περὶ τῶν χαμαὶ καὶ ὑπὸ τοῖς ποσὶ κειμένων ἀναντιρρήτως ἡμῖν διαλεχθῶσι, τότε αὐτοῖς καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐπέκεινα πάσης ἐννοίας διατεινομένοις πιστεύσωμεν. Τίς οὖν τῆς γῆς ἡ οὐσία; ποῖος τρόπος τῆς καταλήψεως; Ἀποκρινάσθωσαν … αἴσθησις; καὶ εἰ μὲν τὴν αἴσθησιν φήσουσι, ποία τῶν αἰσθήσεών ἔστι καταληπτή; Ὁράσει; Ἀλλὰ χρωμάτων ἐστὶν ἀντιληπτικὴ αὕτη. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἁφῇ; Καὶ αὕτη σκληρότητος καὶ ἀπαλότητος, καὶ θερμοῦ καὶ ψυχροῦ, καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶ διακριτικὴ, ὧν οὐδὲν ἄν τις οὐσίαν εἴποι, μὴ εἰς ἔσχατον παρανοίας ὑπενεχθείς. Περὶ γεύσεως δὲ καὶ ὀσφρήσεως τί χρὴ καὶ λέγειν; ὧν ἡ μὲν χυμῶν, ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα τῶν ἀτμῶν τὴν ἀντίληψιν ἔχει. ᾿Ακοὴ δὲ ψόφων ἐστὶ καὶ φωνῶν αἱσθητικὴ, τῶν οὐδεμίαν ἐχόντων πρὸς τὴν γῆν οἰκειότητα. Λείπεται οὖν τῷ λόγῳ φάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτῆς εὑρηκέναι. Ποίῳ τούτῳ; ποῦ τῆς Γραφῆς κειμένῳ; ὑπὸ τίνος τῶν ἁγίων παραδοθέντι;

Holōs de, to oiesthai tou epi pantōn Theou autēn tēn ousian exeurēkenai, posēs hyperēphanias esti kai physiōseōs ? Schedon gar kai auton apokryptousi tę̄ megalēgorią ton eiponta - Epanō tōn astrōn thēsomai ton thronon mou" hoi ge ouchi asterōn, hē ouranou katatolmōsin, all᾽ autēn embateuein tou Theou tōn holōn tēn ousian …tai. Exetasōmen gar auton, pothen autēs phasin en perinoią gegenēsthai. Ar᾽ ek tēs koinēs ennoias? All᾽ hautē to einai ton Theon, ou to ti einai hēmin hypoballei. ᾿All᾽ ek tēs didaskalias tou Pneumatos? Poias? hē tēs pou keimenēs? Ouch ho men megas Dabid, hǭ ta adēla kai ta kryphia tēs heautou sophias edēlōsen ho Theos, phanerōs homologei tēs gnōseōs to aprositon, legōn: Ethaumastōthē hē gnōsis sou ex emou, ekrataiōthē" ou mē dynōmai pros hautēn? Hēsaias de, ho en theōrią tēs doxēs tou Theou genomenos, ti peri tēs theias ousias edēlōsen hēmin? hos ge en tę̄ peri Christou prophēteią diamartyretai legōn" Tēn genean autou tis diēgēsetai? Ti de to skeuos tēs eklogēs Paulos, ho lalounta echōn en heautǭ ton Christon, ho heōs tritou harpageis ouranou, ho ta arrhēta akousas rhēmata, ha ouk exon anthrōpǭ lalēsai, tina hēmin peri ousias Theou didaskalian aphēken? hos ge hote eis ilingiasas pros to tēs theōrias adiexodeuton, ekeinēn exeboēse tēn phōnēn" Ō bathos ploutou kai sophias kai gnōseōs Theou " hōs anexereunēta ta krimata autou, kai anexichniastoi hai hodoi autou ! Ei de tauta tois eis to tēs Paulou gnōseōs metron ephthakosin anephikta, posos ho typhos tōn epangellomenōn eidenai tou Theou tēn ousian? Ous ēdeōs an erōtēsaimi peri tēs gēs eph᾽ hēs hestasi, kai aph᾽ hēs gegonasi, ti pote legousi? tina autēs tēn ousian apangellousin hēmin? hina, ean ara peri tōn chamai kai hypo tois posi keimenōn anantirrētōs hēmin dialechthōsi, tote autois kai peri tōn epekeina pasēs ennoias diateinomenois pisteusōmen. Tis oun tēs gēs hē ousia? poios tropos tēs katalēpseōs? Apokrinasthōsan … aisthēsis? kai ei men tēn aisthēsin phēsousi, poia tōn aisthēseōn esti katalēptē? Horasei? Alla chrōmatōn estin antilēptikē hautē. ᾿All᾽ haphę̄? Kai hautē sklērotētos kai apalotētos, kai thermou kai psychrou, kai tōn toioutōn esti diakritikē, hōn ouden an tis ousian eipoi, mē eis eschaton paranoias hypenechtheis. Peri geuseōs de kai osphrēseōs ti chrē kai legein? hōn hē men chymōn, hē de hetera tōn atmōn tēn antilēpsin echei. ᾿Akoē de psophōn esti kai phōnōn haisthētikē, tōn oudemian echontōn pros tēn gēn oikeiotēta. Leipetai oun tǭ logǭ phaskein autous tēn ousian autēs heurēkenai. Poiǭ toutǭ? pou tēs Graphēs keimenǭ? hypo tinos tōn hagiōn paradothenti?

[12] In general, how much arrogance and pride it is to think one has discovered the very essence of the God over all! Indeed, with their boasting they almost put in the shade the one who said, "I will set my throne above the stars"; for it is not the stars or heaven that they dare to assault, but the very essence of the God of the universe that they [claim] to penetrate. Let us examine him, then: from where does he say he has come to comprehend it? From the common notion? But that suggests to us that God is, not what he is. From the teaching of the Spirit? Which teaching? Where does it lie? Does not the great David, to whom God made known the hidden and secret things of his wisdom, plainly confess that knowledge is inaccessible, saying, "Your knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too mighty, I cannot attain to it"? And Isaiah, who came to the vision of the glory of God, what did he make known to us about the divine essence? He who in his prophecy about Christ testifies, saying, "Who will declare his generation?" And what of the chosen vessel Paul, who had Christ speaking in him, who was caught up to the third heaven, who heard inexpressible words that it is not lawful for a man to speak: what teaching about the essence of God did he leave us? He who, when he grew dizzy before the impassability of contemplation, cried out that famous cry, "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" If these things are beyond the reach of those who have attained the measure of Paul's knowledge, how great is the conceit of those who profess to know the essence of God? I would gladly ask them about the earth on which they stand and from which they came into being: what do they say it is? What essence of it do they report to us? Then, if they can discuss with us beyond dispute the things that lie on the ground beneath our feet, we may believe them also when they insist on what lies beyond all thought. What, then, is the essence of the earth? What is the way of grasping it? Let them answer … [Is it] sense perception? And if they say sense perception, by which of the senses is it grasped? By sight? But sight perceives colors. By touch? This too discerns hardness and softness, hot and cold, and the like, none of which anyone would call essence unless carried to the extreme of folly. What need is there to speak of taste and smell, of which one perceives flavors and the other vapors? Hearing perceives noises and sounds, which have no affinity with the earth. It remains, then, for them to say that they have found its essence by reason. What reason? Where does it lie in Scripture? By which of the saints was it handed down?

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Isa 14:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 51:6 (50:8 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 139:6 (138:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 9:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 13:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 11:33 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil rebukes the claim to know God's essence, citing David, Isaiah, and Paul, and challenges the Eunomians to say what even the essence of the earth is.

Chapter 12 of Book 1. A line is lost after 'Let them answer' (marked …); Migne's Latin and scripture references are removed by logged corrections. The chapter appears again in the scan (staged 1.21).
Isa 14:13; Ps 51:6 (LXX 50:8); Ps 139:6 (LXX 138:6); Isa 53:8; Acts 9:15; 2 Cor 13:3; 2 Cor 12:2-4; Rom 11:33.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): “Ὅλως δὲ, → Ὅλως δὲ,; αὐ» τὴν τὴν οὐσίαν → αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν; ἐξευρηχέναι, → ἐξευρηκέναι,; ἱ Σχεδὸν → ; Σχεδὸν; ἀποχρύπτουσι → ἀποκρύπτουσι; Ἑ πάνω τῶν → Ἐπάνω τῶν; χατατολμῶσιν, → κατατολμῶσιν,; ἐμδατεύειν → ἐμβατεύειν; ται. Ἐξετάσωμεν → …ται. Ἐξετάσωμεν; φτσιν ἐν → φασιν ἐν; ἾΑρ᾽ ἐχ τῆς χοινῖς ἐννοίας; → Ἆρ᾽ ἐκ τῆς κοινῆς ἐννοίας;; ᾿Λλλ᾽ αὕτη → Ἀλλ᾽ αὕτη; ὑποδάλλει. → ὑποβάλλει.; ἐχ τῆς διδασχαλίχς → ἐκ τῆς διδασκαλίας; Β τοῦ Πνεύματος; → τοῦ Πνεύματος;; χειμένης; → κειμένης;; Δαδὶδ, ᾧ → Δαβίδ, ᾧ; χρύφια τῖς ἑαυτοῦ → κρύφια τῆς ἑαυτοῦ; ἐχραταιώθη" → ἐκραταιώθη"; δύκωμαι πρὸς → δύνωμαι πρὸς; τῖς θείας → τῆς θείας; σχεῦος τῆς → σκεῦος τῆς; ἐχλογῇ: Παῦλος, → ἐκλογῆς Παῦλος,; διδασχαλίαν → διδασκαλίαν; ἀφῆχεν; ὅς → ἀφῆκεν; ὅς; πρὸ; τὸ τῆς → πρὸς τὸ τῆς; ἐχεΐγὴν ἐξεδόησε → ἐκείνην ἐξεβόησε; πιϊούτου → πλούτου; γγώσεως Θεοῦ → γνώσεως Θεοῦ; ἀνεξερεύγητα → ἀνεξερεύνητα; αὐτοῖ ! Εἰ → αὐτοῦ ! Εἰ; ἐφθαχόσιν → ἐφθακόσιν; ἀνέφιχτα, → ἀνέφικτα,; χειμένων → κειμένων; ἀναντιῤῥέτως → ἀναντιρρήτως; δια-λεχθῶσι, → διαλεχθῶσι,; ἐπέχεινα → ἐπέκεινα; πάστς ἐννοίας → πάσης ἐννοίας; χαταλήψεως; → καταλήψεως;; ᾿Αποχρινά- → Ἀποκρινάσθωσαν …; 41} Υἱδαμθῦ Αἱ Πἷς οοἰογα8 ρογοίρίι. Αἱ τοι 7 Αι Ἰνὶς ἀυτγί ἴεν δἰ πιο θην, σαὶ θα οἱ [τίφίαι, οἱ αθησις; καὶ → αἴσθησις; καὶ; χαταληπτή; → καταληπτή;; ᾿Α)λὰ χρωμάτων → Ἀλλὰ χρωμάτων; ἀντιληπτιχὴ → ἀντιληπτικὴ; σχληρότητος → σκληρότητος; διαχριτιχὴ, → διακριτικὴ,; παρανρίας → παρανοίας; ὑπεγεχθείς. → ὑπενεχθείς.; 1 [38. χιν, 15. 7: Ρβ8], Ἴχχχυπι, δ, 18 [58. μι, 8. 72 οπι. χι, 85 Ηᾳ. τεγιΐα8 ἐδήλωσε φανερῶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὁμολογεῖ, ἤθη ἰϊὰ γθοῖα. ᾿Αλλ ἀφῇ; καὶ αὕτη. λέγειν; → λέγειν;; Α Αὐάϊίυβ ἀντίληψιν → ἀντίληψιν; ᾿Αχοὴ δὲ → ᾿Ακοὴ δὲ; αἱσθητιχὴ, → αἱσθητικὴ,; οἰχειότῆτα, → οἰκειότητα.; φάσχειν αὐτοὺς → φάσκειν αὐτοὺς; εὑρηχέναι. → εὑρηκέναι..

Topics: Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.12 (PG 29:529; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.13PG 29:529

Ὁ μέν γε περὶ τῆς κτίσεως ἡμῖν διαλεχθεὶς, τοσοῦτον ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι Ἕν ἀρχῆ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν" ἡ δὲ γῆ ἣν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος " ἐξαρκεῖν ἡγούμενος τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτὴν καὶ διακοσμήσαντα διαγγεῖλαι· τίς δὲ ἢ οὐσία ταύτης περιεργάζεσθαι, ὡς μάταιον καὶ ἀνωφελὲς τοῖς ἀκούουσι παρῃτήσατο. Εἰ τοίνυν μήτε τῇ ἐκ τῆς αἰσθήσεως μαρτυρίᾳ, μήτε τῇ ἐκ τοῦ λόγου διδασκαλίᾳ, ἢ γνῶσις αὐτῆς βεβαιοῦται, πόθεν ἔτι φήσουσι τὴν κατάληψιν αὐτῆς ἐσχηκέναι; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὅσον αὐτῆς αἰσθητὸν, ἣ χρῶμά ἐστιν, ἣ ὄγκος, ἣ βάρος, ἣ κουφότης, ἢ πυκνότης, ἣ χαυνότης, ἣ ἀντιτυπία, ἣ ἁπαλότης, ἢ ψυχρότης, ἢ θερμότης, ἣ αἱ κατὰ τοὺς χυμοὺς ποιότητες, ἢ αἱ κατὰ σχῆμα διαφοραί: ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν οὐσίαν εἴποιεν οὗτοι, οὐδὲ εἰ πάντα ῥᾳδίως λέγοιεν. Λόγῳ δὲ πάλιν οὐδενὶ γέγονε θεωρητὴ τῶν σοφῶν καὶ μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν " ποῖος οὖν ἔτι τρόπος τῆς γνώσεως ὑπολείπεται; ᾿Αποκρινάσθωσαν ἡμῖν οἱ περιφρονοῦντες μὲν πάντα τὰ ἐν ποσὶ, διαβαίνοντες δὲ τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ πάσας τὰς ὑπερχοσμίους δυνάμεις, αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ πρώτῃ οὐσίᾳ διὰ τοῦ νοῦ συναπτόμενοι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἔοικεν ὁ τῦφος πάντων εἶναι τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις παθῶν χαλεπώτατον, καὶ ὄντως τῷ τοῦ διαβόλου κρίματι περιβάλλειν, οἷς ἂν προσγένηται. Ὅθεν καὶ οὗτοι οὐδὲ τῆς γῆς, ἣν καταπατοῦσι, τὴν φύσιν, ἥτις ἐστὶν, ἐπιστάμενοι, αὐτὴν ἐμβατεύειν τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀλαζονεύονται. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ ὁ Θεὸς, τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῷ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τῷ Ἰακὼβ, ὧν, διὰ τὸ εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν τελεῖν, καὶ τὸ Θεὸς ὀνομάζεσθαι, ὥς τι ἐξαίρετον καὶ πρέπον τῇ ἑαυτοῦ μεγαλειότητι, προετίμησε, λέγων ἑαυτὸν Θεὸν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ Θεὸν Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Θεὸν Ἰακώβ· Τοῦτο γάρ μού ἐστιν ὄνομα αἰώνιον, φησὶ, καὶ μνημόσυνον γενεῶν" γενεαῖς. Τούτοις τοίνυν οὐδὲ τὸ ὄνομα ἑαυτοῦ ἐδήλωσεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἤπου γε τὴν οὐσίαν ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀπεκάλυψεν. ᾿Εγὼ γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος " καὶ ὤφθην πρὸς Ἀβραάμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ, Θεὸς ὧν αὐτῶν" καὶ τὸ ὄνομά μου οὐκ ἐδήλωσα αὐτοῖς" ὡς μεῖζον δηλονότι ἣ ὥστε ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἀκοῇ χωρηθῆναι. Εὐνομίῳ δὲ, ὡς ἔοικεν, οὐ τὸ ὄνομα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν ὁ Θεὸς ἐνεφάνισε " καὶ τὸ τοσοῦτον ἀπόῤῥητον, ὃ μηδενὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἐφανερώθη, αὐτὸς ἐν βίβλοις γράφων δημοσιεύει καὶ ἐκλαλεῖ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀπερισκέπτως. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀποκείμενα ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν γνῶσίν ἐστιν ἀνθρωπίνην, καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπερέχει πάντα νοῦν " αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ καταδέχεται ὑπὲρ πάντα νοῦν καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν γνῶσιν ἀνθρώπων εἶναι.

Ho men ge peri tēs ktiseōs hēmin dialechtheis, tosouton hēmas edidaxen, hoti Hen archē epoiēsen ho Theos ton ouranon kai tēn gēn" hē de gē hēn aoratos kai akataskeuastos " exarkein hēgoumenos ton poiēsanta autēn kai diakosmēsanta diangeilai; tis de ē ousia tautēs periergazesthai, hōs mataion kai anōpheles tois akouousi parę̄tēsato. Ei toinyn mēte tę̄ ek tēs aisthēseōs martyrią, mēte tę̄ ek tou logou didaskalią, ē gnōsis autēs bebaioutai, pothen eti phēsousi tēn katalēpsin autēs eschēkenai? To men gar hoson autēs aisthēton, hē chrōma estin, hē onkos, hē baros, hē kouphotēs, ē pyknotēs, hē chaunotēs, hē antitypia, hē hapalotēs, ē psychrotēs, ē thermotēs, hē hai kata tous chymous poiotētes, ē hai kata schēma diaphorai: hōn ouden an ousian eipoien houtoi, oude ei panta rhądiōs legoien. Logǭ de palin oudeni gegone theōrētē tōn sophōn kai makariōn andrōn " poios oun eti tropos tēs gnōseōs hypoleipetai? ᾿Apokrinasthōsan hēmin hoi periphronountes men panta ta en posi, diabainontes de ton ouranon, kai pasas tas hyperchosmious dynameis, autę̄ de tę̄ prōtę̄ ousią dia tou nou synaptomenoi. ᾿All᾽ eoiken ho typhos pantōn einai tōn en anthrōpois pathōn chalepōtaton, kai ontōs tǭ tou diabolou krimati periballein, hois an prosgenētai. Hothen kai houtoi oude tēs gēs, hēn katapatousi, tēn physin, hētis estin, epistamenoi, autēn embateuein tēn ousian tou Theou tōn holōn alazoneuontai. Kai tois men hagiois autou ho Theos, tǭ Abraam kai tǭ Isaak kai tǭ Iakōb, hōn, dia to eis pasan aretēn telein, kai to Theos onomazesthai, hōs ti exaireton kai prepon tę̄ heautou megaleiotēti, proetimēse, legōn heauton Theon Abraam, kai Theon Isaak, kai Theon Iakōb; Touto gar mou estin onoma aiōnion, phēsi, kai mnēmosynon geneōn" geneais. Toutois toinyn oude to onoma heautou edēlōsen ho Theos, ēpou ge tēn ousian hētis estin apekalypsen. ᾿Egō gar, phēsi, Kyrios " kai ōphthēn pros Abraam, kai Isaak, kai ᾿Iakōb, Theos hōn autōn" kai to onoma mou ouk edēlōsa autois" hōs meizon dēlonoti hē hōste anthrōpinę̄ akoę̄ chōrēthēnai. Eunomiǭ de, hōs eoiken, ou to onoma monon, alla kai autēn autou tēn ousian ho Theos enephanise " kai to tosouton aporrhēton, ho mēdeni tōn hagiōn ephanerōthē, autos en biblois graphōn dēmosieuei kai eklalei pasin anthrōpois aperiskeptōs. Kai ta men en epangeliais apokeimena hēmin hyper pasan gnōsin estin anthrōpinēn, kai hē eirēnē tou theou hyperechei panta noun " autēn de tēn ousian tou Theou ou katadechetai hyper panta noun kai hyper pasan gnōsin anthrōpōn einai.

[13] The one who gave us an account of creation taught us only this much: "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth; and the earth was invisible and unformed." He thought it enough to declare who had made it and set it in order, but he declined to busy himself with what its essence is, as vain and unprofitable for his hearers. If, then, the knowledge of it is confirmed neither by the testimony of the senses nor by the teaching of reason, from where will they still say they have gained their grasp of it? For as much of it as is perceptible is either color, or bulk, or weight, or lightness, or density, or porousness, or resistance, or softness, or cold, or heat, or the qualities belonging to flavors, or the differences of shape; and none of these would they call essence, however readily they talk about everything. Nor, again, has it become contemplatable by any argument of the wise and blessed men. What way of knowing, then, still remains? Let them answer us, these men who despise everything at their feet, but pass beyond heaven and all the powers above the world and join themselves by the mind to the first essence itself. But it seems that conceit is the most grievous of all human passions, and truly casts those in whom it arises into the condemnation of the devil. That is why these men, who do not know even the nature of the earth they tread underfoot, what it is, boast that they penetrate the very essence of the God of the universe. His saints Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they had reached every virtue, God honored above others with the name of God, as something exceptional and befitting his own majesty, calling himself the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob ("for this is my eternal name," he says, "and my memorial for generations of generations"). To these, then, God did not make known even his name, much less reveal what his essence is. "I am the Lord," he says, "and I appeared to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, being their God, and my name I did not make known to them"—clearly because it is too great to be contained by human hearing. But to Eunomius, it seems, God has manifested not only his name but his very essence; and this ineffable secret, so great that it was disclosed to none of the saints, he himself publishes, writing it in books and blurting it out to all people without a thought. The things laid up for us in the promises are beyond all human knowledge, and the peace of God surpasses every mind; but he does not allow that the very essence of God is beyond every mind and beyond all human knowledge.

Gen 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 3:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 6:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:6 (echo, medium confidence) · Phil 4:7 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil notes that Moses did not inquire into the essence of the earth and that God did not reveal even his name to the patriarchs, so that claiming to know God's essence is the height of conceit.

Chapter 13 of Book 1; it continues in staged 1.23. In the scan this passage is followed by a second copy of the pages holding chapters 6-7 (= staged 1.3); that duplicate, and Migne's Latin and notes, are removed by logged corrections. The opening of the chapter also appears in staged 1.22.
Gen 1:1-2; Exod 3:15; Exod 6:2-3, quoted in the Septuagint form; 'the condemnation of the devil' recalls 1 Tim 3:6.
End of chapter 13. The opening of this staged passage repeats the end of staged 1.11 together with Migne's notes; these are removed by logged corrections. 'Mind' renders νοῦς (the printed text has γοῦν once, corrected).
Phil 4:7.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): χτίσεως ἡμῖν → κτίσεως ἡμῖν; οὐραγὸν καὶ → οὐρανὸν καὶ; ἀκατασχεύαστος → ἀκατασκεύαστος; ἐξαρχεῖν → ἐξαρκεῖν; διαχοσμήσαντα → διακοσμήσαντα; διαγγεῖλαι → διαγγεῖλαι·; περιεργάξεσθαι, → περιεργάζεσθαι,; ἀνωελὲς τοῖς → ἀνωφελὲς τοῖς; ἀχούουσι → ἀκούουσι; ἐχ τῆς αἰσθήσεως → ἐκ τῆς αἰσθήσεως; ἐχ τοῦ λόγου → ἐκ τοῦ λόγου; ὃιδασχαλίᾳ, → διδασκαλίᾳ,; βεδαιοῦται, → βεβαιοῦται,; χατάληψιν → κατάληψιν; ἐσχηχέναι; → ἐσχηκέναι;; ὄγχος, ἣ → ὄγκος, ἣ; χουφότης, → κουφότης,; πυχνότης, → πυκνότης,; γἐγονε θεωρητὴ → γέγονε θεωρητὴ; μαχαρίων → μακαρίων; ᾿Αποχρινάσθωσαν → ᾿Αποκρινάσθωσαν; διαδαίνοντες → διαβαίνοντες; ἔοιχεν ὁ → ἔοικεν ὁ; πάν των εἶναι → πάντων εἶναι; διαθόλου → διαβόλου; χρίματι περιθάλλειν, → κρίματι περιβάλλειν,; “Ὅθεν καὶ → Ὅθεν καὶ; χαταπατοῦσι, → καταπατοῦσι,; τις ἐστὶν, → ἥτις ἐστὶν,; ἐμδατεύειν → ἐμβατεύειν; πῶν ὅλων → τῶν ὅλων; ἀλαζονεύοντα!. → ἀλαζονεύονται.; ᾿Αὐραὰμ καὶ → Ἀβραὰμ καὶ; Ἰαχὼθ, ὧν, → Ἰακὼβ, ὧν,; προετίμγησε, → προετίμησε,; 'λθραὰμ, → Ἀβραάμ,; Ἰσαὰχ, καὶ → Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ; Ἰαχώδ- Τοῦτο → Ἰακώβ· Τοῦτο; ὅὄγομα αἰώνιον, → ὄνομα αἰώνιον,; μνημέσυνον → μνημόσυνον; γεγεαῖς. → γενεαῖς.; τις ἐστὶν ἀπεχάλυψεν. → ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀπεκάλυψεν.; ὥρθην πρὸς → ὤφθην πρὸς; 'Δέραὰμ, → Ἀβραάμ,; ᾿Ιακὼδ, Θεὸς → ᾿Ιακὼβ, Θεὸς; ὄγομά μου → ὄνομά μου; ἢ ποπιέὴ πιδίμι ποι ἱπαϊςσαυὶ ἱμεὶδ 15, ἐδήλωσα → ἐδήλωσα; ἀχοῇ χωρηθῆναι. 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Πάλιν τὰ ἀνυπόστατα μὲν παντελῶς, χατὰ δὲ ἀναζωγράφησίν τινα τῆς ἐννοίας καὶ φαντασίαν μόνὴν ἀνατυπούμενα, ὡς ὅσα οἱ μυθοποιοὶ καὶ ζωγράφοι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ἔχπλῃηξιν ται χατ' ἐπίνοιαν καὶ ταῦτα θεωρητὰ ὑπὸ τῆς συνηθείας λέγεται. Ὧν οὐδενὸς ἐπιμνησθεὶς οὗτος, ἢ ἀμαθῶς ἢ χαχούργως, περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνυπάρχτων ἐπινοίας μόνης ἡμῖν ἐφιλοσόφησε " καὶ οὐδὲ ταύτην ὡς ἔχει φύσεως ἐξηγούμενος. Οὐ γὰρ σημαίνειν μέν τι τὴν ἐπίνοιαν, ψευδὲς δὲ τοῦτο, φησίν - ἀλλὰ παντελῶς ἄσημον εἶναι τὸ ὄνομα, καὶ ἐν μόνη τῇ ἐχφωνήσει τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔχειν. Καίτοι τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ χατὰ τῶν ματαίων μόνων καὶ ἀνυποστάτων φαντασιῶν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο τῆς ἐπινοίας χεῖσθαι, ὥστε μετὰ τὰ πρῶτον ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰσθήσεως ἐγγινόμενον νόημα τὴν λεπτοτέραν καὶ ἀχριδεστέραν τοῦ νοηθέντος ἐπεν» θύμησιν ἐπίνοιαν ὀνομάζεσθαι" ὅθεν ἡ συνήθεια χαλεῖ ἐπιλογισμὸν, εἰ καὶ μὴ οἰχείως. Οἷον τοῦ σίτου νόημα μὲν ἁπλοῦν ἐνυπάρχει πᾶσι, χαθὸ ςανέντα γνωρίζομεν" ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀχριδεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξεἐτάσει, θεωρία τε πλειόνων προσέρχεται, καὶ προσηγορίαι διάφοροι τῶν νοηθέντων σημαντικαί. Τὸν γὰρ αὐτὸν σῖτον νῦν μὲν χαρπὸν λέγομεν, νῦν ὃὲ σπέρμα, καὶ πάλιν τροφήν " χαρπὸν μὲν, ὡς τέλος τῆς παρελθούσης γεωργίας" σπέρμα δὲ, ὡς ἀρχὴν τὴς ς μελλούσης" τροφὴν δὲ, ὡς χατάλληλον εἰς προσθέχτν τῷ τοῦ προσφερομένου σώματι. Τούτων ἕν ἔχαστον τῶν λεγομένων καὶ χατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν θεωρεῖται, καὶ τῷ ψόφῳ τῆς γλώσσης οὐ συναπέρχεται" ἀλλὰ τῇ ψυχῇ τοῦ νενοηχότος ἐνίδρυται τὰ νοήματα. Καὶ ἀπαξαπλῶς, πάντα τὰ τῇ (Ὁ) αἰσθήσει γνώριμα, καὶ ἀπλᾶ μὲν εἶναι τῷ ὑποόχειμένῳ δοχοῦντα, ποιχίλον δὲ λόγον χατὰ τὴν θεωρίαν ἐπιδεχόμενα, ἐπινοίᾳ θεωρητὰ λέγεται. Ἵ. Ἐγγὺς δὴ [τοῦ τοιούτου τρόπου τῆς ἐπινοίας τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ παρὰ τοῦ θείου δεδιδάγμεθα λόγου. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα παρήσω, πολλὰ ἔχων εἰπεῖν, ἑνὸς δὲ μόνου τοῦ χαιριωτάτου μνησθήσομαι. Ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν τοῖς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λόγοιῖς, τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τῆς θεότητος καὶ τὴν ἐξ οἰχονομίας χάριν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παραδηλῶν, ἰδιώμασί τισι τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν θεωρουμένοις ἀπεσήμαινε ταύτην, θύραν ἑαυτὸν λέγων, κκαὶ ὁδὸν, καὶ ἄρτον, καὶ ἄμπελον, καὶ ποιμένᾳ, καὶ φῶς, οὐ ποθεωρία τε πλείων., ναι, Πυἀ, ταύτην, το! ἐγόμαιμ ἐ550 4. νυέθιν δ» δῷ λυώνυμός τις ὥν᾽ οὐ γὰρ πάντα τὰ ὀνόματα εἰς ταυ- Α τὸν ἀλλήλοις φέρει. ΓΑλλο γὰρ τὸ σημαινόμενον φωτὸς, καὶ ἄλλο ἀμπέλου, καὶ ἄλλο ὁδοῦ, καὶ ἄλλο ποιμένος. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐν ὧν κατὰ τὸ ὑποχείμενον, καὶ μία οὐσία καὶ ἁπλῇ καὶ ἀσύνθετος, ἄλλοτε ἄλλως ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει, ταῖς ἐπινοίαις διαφερούσας ἀλλήλων τὰς προσηγορίας μεθαρμοξόμενος. Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν τῶν ἐνεργειῶν διαφορὰν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὰ εὐεργετούμενα σχέσιν, διάφορα ἑαυτῷ καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τίθεται. Φῶς μὲν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν τοῦ χόσμου λέγει, τό τε ἀπρόσιτον τῆς ἐν τῇ θεότητι δόξης τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ διαστμαίνων, καὶ ὡς τ λαμπρότητι τῆς γνώσεως τοὺς χεχαθαρμένους τὸ ὄμμα τῆς ψυχῆς χκαταυγάζων" ἄμπελον δὲ, ὡς τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ἐῤῥιξζωμένους ἐπ᾽ ἔργων ἀγαϑῶν καρποφορία:ς ἐχτρέφων᾽ ἄρτον δὲ, ὡς οἰχειο- Ἰἴυχ, δ᾽᾽υἀ νὴ ι15, δἰυἀ νἱα, αἰΐυ δ ράβιοῦ δἰ! σοι! πάτη τροφὴ λογιχοῦ τυγχάνων, τῷ διαχρατεῖν τὴν Β' σύστατιν τῆς Ψυχῆς, καὶ τὸ ἰδίωμα αὐτῆς διασώζειν, ἀναπληρῶν ἀεὶ παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ἐνδέον, καὶ πρὸς πὴν ἐξ ἀλογίας ἐγγινομένην ἀῤῥωστίαν οὐχ ἐῶν ὑποφέρεσθαι. Καὶ οὕτως ἄν τις τῶν ὀνομάτων ἕχαστον ἐφοδεύων ποιχίλας εὕροι τὰς ἐπινοίας ἑνὸς ἑχάστου τοῦ χατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῖς πᾶσιν ὑποχειμένου. Τίς οὖν οὕτω τὴν γλῶσσαν πρὸς βλασφημίαν ἠκχόνηται, ὥστε τολμῆσαι εἰπεῖν ταῖς φωναῖς τὰς ἐπινοίας ταύτας συνδιαλύεσθαι; Τί οὖν ἄτοπον οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων λαμθάνεσθαί τινα κατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν, καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πρῶτον, περὶ οὗ ὁ σύμπας ἡμῖν χεχίνηται λόγος; Εὑρήσομεν γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἑτέρως λεγόμενον τὸ ἀγέγγητον. “Αφθαρτον γὰρ καὶ ἀγέννητον εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων λέγομεν, χατὰ διαφόρους ἐπιδολὰς τοῖς ὀνόμασι τούτοις προσἀγορεύοντες. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ εἰς τοὺς κατόπιν αἰῶνας σχοντες τὴν ζωὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγέννητον αὐτὸν λέγομεν ὅταν δὲ τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις αἰῶσι τὸν νοῦν ἐπεχτείνωμεν, τὸν ἀόριστον καὶ ἄπειρον, καὶ οὐδενὶ πέλει χαταληπτὸν προταγορεύομεν ἄφθαρτον. Ὡς οὖν τὸ ἀτελεύτητον τῆς ζωῆς ἄφθαρτον, οὕτω τὸ ἄναρχον αὐτῆς ἀγέννητον ὠνομάσθη, τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ θεωρούντων ἡμῶν ἑχάτερα. Τίς οὖν ἀντερεῖ λόγος καὶ ἐπινοεῖσθαι τῶν ὀνομάτων τούτων ἑχάτερον, καὶ ὁμολογίαν εἶναι τοῦ χατ᾽ ἀλήθειαν τῷ Θεῷ προσόντος; Ὁ δὲ ὡς μαχόμενα ταῦτα καὶ ἀσύμθατα παντελῶς ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων διίστησι" τὸ, τὶ χατ᾽ ἐπίνοιαν τὶ λέγεδύ), γΟΟΔΠΊ} 5. ἱποογγυρι δ] 6 πηι. Ουδπ)διἰπιοάαιῃ ἰσὶἄδην ργίμοὶρὶ Ἔχ ροῦθ νοσαῖιγ ἱπροπαγδιῖο, ἴθ πὶ ον σθαι, καὶ τὸ ἀποπληροῦν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ὅ ἢ) γοτο ἰἀπαυδπι 5] μϑδς ἴπ|6 Γ 86 ρυβηδγθηῖ, πὲς ποῦ ἐστιν ὁμολογίαν. ἀἰνγί πη : ᾿μ Ποίδίην ν᾽ ἐδ] ]οοὲ, οἱ ΔΙ φαΐ αἰεὶ Εὐἱεὶ ει εξ. δββϑυιιᾶάυς καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ ἀγέννητον πρῶτον. ἐ]υὰ, τὸ ἀγέννητον, «ἀἰἐ!αν πη, Δπιϊφι τγρὸ5 τὶ τὸ ἀτέλεστον τῆς ζωῆς. [Ὀ]ἄδιη δὐϊι! τὸ ἄναρχον αὐτοῦ.... ἐπιθεωρούντων. Αἱ → ἀκοῇ χωρηθῆναι.; φγανἧ 5, δι ον 15, δυῖ ἀθι δ᾽ (25, οἰπ πίη ᾿υπηδογ αὶ Υἱ Εἰ γα} ἰρίίωγ πὸ δύ} φαΐ !οι ποιθθῃ ἀδοίαγαν θουβ, ποἐδήλωσα αὐτοῖς - ὡς μεῖζον δηλονότι ἣ ὥστε ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἀκοῇ χωρηθῆναι. Εὐνομίῳ → Εὐνομίῳ; ἔοι- Εδϊι] διαφοραὶ, ἢ μέγεθος. 568 {Π|π4, ἢ μέἄν. γοουἃ ἄν ἴῃ οἰ 5 ἐδαγαι. Ιοᾳ. φιαγίυθ γνώσεως ὑπολέλειπται. ᾿θ᾽ δ πὶ εὐ ἀποχρινέσθωσαν ἡμῖν οἱ περιφρονοῦντες πάνκα. (οὐοχ Οοἰῦ. ει δα γὺ5 1, αἱ Θά Βερ. φυαγίυϑ γάρ μοί ἐστιν. Πηἴγᾶ π|85. πιυ} 1 ΕΠ εἰ ἀπε οοάοχ καὶ ὥφθην τῷ ᾿Αδραάμ. ΑἸΙΪ αυϊηιθ 65. καὶ ὥφθην πρὸς ᾿Αδραάμ, εἰ ἰϊᾶ Ὁ. ᾿ροδηῖ δββθηιλῃ Ποὺ ραιοίθοϊ! : οἱ ἀγοληι ἰϑτα πὶ Α χεν, οὐ → ἔοικεν, οὐ; αὑτοῦ οη τυ]. δυὶ βδηοιὶ ϑρί γι, δἰ αυΐϊθαπὶ ᾿ρϑὶ ἰρϑᾶπι εοπίοιάλι, δὶ δυ αἷς 5 οἱ Δ} 1168 [4}}}} 85 ἀονοϊυῖ 8, τὴν → αὐτοῦ τὴν; ρ'ὄλοις γράφων → βίβλοις γράφων; ἐχλαλεῖ πᾶσιν → ἐκλαλεῖ πᾶσιν; ἀπερισχέπτως. → ἀπερισκέπτως.; ἀποχείμενα → ἀποκείμενα; τρῦ Θεοῦ → τοῦ Θεοῦ; γοῦν καὶ → νοῦν καὶ.

Topics: Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.13 (PG 29:529; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.14PG 29:535

Οἷμαι δὲ οὐχ ἀνθρώπους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν λογικὴν φύσιν ὑπερβαίνειν αὐτῆς τὴν κατάληψιν. Λογικὴν δὲ νῦν τὴν ἐν τῇ κτίσει λέγω. Υἱῷ γὰρ μόνῳ γνωστὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι" ὅτι Οὐδεὶς οἷδε τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱός - καὶ, Τὸ Πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ. οὐδεὶς γὰρ οἶδε, φησὶ, τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τί οὖν ἐξαίρετον τῇ γνώσει τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἣ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος καταλείψουσιν, εἴπερ αὐτοὶ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῆς ἔχουσι τὴν κατάληψιν; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ, τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ τῆς ἀγαθότητος, καὶ τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Μονογενεῖ τὴν θεωρίαν προσνείμαντες, σύμμετρον ἑαυτοῖς θήσονται τῆς οὐσίας τὴν κατανόησιν. Πᾶν γάρ που τὸ ἐναντίον, εἰκὸς αὐτὴν μὲν τὴν οὐσίαν ἀπερίοπτον εἶναι παντὶ, πλὴν εἰ τῷ Μονογενεῖ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι - ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναγομένους ἡμᾶς, καὶ διὰ τῶν ποιημάτων τὸν ποιητὴν ἐννοοῦντας, τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς σοφίας λαμβάνειν τὴν σύνεσιν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἔστι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ὁ Θεὸς ἐφανέρωσεν. Ἐπεί γε ὅσα παρὰ τοῖς θεολόγοις περὶ οὐσίας Θεοῦ ἀναγεγράφθαι δοκεῖ τροπολογίαις τισὶν ἣ καὶ ἀλληγορίαις, πρὸς ἑτέρας ἐννοίας οἱ λόγοι φέρουσιν. Ὥστε εἴ τις ἀβασανίστως κατὰ τὴν πρόχειρον ἐκδοχὴν ψιλῷ παρίστασθαι φιλονεικοίη τῷ γράμματι, πρὸς Ἰουδαϊκοὺς καὶ γραώδεις μύθους ἐκτραπεὶς, πτωχὸς παντελῶς τῶν ἀξίων περὶ Θεοῦ νοημάτων καταγηράσει. Πρὸς γὰρ τῷ ὑλικὴν τινα ἐννοεῖν τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τοῖς ἀθέοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων συμφέρεσθαι, ἔτι καὶ ποικίλην καὶ σύνθετον ὑπολήψεται ταύτην. Ἠλέκτρινον μὲν τὸ ἀπὸ ὀσφύος ἕως ἄνω τὸν Θεὸν εἶναι τοῦ προφήτου διηγουμένου, ἐκ πυρὸς δὲ συμθεύλῃσθαι τὰ κάτω" ὁ δὲ μὴ πρὸς ὑψηλοτέρας ἐννοίας ἀναβαίνων … διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτοῦ που ταῖς σωκτικαῖς ἐγχαταυένων ὑπογραφαῖς, καὶ τοιαύτην τοῦ … … Θεοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν παρὰ τοῦ Ἱεζεκιὴλ διδαχθεὶς, πάλιν πῦρ εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν παρὰ τοῦ Μωσέως ἀκούσεται, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ σοφοῦ Δανιὴλ πρὸς ἄλλας ὑπολήψεις ἀπενεχθήσεται" καὶ οὕτως οὐ ψευδεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαχομένας ἀλλήλαις ἐκ τῶν Γραμμάτων εὑρεθήσεται τὰς φαντασίας ἀναλεγόμενος. Ἀφεμένοις οὖν τῆς κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν πολυπραγμοσύνης ὡς ἀνεφίκτου, τῇ ἁπλῇ παραινέσει τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου πειστέον, λέγοντος " Πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ πρῶτον, ὅτι ἔστι Θεὸς, καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ τί ἔστιν ἐξερεύνησις, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τοῦ ὅτι ἔστιν ὁμολογία τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν παρασκευάζει. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀπερινόητος ἀνθρώπου φύσει καὶ ἄῤῥητος παντελῶς ἡ οὐσία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποδέδεικται, λειπόμενόν ἐστι περὶ τῆς ἀγεννησίας αὐτῆς τί τέ ἐστι, καὶ πῶς ἐπιθεωρεῖται τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ὅλων διεξελθεῖν.

Hoimai de ouch anthrōpous monon, alla kai pasan logikēn physin hyperbainein autēs tēn katalēpsin. Logikēn de nyn tēn en tę̄ ktisei legō. Huiǭ gar monǭ gnōstos ho Patēr, kai tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati" hoti Oudeis hoide ton Patera ei mē ho Huios - kai, To Pneuma panta ereuną, kai ta bathē tou Theou. oudeis gar oide, phēsi, ta tou anthrōpou ei mē to pneuma tou anthrōpou to en autǭ kai ta tou Theou oudeis egnōken ei mē to Pneuma to ek tou Theou. Ti oun exaireton tę̄ gnōsei tou Monogenous hē tou hagiou Pneumatos kataleipsousin, eiper autoi tēs ousias autēs echousi tēn katalēpsin? Ou gar dē, tēs dynameōs, kai tēs agathotētos, kai tēs sophias tou Theou tǭ Monogenei tēn theōrian prosneimantes, symmetron heautois thēsontai tēs ousias tēn katanoēsin. Pan gar pou to enantion, eikos autēn men tēn ousian aperiopton einai panti, plēn ei tǭ Monogenei kai tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati - ek de tōn energeiōn tou Theou anagomenous hēmas, kai dia tōn poiēmatōn ton poiētēn ennoountas, tēs agathotētos autou kai tēs sophias lambanein tēn synesin. Touto gar esti to gnōston tou Theou, ho pasin anthrōpois ho Theos ephanerōsen. Epei ge hosa para tois theologois peri ousias Theou anagegraphthai dokei tropologiais tisin hē kai allēgoriais, pros heteras ennoias hoi logoi pherousin. Hōste ei tis abasanistōs kata tēn procheiron ekdochēn psilǭ paristasthai philoneikoiē tǭ grammati, pros Ioudaïkous kai graōdeis mythous ektrapeis, ptōchos pantelōs tōn axiōn peri Theou noēmatōn katagērasei. Pros gar tǭ hylikēn tina ennoein tēn ousian tou Theou, kai kata touto tois atheois tōn Hellēnōn sympheresthai, eti kai poikilēn kai syntheton hypolēpsetai tautēn. Ēlektrinon men to apo osphyos heōs anō ton Theon einai tou prophētou diēgoumenou, ek pyros de symtheulę̄sthai ta katō" ho de mē pros hypsēloteras ennoias anabainōn … dia tou grammatos, all᾽ autou pou tais sōktikais enchatauenōn hypographais, kai toiautēn tou … … Theou tēn ousian para tou Hiezekiēl didachtheis, palin pyr einai ton Theon para tou Mōseōs akousetai, kai para tou sophou Daniēl pros allas hypolēpseis apenechthēsetai" kai houtōs ou pseudeis monon, alla kai machomenas allēlais ek tōn Grammatōn heurethēsetai tas phantasias analegomenos. Aphemenois oun tēs kata tēn ousian polypragmosynēs hōs anephiktou, tę̄ haplę̄ parainesei tou ᾿Apostolou peisteon, legontos " Pisteusai gar dei prōton, hoti esti Theos, kai tois ekzētousin auton misthapodotēs ginetai. Ou gar hē tou ti estin exereunēsis, all᾽ hē tou hoti estin homologia tēn sōtērian hēmin paraskeuazei. Epei oun aperinoētos anthrōpou physei kai arrhētos pantelōs hē ousia tou Theou apodedeiktai, leipomenon esti peri tēs agennēsias autēs ti te esti, kai pōs epitheōreitai tǭ Theǭ tōn holōn diexelthein.

[14] I think that comprehension of it surpasses not only human beings but every rational nature; and by rational nature I mean here the rational nature within creation. For the Father is known to the Son alone and to the Holy Spirit: "No one knows the Father except the Son"; and, "The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For no one knows," it says, "the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him; and no one has known the things of God except the Spirit who is from God." What, then, will they leave as exceptional to the knowledge of the Only-Begotten or of the Holy Spirit, if they themselves have comprehension of his very essence? For surely they will not assign to the Only-Begotten the contemplation of the power, goodness, and wisdom of God, and set down for themselves an understanding of the essence that is proportionate to themselves! Quite the opposite: it is likely that the essence itself is beyond the view of all except the Only-Begotten and the Holy Spirit, while we, being led up from the activities of God and thinking of the maker through the things made, receive an understanding of his goodness and wisdom. For this is "what can be known of God," which God has made manifest to all people. For whatever the theologians seem to have written about the essence of God in figures or allegories, the words point to other meanings. So if anyone, without testing, insists on standing by the bare letter in its ready sense, he will turn aside to Jewish and old wives' fables and grow old utterly poor in notions worthy of God. For besides conceiving of the essence of God as something material, and in this agreeing with the godless among the Greeks, he will also suppose it to be varied and composite, since the prophet describes God as of electrum from the loins upward and as [made up] of fire below. And the one who does not ascend to higher notions … through the letter, but stays somewhere there among its sensible outlines, and such a … … having been taught by Ezekiel that the essence of God is such, will hear again from Moses that God is fire, and will be carried off to other conceptions by the wise Daniel; and so, gathering up his imaginings from the Scriptures, he will be found to hold notions not only false but in conflict with one another. Letting go, then, of prying into the essence as something beyond reach, we must obey the simple exhortation of the Apostle, who says, "For one must first believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek him." For it is not the investigation of what he is, but the confession that he is, that prepares salvation for us. Since, then, it has been shown that the essence of God is incomprehensible to human nature and entirely ineffable, it remains to go through the question of ingeneracy: what it is, and how it is contemplated in the God of the universe.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Matt 11:27 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Titus 1:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ezek 1:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 4:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 7:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 11:6 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that God's essence is known only to the Son and the Spirit, that we know God from his activities, and that reading the biblical images of God literally leads to absurd notions of his essence.

Chapter 14 of Book 1; it continues in staged 1.25. A line is lost after 'higher notions', and the passage breaks off at the end (marked …). The words rendered 'sensible outlines' and 'stays' are damaged in the scan (σωκτικαῖς ἐγχαταυένων) and are translated by sense; 'made up of' renders the damaged συμθεύλῃσθαι. Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.
Matt 11:27; 1 Cor 2:10-11; Rom 1:19-20; old wives' and Jewish fables: 1 Tim 4:7, Titus 1:14; electrum and fire: Ezek 1:27 (8:2).
End of chapter 14. The opening words are lost in the scan (marked …), and Migne's notes are removed by logged corrections.
God as fire: Deut 4:24; Daniel's vision: Dan 7:9-10; Heb 11:6.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); word broken at a line end rejoined): λογιχὴν φύσιν → λογικὴν φύσιν; ὑπερθαίνειν → ὑπερβαίνειν; αὑτῆς τὴν → αὐτῆς τὴν; χατάλη- Ψιν. Λογιχὴν δὲ → κατάληψιν. Λογικὴν δὲ; χτίσει λέγω. → κτίσει λέγω.; ἐρευγᾷ, καὶ → ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ; Β οὐδεὶς → οὐδεὶς; ἀγθρώπου → ἀνθρώπου; τοὺ Θεοῦ → τοῦ Θεοῦ; Μονογ:νοῦς → Μονογενοῦς; χαταλείψουσιν, → καταλείψουσιν,; εἶπες αὐτοὶ → εἴπερ αὐτοὶ; χατάλτψιν; → κατάληψιν;; τς σοφίας → τῆς σοφίας; προσνεΐ μαᾶντες, σύμμετρον → προσνείμαντες, σύμμετρον; τῆν χατανότοιν. → τὴν κατανόησιν.; εἰχὸς αὐτὴν → εἰκὸς αὐτὴν; πο:ητὴν ἐννοοῦντας, → ποιητὴν ἐννοοῦντας,; ἀγαθότητς → ἀγαθότητος; ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ → αὐτοῦ καὶ; λαμδάνειν → λαμβάνειν; σύνετιν. → σύνεσιν.; δοχεῖ τροπολογίαις → δοκεῖ τροπολογίαις; ἀδασανίστως → ἀβασανίστως; χατὰ τὴν → κατὰ τὴν; ἐχδοχὴν Ψιλῷ παρίστασθα: → ἐκδοχὴν ψιλῷ παρίστασθαι; ςιλονειχοίη → φιλονεικοίη; Ἰουδαϊχοὺς → Ἰουδαϊκοὺς; γραι» δεις μύθους → γραώδεις μύθους; ἐχτραπεὶς, → ἐκτραπεὶς,; χαταγηράσει. → καταγηράσει.; ὑλ:χὴν τινα → ὑλικὴν τινα; χατὰ τοῦτο → κατὰ τοῦτο; ποιχίλην → ποικίλην; Ἠλέχτρικν → Ἠλέκτρινον; προ: φήτου διηγουμένον, → προφήτου διηγουμένου,; ἐχ πυρὸς → ἐκ πυρὸς; νιἰουΐυ5, δὲ τα! πη 6588 θ6ἱ δδϑϑιίϑιη 40 ΕΖΘΟμίοἰα Ὁ χάτω" ὁ δὲ → κάτω" ὁ δὲ; ἀναδαίνων → ἀναβαίνων; ἀίᾳυδ ἃ δϑρίθηια θη ΐοὶα δά 4|145 ορί ΐθη 65 τ} μὴ δυνάμενον " ἵμ! ἴππν μΘ ον ταν ἢΠπ4 ραγίμεγ Ουϑοχ αι αὐτὴν ἑαυτοῦ, Μοχ οὐϊι! καὶ τοσοῦτον τὸ ἀπόῤῥττον. Πἰυ, ἀπόῤῥητον, φάγοὶ τι]- Οοὐΐοα8. βοὴ ρϑμοὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ. ΕΜ οἱ ἰλος. φυΐμιι5 τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῶ. Ιδϊάοιι εὐ εἰ μὴ πνεῦμα τό, {νεῖ νοίοιθο τὸ 191 0 ον. διὰ τοῦ → … διὰ τοῦ; ταῦ: σωκτικαῖς → ταῖς σωκτικαῖς; τοιαύτην τοῦ → τοιαύτην τοῦ …; ϑόβοῃ. 1,19. δ΄ Εσϑο. νεῖ, 3. κ᾽ ουιϊ. ὁ 2. πνεῦμα. πλὴν εἰ τῷ. Μοχ οι} τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ. {Π᾿πι|, αὖ- Θεοῦ → … Θεοῦ; Ἱεζεχιὴλ → Ἱεζεκιὴλ; πά- Α λιν → πάλιν; ἀχούσεται, → ἀκούσεται,; ὑπολέψεις → ὑπολήψεις; ἐχ τῶν Γραμμάτων → ἐκ τῶν Γραμμάτων; ᾿Αψεμένοις → Ἀφεμένοις; ἀνεφἔχτου, → ἀνεφίκτου,; ἀπλῇ παραινέσει → ἁπλῇ παραινέσει; ἐχζητοῦσιν → ἐκζητοῦσιν; παρασχευάζει. → παρασκευάζει.; ἀποδέδειχται, → ἀποδέδεικται,; διεξ, ελθεῖν. → διεξελθεῖν..

Topics: Heresy, Scripture and canon, Trinity

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.14 (PG 29:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.15PG 29:535

Εὑρίσκομεν οὖν λογιζόμενοι, ὅτι οὐχ ἐν τῇ τοῦ τί ἔστιν ἀνερευνήσει ἡ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου ἡμῖν ἕννοια ὑποπίπτει, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον, ἵνα βιασάμενος εἴπω τὸν λόγον, ἐν τῇ τοῦ ὅπως, ἐστίν. Ἐξετάζων γὰρ ἡμῶν ὁ νοῦς, εἰ ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς ἑαυτοῦ τινα αἰτίαν ὑπερκειμένην ἔχει, εἶτα οὐ δυνάμενος ἐπινοεῖν οὐδεμίαν, τὸ ἄναρχον αὐτοῦ τῆς ζωῆς ἀγέννητον προσηγόρευσεν. Ὥς γὰρ ἐν τοῖς περὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων λό. ὅταν λέγωμεν ὅτι, δεῖνα ἐκ τοῦδε γέγονεν, οὐ τὸ τί ἐστιν ἑκάστου, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὅθεν γέγονε διηγούμεθα" οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς περὶ Θεοῦ ἡ ἀγέννητος φωνὴ οὐ τὸ τί, ἀλλὰ τὸ μηδαμόθεν αὐτοῦ σημαίνει. Οὕτω δ᾽ ἂν σαφέστερον ὃ λέγω γένοιτο. Ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς Λουκᾶς, τὴν κατὰ σάρκα γενεαλογίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκτιθέμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τελευταίων ἐπὶ τοὺς πρώτους ἀναποδίζων, ἤρξατο μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ· εἰπὼν δὲ τοῦτον μὲν τοῦ Ἡλεὶ, τὸν δὲ τοῦ Ματθὰν, καὶ οὕτω κατὰ ἀνάλυσιν πρὸς τὸν ᾿Αδὰμ τὴν ἐξήγησιν ἐπανάγων, εἶτα ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄνω, καὶ εἰπὼν ὅτι ὁ Σὴθ ἐκ τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ, ὁ δὲ ᾿Αδὰμ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐνταῦθα τῆς ἀναβάσεως ἔληξεν" οὐχὶ τὰς οὐσίας τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων δηλῶν ἐν τῇ διηγήσει τῆς ἑκάστου γενέσεως, ἀλλὰ τὰς προσεχεῖς ἀρχὰς ἀφ' ἧς ἕκαστος γέγονεν ἐκτιθέμενος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν, ὅτι ὁ … …μεν, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἐκ τίνος; Ἆρα οὐχὶ πρόχειρόν ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἑκάστῳ διανοίᾳ, ὅτι ἐξ οὐδενός; Τὸ δὲ ἐξ οὐδενὸς τὸ ἄναρχόν ἐστι δηλονότι" τὸ δὲ ἄναρχον τὸ ἀγέννητον. Ὡς οὖν ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων οὐχ ἦν οὐσία τὸ ἔκ τινος, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων οὐσίαν ἐστὶν εἰπεῖν τὸ ἀγέννητον ὅπερ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἐξ οὐδενός. Ὃ δὲ τὸ ἄναρχον οὐσίαν εἶναι λέγων παραπλήσιον ποιεῖ, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις, ἐρωτώμενος, τίς ἡ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ οὐσία, καὶ τίς ἡ φύσις αὐτῷ; ὁ δὲ ἀποκρίνοιτο, μὴ ἐκ συνδυασμοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῆς θείας χειρὸς διαπλασθῆναι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐχὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς ὑποστάσεως ἐπιζητῶ, φήσειεν ἄν τις, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ὑλικὸν ὑποκείμενον" ὃ πολλοῦ δέω μανθάνειν διὰ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν συμβαίνει ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἀγεννήτου φωνῆς τὸ ὅπως τοῦ Θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἣ αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν διδασκομένοις.

Heuriskomen oun logizomenoi, hoti ouch en tę̄ tou ti estin anereunēsei hē tou agennētou hēmin hennoia hypopiptei, alla mallon, hina biasamenos eipō ton logon, en tę̄ tou hopōs, estin. Exetazōn gar hēmōn ho nous, ei ho epi pantōn Theos heautou tina aitian hyperkeimenēn echei, eita ou dynamenos epinoein oudemian, to anarchon autou tēs zōēs agennēton prosēgoreusen. Hōs gar en tois peri tōn anthrōpōn lo. hotan legōmen hoti, deina ek toude gegonen, ou to ti estin hekastou, alla to hothen gegone diēgoumetha" houtō kai en tois peri Theou hē agennētos phōnē ou to ti, alla to mēdamothen autou sēmainei. Houtō d᾽ an saphesteron ho legō genoito. Ho euangelistēs Loukas, tēn kata sarka genealogian tou Theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn Iēsou Christou ektithemenos, kai apo tōn teleutaiōn epi tous prōtous anapodizōn, ērxato men apo tou Iōsēph; eipōn de touton men tou Hēlei, ton de tou Matthan, kai houtō kata analysin pros ton ᾿Adam tēn exēgēsin epanagōn, eita elthōn epi tous anō, kai eipōn hoti ho Sēth ek tou ᾿Adam, ho de ᾿Adam ek tou Theou, entautha tēs anabaseōs elēxen" ouchi tas ousias tōn apērithmēmenōn dēlōn en tę̄ diēgēsei tēs hekastou geneseōs, alla tas prosecheis archas aph' hēs hekastos gegonen ektithemenos. Hōsper oun ekeinos eipen, hoti ho … …men, ho de Theos ek tinos? Ara ouchi procheiron estin en tę̄ hekastǭ dianoią, hoti ex oudenos? To de ex oudenos to anarchon esti dēlonoti" to de anarchon to agennēton. Hōs oun epi anthrōpōn ouch ēn ousia to ek tinos, houtōs oude epi tou Theou tōn holōn ousian estin eipein to agennēton hoper ison esti tǭ ex oudenos. Ho de to anarchon ousian einai legōn paraplēsion poiei, hōsper an ei tis, erōtōmenos, tis hē tou Adam ousia, kai tis hē physis autǭ? ho de apokrinoito, mē ek syndyasmou andros kai gynaikos, all᾽ ek tēs theias cheiros diaplasthēnai. ᾿All᾽ ouchi ton tropon tēs hypostaseōs epizētō, phēseien an tis, all᾽ auto tou anthrōpou to hylikon hypokeimenon" ho pollou deō manthanein dia tēs apokriseōs. Touto de kai hēmin symbainei ek tēs tou agennētou phōnēs to hopōs tou Theou mallon hē autēn tēn physin didaskomenois.

[15] So, then, on reflection we find that the notion of the unbegotten does not fall under our inquiry into what he is, but rather, if I may force the expression, under the inquiry into how he is. For our mind, examining whether the God over all has some cause lying above himself, and then being unable to conceive of any, has called the beginninglessness of his life unbegotten. For just as in our accounts of human beings, when we say that so-and-so was born of so-and-so, we describe not what each is but where he came from, so also in speaking of God the word "unbegotten" signifies not what he is but that he is from nowhere. What I mean may become clearer this way. The evangelist Luke, setting out the genealogy according to the flesh of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, and going back from the last to the first, began from Joseph; and having said that he was the son of Heli, and Heli of Matthan, and so bringing his account back step by step to Adam, then coming to the earliest and saying that Seth was from Adam and Adam from God, he ended his ascent there. He was not showing the essences of those he listed in recounting the origin of each, but setting out the proximate beginnings from which each came to be. As, then, he said that … … and God from whom? Is it not readily present to everyone's mind that he is from no one? But "from no one" clearly means without beginning, and without beginning means unbegotten. As, then, in the case of human beings "being from someone" was not their essence, so too in the case of the God of the universe one cannot say that "unbegotten," which is equivalent to "from no one," is his essence. The one who says that being without beginning is essence does much the same as someone who, when asked what Adam's essence is and what his nature, should answer that he was not born of the union of man and woman but formed by the divine hand. "But I am not asking about the manner of his coming into existence," one might say, "but about the material substrate of man itself," and this I am far from learning from the answer. This is what happens to us too with the word "unbegotten": we are taught how God is rather than his very nature.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Luke 3:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 3:38 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:7 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that 'unbegotten' answers how God is, not what he is, using Luke's genealogy, which names origins rather than essences.

Chapter 15 of Book 1; it continues in staged 1.27. The passage breaks off at the end (marked …); Migne's notes are removed by logged corrections.
Luke 3:23-38. Basil's text names Heli's father 'Matthan'; Luke 3:24 has Matthat.
End of chapter 15. The opening is lost in the scan (marked …); the lost words evidently completed the comparison with Luke's 'Adam from God'. Migne's notes are removed by logged corrections.
Adam formed by God's hand: Gen 2:7.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): Εὑρίσχομεν → Εὑρίσκομεν; Β τοῦ τί → τοῦ τί; Ἐξετάξων → Ἐξετάζων; ὑπερχειμένην → ὑπερκειμένην; λό-. γοις, ὅταν → λό. ὅταν; Ὁ δεῖνα ἐχ τοῦδε → δεῖνα ἐκ τοῦδε; ἀγέγγητος → ἀγέννητος; (θ8) μηδαμόθεν → μηδαμόθεν; Λουχᾶς, τὴν → Λουκᾶς, τὴν; χατὰ σάρχα γενεαλογίαν → κατὰ σάρκα γενεαλογίαν; ἐχτιθέμενος, → ἐκτιθέμενος,; ἀναποδίξζων, → ἀναποδίζων,; ἢρ- ν ξατο μὲν → ἤρξατο μὲν; Ἰωσήφ: εἰπὼν → Ἰωσήφ· εἰπὼν; χατὰ ἀνάλυσιν → κατὰ ἀνάλυσιν; ἐχ τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ, → ἐκ τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ,; ἐχ τοῦ Θεοῦ, → ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ,; ἀναδάσεως → ἀναβάσεως; ἀπηριϑμημένων → ἀπηριθμημένων; ἑχάστου γενέσεως, → ἑκάστου γενέσεως,; ἕχαστος γέγονεν → ἕκαστος γέγονεν; ἐχτιθέμενος. → ἐκτιθέμενος.; ἐχεῖνος εἶπεν, → ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν,; 88 ἤλῃ. γι, 9. δ" Ηδῦν. χι, 6. → …; Τιις, μι, ν. νογοοπίἐπιυγ, Ὠδι5 δια πὶ ὃς 40 ἢ Νόώμ ἰα φλίιγ : ἴα οἰἴαν ἀυπὶ δὰ βυρογίογα δώροι] 8 ςοη- Αἰ σθαι ἐχ ἶρ8ο ἀΐαθο!! γι ςΐο Ἰοφυΐιαν. Νὰ Βες. τεγιϊα5 εἰ Οοἱυ. ἐστὶν εἰπεῖν τὸ ἐξ οὐδενὸς ὅπερ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀγέννητος " ὁ δὲ τὸ ἄναρχον. Πα πέφμε ἱπ ἀπίυέγεογιπι ὕε0 {μα (6 διῦ- Ἰδρὶ. αὐ πὲ φυΐάαπν νἱ ἀείμγη αι ἴῃς 4}}15 δου 5 μεν, ὁ δὲ → …μεν, ὁ δὲ; ἐχ τίνος; → ἐκ τίνος;; ἾΑρα οὐχὶ → Ἆρα οὐχὶ; ἑχάστῳ διανοίᾳ, → ἑκάστῳ διανοίᾳ,; ἔχ τινος, → ἔκ τινος,; παραπλὴσιον → παραπλήσιον; ᾿Αδχμ οὐσία, → Ἀδὰμ οὐσία,; ἀποχρένοιτο, → ἀποκρίνοιτο,; (δ) ἐκ συνδυασμοῦ → ἐκ συνδυασμοῦ; γυναιχὸς, → γυναικὸς,; ἐχ τῆς θείας → ἐκ τῆς θείας; ὑποχείμενον" → ὑποκείμενον"; ἀποχρίσεως. → ἀποκρίσεως.; Β καὶ ἡμῖν → καὶ ἡμῖν; συμθαίνει → συμβαίνει; ἀγεγγήτου → ἀγεννήτου; φωνῖὶς τὸ → φωνῆς τὸ; διδασχομένοις. → διδασκομένοις..

Topics: Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.15 (PG 29:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.16PG 29:535

Ὅλως δὲ εἴ τις βούλοιτο τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῶν παρ᾽ ἡμῶν λεγομένων καταμαθεῖν, ἑαυτὸν ἀνερευνάτω· ὅταν τι νοῆσαι τῶν περὶ Θεοῦ βουληθῇ, εἰ εἰς τὸ σημαινόμενον τοῦ ἀγεννήτου χωρεῖ. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὁρῶ, ὅτι, ὥσπερ τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις αἰῶσι τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπεκτείνοντες, ἀτελεύτητον λέγομεν τὸν οὐδενὶ πέρατι τὴν ζωὴν ὁριζόμενον " οὕτω καὶ εἰς τὸ ἄνω τῶν αἰώνων τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀναβαίνοντες, καὶ οἷον εἴς τι πέλαγος ἀχανὲς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄπειρον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ζωῆς διακύπτοντες, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀρχῆς ἀφ᾽ ἧς γέγονε λαβέσθαι δυνάμενοι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ νοουμένου ἐξωτέραν ἀεὶ καὶ ὑπερεχπίπτουσαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ζωὴν ἐννοοῦντες, τοῦτο τὸ ἄναρχον τῆς ζωῆς ἀγέννητον προσειρήκαμεν. Αὕτη γὰρ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου ἣ ἔννοια, τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἑτέρωθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι. Ὁ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ περὶ μόνον τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων τὸ ἀγέννητον θεωρεῖται, κακουργότατα πάντων εἰς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἥρπασεν αὐτὸ βλασφημίαν. Τί γάρ φησι προϊών; ΕΥ̓͂Ν. ᾿Αγέννητος δὲ ὧν κατὰ τὴν προλαβοῦσαν ἀπόδειξιν, οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν, ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως, ἐχφύγοι τε ἂν πᾶσαν σύγκρισιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν. ΒΑΣ. Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχύντου καὶ πονηρᾶς βλασφημίας Ὢ τοῦ κεκρυμμένου δόλου καὶ τῆς ποικίλης ῥᾳδιουργίας ! ὡς ἀκριβῶς ἐξ αὐτῆς τοῦ διαβόλου τῆς μεθοδείας φθέγγεται ! ᾿Ανόμοιον γὰρ βουλόμενος τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ τὸν Μονογενῇ Υἱὸν καὶ Θεὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι, τὸ μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὄνομα σιωπᾷ, ἁπλῶς δὲ περὶ ἀγεννήτου καὶ γεννητοῦ διαλέγεται" καὶ τὰ τῆς σωτηρίου πίστεως ὀνόματα κρύπτων, ψιλὰ παραδίδωσι τῆς βλασφημίας τὰ δόγματα " ἵνα, τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι γυμνωθείσης, εἶτα τῆς μεταβάσεως ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσωπα γενομένης, αὐτὸς μὲν μηδὲν δόξῃ δύσφημον εἰρηκέναι, τῇ δὲ τοῦ λόγου ἀκολουθίᾳ κατεσκευασμένην ἔχῃ τὴν βλασφημίαν. ᾿Αγέννητος δὲ ὧν, φησὶν, ἐχφύγοι ἂν πᾶσαν σύγκρισιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν. Οὐχ εἶπεν, ὅτι Πατὴρ καὶ Υἱός " ἀλλ᾽, ᾿Αγέννητος καὶ γεννητός. Ἕν μὲν δὴ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο τοιοῦτον κακούργημα· ἕτερον δὲ ποῖον, σκοπεῖτε. ᾿Αγέννητος δὲ ὧν, φησιν, οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν " καὶ ἐπάγει, ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως. Τὸ, οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν, δύο σημαίνει" ἕν μὲν, ὅτι τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὑτοῦ φύσει οὐχ ἐφαρμόζει γέννησις ἀδύνατον γὰρ ὑπὸ γέννησιν ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἀγέννητον φύσιν ) ἕτερον δὲ, ὅτι γεννῆσαι οὐ καταδέχεται. Οὗτος μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὸ δεύτερον σημαινόμενον ἐχρήσατο τῇ φωνῇ" συναρπάζει δὲ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ἐννοίας. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ κατασκευαζόμενον, σαφῶς τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον δείκνυσιν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὅτι, Οὐκ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο ἐπήγαγεν" ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως. Τῇ γὰρ δευτέρᾳ ἐννοίᾳ τοῦτό ἔστιν ἀκόλουθον" ὅτι οὐ καταδέχεται γενέσθαι Πατὴρ, ἵνα μὴ μεταδῷ τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως τῷ γεννωμένῳ. Τίς ἂν γένοιτο τῆς ἀσεβείας ταύτης χαλεπωτέρα; τίς ἐλάλησε τοσαύτην ἀδικίαν εἰς τὸ ὕψος ποτέ;

Holōs de ei tis bouloito tēn alētheian tōn par᾽ hēmōn legomenōn katamathein, heauton anereunatō; hotan ti noēsai tōn peri Theou boulēthę̄, ei eis to sēmainomenon tou agennētou chōrei. Egō men gar horō, hoti, hōsper tois eperchomenois aiōsi tēn dianoian epekteinontes, ateleutēton legomen ton oudeni perati tēn zōēn horizomenon " houtō kai eis to anō tōn aiōnōn tois logismois anabainontes, kai hoion eis ti pelagos achanes epi to apeiron tēs tou theou zōēs diakyptontes, oudemias archēs aph᾽ hēs gegone labesthai dynamenoi, alla tou nooumenou exōteran aei kai hyperechpiptousan tou Theou tēn zōēn ennoountes, touto to anarchon tēs zōēs agennēton proseirēkamen. Hautē gar tou agennētou hē ennoia, to mē echein heterōthen tēn archēn tou einai. Ho de, epeidē peri monon ton Theon tōn holōn to agennēton theōreitai, kakourgotata pantōn eis tēn kata tou Monogenous hērpasen auto blasphēmian. Ti gar phēsi proïōn? EUN. ᾿Agennētos de hōn kata tēn prolabousan apodeixin, ouk an pote prosoito gennēsin, hōste tēs idias metadounai tǭ gennōmenǭ physeōs, echphygoi te an pasan synkrisin kai koinōnian tēn pros to gennēton. BAS. Ō tēs anaischyntou kai ponēras blasphēmias Ō tou kekrymmenou dolou kai tēs poikilēs rhądiourgias ! hōs akribōs ex autēs tou diabolou tēs methodeias phthengetai ! ᾿Anomoion gar boulomenos tǭ Theǭ kai Patri ton Monogenę̄ Huion kai Theon epideixai, to men tou Patros kai tou Huiou onoma siōpą, haplōs de peri agennētou kai gennētou dialegetai" kai ta tēs sōtēriou pisteōs onomata kryptōn, psila paradidōsi tēs blasphēmias ta dogmata " hina, tēs asebeias en tois pragmasi gymnōtheisēs, eita tēs metabaseōs epi ta prosōpa genomenēs, autos men mēden doxę̄ dysphēmon eirēkenai, tę̄ de tou logou akolouthią kateskeuasmenēn echę̄ tēn blasphēmian. ᾿Agennētos de hōn, phēsin, echphygoi an pasan synkrisin kai koinōnian tēn pros to gennēton. Ouch eipen, hoti Patēr kai Huios " all᾽, ᾿Agennētos kai gennētos. Hen men dē autou touto toiouton kakourgēma; heteron de poion, skopeite. ᾿Agennētos de hōn, phēsin, ouk an pote prosoito gennēsin " kai epagei, hōste tēs idias metadounai tǭ gennōmenǭ physeōs. To, ouk an pote prosoito gennēsin, dyo sēmainei" hen men, hoti tę̄ idią hautou physei ouch epharmozei gennēsis adynaton gar hypo gennēsin elthein tēn agennēton physin ) heteron de, hoti gennēsai ou katadechetai. Houtos men oun kata to deuteron sēmainomenon echrēsato tę̄ phōnę̄" synarpazei de tous pollous ek tēs proteras ennoias. Epei hoti ge touto esti to kataskeuazomenon, saphōs to epipheromenon deiknysin. Eipōn gar hoti, Ouk an pote prosoito epēgagen" hōste tēs idias metadounai tǭ gennōmenǭ physeōs. Tę̄ gar deuterą ennoią touto estin akolouthon" hoti ou katadechetai genesthai Patēr, hina mē metadǭ tēs idias physeōs tǭ gennōmenǭ. Tis an genoito tēs asebeias tautēs chalepōtera? tis elalēse tosautēn adikian eis to hypsos pote?

[16] In general, if anyone wishes to learn the truth of what we are saying, let him examine himself, when he wishes to think anything about God, whether he arrives at the meaning of "unbegotten." For my part, I see this: when we stretch our thought forward to the ages to come, we call "endless" the one whose life is bounded by no limit; so also, when we go up in our reasonings to what is above the ages, and, as if peering into a vast sea, look into the infinity of the life of God, unable to grasp any beginning from which it arose, but always conceiving the life of God as lying further out than what is thought and overflowing it, we have named this beginninglessness of his life "unbegotten." For this is the notion of "unbegotten": not having the beginning of one's being from elsewhere. But he, since "unbegotten" is contemplated only in the God of the universe, has snatched it up, most villainously of all, for his blasphemy against the Only-Begotten. For what does he say as he goes on?

EUNOMIUS: "But being unbegotten, according to the preceding demonstration, he would never admit a begetting so as to share his own nature with the one begotten, and he would escape all comparison and fellowship with the begotten."

BASIL: O shameless and wicked blasphemy! O hidden deceit and manifold knavery! How exactly he speaks out of the very wiles of the devil! For wishing to show that the only-begotten Son and God is unlike God the Father, he keeps silent about the names of Father and Son and speaks simply of unbegotten and begotten; and hiding the names of the saving faith, he hands over the doctrines of his blasphemy bare, so that, once the impiety has been laid bare in the things themselves and then carried over to the persons, he himself may seem to have said nothing blasphemous, while having the blasphemy constructed by the logical sequence of the argument. "But being unbegotten," he says, "he would escape all comparison and fellowship with the begotten." He did not say "Father and Son," but "unbegotten and begotten." This is one piece of his villainy; now see what the other is. "Being unbegotten," he says, "he would never admit a begetting"; and he adds, "so as to share his own nature with the one begotten." The phrase "he would never admit a begetting" means two things: one, that begetting does not fit his own nature (for it is impossible for the unbegotten nature to come under begetting); the other, that he does not consent to beget. He used the expression in the second sense, but he carries off the many by the first notion. That this is what he is constructing, what follows shows clearly. For having said, "he would never admit," he added, "so as to share his own nature with the one begotten." This follows from the second notion: that he does not consent to become Father, so as not to share his own nature with the one begotten. What could be more grievous than this impiety? Who has ever spoken such wickedness against the height?

Ps 73:8 (72:8 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 6:11 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil explains 'unbegotten' as the mind's recognition that God's life has no beginning, and exposes Eunomius's use of the word to deny that the Father begets a Son who shares his nature.

Chapter 16 of Book 1. Migne's notes are removed by logged corrections.
'Wickedness against the height': Ps 73:8 (LXX 72:8); 'wiles of the devil': Eph 6:11.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): ἀνερευνάτω᾽" → ἀνερευνάτω·; ἐπεχτείνοντες, → ἐπεκτείνοντες,; ἀναδαίνοντες, → ἀναβαίνοντες,; χα. οἷον → καὶ οἷον; ( θεοῦ ζωῆς → θεοῦ ζωῆς; λαδέσθαι → λαβέσθαι; προσειρήχαμεν. → προσειρήκαμεν.; ἀγεγγήτου → ἀγεννήτου; χαχουργότατα → κακουργότατα; χατὰ τοῦ → κατὰ τοῦ; βλασφημᾶν. → βλασφημίαν.; φῆσι προϊών; → φησι προϊών;; χατὰ τὴν → κατὰ τὴν; προλαθοῦααν → προλαβοῦσαν; σύγχρισιν καὶ χοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γενγητόν. → σύγκρισιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν.; Ὁ ΒΑΣ. Ὃ τῆς ἀναισχύντου → ΒΑΣ. Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχύντου; 1 Ὧ τοῦ χεχρυμμένου → Ὢ τοῦ κεκρυμμένου; ποιχίλης → ποικίλης; ἀχριθῶς ἐξ → ἀκριβῶς ἐξ; διαδόλου → διαβόλου; (δ) Τὸ ἀγέννητον θεωρεῖται, εοπεϊἀεταῖετ “δι! πάντως. Οοιὲχ (0]}. εἰ 2}}} ᾳυΐ δα π|88. πάντων. Μοχ {0 πιε8. εἰς τὴν τοῦ. Θεῷ → Θεῷ; «ἧς σωτηρίου → τῆς σωτηρίου; χρύπτων, → κρύπτων,; ἀσεδείας ἐν → ἀσεβείας ἐν; μεταθάσεως → μεταβάσεως; εἰρηχέναι, → εἰρηκέναι,; ἀχολουθίᾳ → ἀκολουθίᾳ; χατεσχευασμένην → κατεσκευασμένην; σύγχρισιν καὶ χοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν. → σύγκρισιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν.; χαχούργημα → κακούργημα·; ᾿ ἕτερον → ἕτερον; σχοπεῖτε. → σκοπεῖτε.; οὖχ ἄν ποτε → οὐκ ἄν ποτε; ὥυτε τῆς → ὥστε τῆς; ποτα πρόσοιτο → ποτε πρόσοιτο; γένγγησιν, → γέννησιν,; ( ἀδύγατον → ἀδύνατον; φύσυν ) ἕτερον → φύσιν ) ἕτερον; ἐχρήπατὸ → ἐχρήσατο; “τ-ροτέρας → προτέρας; χατασχευαζόμενον, → κατασκευαζόμενον,; δείχνυσιν. → δείκνυσιν.; γεγνωμένῳ → γεννωμένῳ; ἀχόλουθον" → ἀκόλουθον"; ἀσεδείας ταύτης → ἀσεβείας ταύτης; ἀδιχίαν εἰς → ἀδικίαν εἰς.

Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.16 (PG 29:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.17PG 29:535

Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ φοβοῦμαι, μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐν τῷ τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἀναλαμβάνειν βλασφημίας διὰ τοῦ στόματος, μολύνωμεν ἑαυτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ τῆς κατακρίσεως αὐτοῖς κοινωνήσωμεν. Παραμυθεῖται δέ με τὸ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ὅτι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἰς τὸν Κύριον βλασφημίαν ἔγγραφον τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα παραδοῦναι οὐ παρῃτήσατο, ἐκείνων στηλιτεῦον εἰς ἅπαντα χρόνον τὴν βλασφημίαν, οὐχὶ τῇ ἀχράντῳ δόξῃ τοῦ Μο… τοίνυν οὐχ ἄν ποτε πρόσοιτο γέννησιν, ὥστε τῆς ἰδίας μεταδοῦναι τῷ γεννωμένῳ φύσεως, οὐχ ἔστι μὲν Πατὴρ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ ἔστι δέ " ἀλλ᾽ ἄμεινον ἡμῖν … ἀφεῖναι ἀτελὲς τὸ βλάσφημον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐ προσήκατο γέννησιν" ὁ δὲ οὐ μετέλαβε τῆς τοῦ γεννήσαντος φύσεως. Εἶτα ἐπαγωνίζεται αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ καινὴν τῆς βλασφημίας τὴν παραμυθίαν ἐπινοῶν. οὐ τῷ εἰπεῖν τι μετανοίας ἐχόμενον, ἀλλὰ τοῖς δευτέροις φιλονεικῶν ἀποκρῦψαι τὰ φθάσαντα. Τί γὰρ ὑπέμεινε φθέγξασθαι; ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Ἐκφύγοι τε ἂν πᾶσαν σύγκρισιν καὶ κοινωνίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ γεννητόν. ΒΑΣ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ σύγκρισίς ἐστι τῷ Υἱῷ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, μηδὲ κοινωνία πρὸς τὸν γεννήσαντα, ψευδεῖς μὲν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ψευδῆ δὲ τὰ Εὐαγγέλια αὐτή τε ἡ ἀλήθεια, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. ᾿Ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ μὲν πάλιν φρίσσω τὴν βλασφημίαν " παντὶ δὲ συνιδεῖν ῥάδιον. Εἰ γὰρ μηδεμίαν σύγκρισιν ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, πῶς ἔλεγε τῷ Φιλίππῳ - Τοσοῦτον χρόνον μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰμι, καὶ οὐχ ἑὠρακάς με. Φίλιππε; καὶ, Ὁ θεωρῶν ἐμὲ θεωρεῖ τὸν πέμψαντά με; Τὸν γὰρ μήτε σύγκρισιν ἐπιδεχόμενον, μήτε κοινωνίαν τινὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν κεκτημένον, πῶς ἂν ἔδειξεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ Υἱός; Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ ἀνομοίου καὶ ἀλλοτρίου καταληπτόν ἐστι τὸ ἀγνοούμενον" ἀλλὰ τῷ οἰκείῳ πέφυκε τὸ οἰκεῖον ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι. Οὕτως ἐν μὲν τῷ ἀποσφραγίσματι ὁ τοῦ τυπώσαντος χαρακτὴρ καθορᾶται᾽ δι᾽ εἰκόνος δὲ ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ ἀρχετύπου γίνεται, συγκρινόντων ἡμῶν δηλονότι τὴν ἐν ἑκατέρῳ ταὐτότητα.

Egō men gar phoboumai, mē kai hēmeis, en tǭ tas allotrias analambanein blasphēmias dia tou stomatos, molynōmen heautōn tēn dianoian, kai tēs katakriseōs autois koinōnēsōmen. Paramytheitai de me to en tois Euangeliois, hoti kai to Pneuma to hagion tēn tōn Ioudaiōn eis ton Kyrion blasphēmian engraphon tois meta tauta paradounai ou parę̄tēsato, ekeinōn stēliteuon eis hapanta chronon tēn blasphēmian, ouchi tę̄ achrantǭ doxę̄ tou Mo… toinyn ouch an pote prosoito gennēsin, hōste tēs idias metadounai tǭ gennōmenǭ physeōs, ouch esti men Patēr ho Theos, ouch esti de " all᾽ ameinon hēmin … apheinai ateles to blasphēmon. Ho men gar ou prosēkato gennēsin" ho de ou metelabe tēs tou gennēsantos physeōs. Eita epagōnizetai autos heautǭ kainēn tēs blasphēmias tēn paramythian epinoōn. ou tǭ eipein ti metanoias echomenon, alla tois deuterois philoneikōn apokrypsai ta phthasanta. Ti gar hypemeine phthenxasthai? EUN. Ekphygoi te an pasan synkrisin kai koinōnian tēn pros to gennēton. BAS. Ei de mē synkrisis esti tǭ Huiǭ pros ton Patera, mēde koinōnia pros ton gennēsanta, pseudeis men hoi apostoloi, pseudē de ta Euangelia autē te hē alētheia, ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos. ᾿All᾽ egō men palin phrissō tēn blasphēmian " panti de synidein rhadion. Ei gar mēdemian synkrisin echei pros ton Patera, pōs elege tǭ Philippǭ - Tosouton chronon meth᾽ hymōn eimi, kai ouch heōrakas me. Philippe? kai, Ho theōrōn eme theōrei ton pempsanta me? Ton gar mēte synkrisin epidechomenon, mēte koinōnian tina pros auton kektēmenon, pōs an edeixen en heautǭ ho Huios? Ou gar dia tou anomoiou kai allotriou katalēpton esti to agnooumenon" alla tǭ oikeiǭ pephyke to oikeion epiginōskesthai. Houtōs en men tǭ aposphragismati ho tou typōsantos charaktēr kathoratai᾽ di᾽ eikonos de hē gnōsis tou archetypou ginetai, synkrinontōn hēmōn dēlonoti tēn en hekaterǭ tautotēta.

[17] For my part, I fear that we too, by taking others' blasphemies on our lips, may defile our own minds and come to share their condemnation. But I am comforted by what is in the Gospels: the Holy Spirit too did not decline to hand on in writing to those who came later the blasphemy of the Jews against the Lord, pillorying their blasphemy for all time, not [as a blasphemy] against the stainless glory of the Only-[Begotten] … If, then, he would never admit a begetting so as to share his own nature with the one begotten, God is not Father, and [the Son] is not … But it is better for us … to leave the blasphemy unfinished. For the one did not admit a begetting, and the other did not share in the nature of the one who begot him. Then he outdoes himself, devising a new consolation for his blasphemy, not by saying anything that has to do with repentance, but by striving to hide what went before with what follows. For what has he brought himself to utter?

EUNOMIUS: "And he would escape all comparison and fellowship with the begotten."

BASIL: But if the Son has no comparison with the Father, and no fellowship with the one who begot him, then the apostles are liars, the Gospels are liars, and the Truth himself, our Lord Jesus Christ. But again I shudder at the blasphemy; anyone can easily see it. For if he has no comparison with the Father, how did he say to Philip, "Have I been with you so long, and you have not seen me, Philip?" and, "He who sees me sees him who sent me"? How could the Son show in himself one who admits no comparison and has no fellowship with him? For what is unknown is not grasped through what is unlike and foreign; rather, what is akin is naturally recognized by what is akin. So in the impression of a seal the stamp of the one who sealed it is seen, and through an image comes the knowledge of the archetype, since we compare, clearly, the sameness in each.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

John 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · John 12:45 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil shows that if the Father has no comparison or fellowship with the Son, Christ's words that whoever sees him sees the Father would be false.

Chapter 17 of Book 1. Lines lost in the scan after 'the Only-[Begotten]', after 'is not', and after 'better for us' are marked …; Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections. Basil breaks off the blasphemous conclusion deliberately ('leave the blasphemy unfinished').
John 14:9; John 12:45.

Notes on the original text

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Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.17 (PG 29:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.18PG 29:535

Ὥστε διὰ μιᾶς ταύτης βλασφημίας πάσας ἀθετεῖσθαι τὰς φωνὰς τὰς παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος εἰς τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς δοξολογίαν παραδοθείσας τοῦ μὲν Εὐαγγελίου διδάσκοντος ὅτι, Τοῦτον ὁ Πατὴρ ἐσφράγισεν ὁ Θεός" τοῦ δὲ ᾿Αποστόλου" Ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου. Εἰκὼν οὐχ ἄψυχος, οὐδὲ χειρόκμητος, οὐδὲ τέχνης ἔργον καὶ ἐπινοίας" ἀλλὰ εἰκὼν ζῶσα, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸ οὖσα ζωὴ, οὐχ ἐν σχήματος ὁμοιότητι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ οὐσίᾳ τὸ ἀπαράλλακτον ἀεὶ διασώζουσα. Ἐγὼ γὰρ καὶ τὸ, ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχειν, ἴσον δύνασθαι τῷ, ἐν οὐσίᾳ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχειν, φημί. Ὡς γὰρ τὸ, μορφὴν ἀνειληφέναι δούλου, ἕν τῇ οὐσίᾳ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν γεγεννῆσθαι σημαίνει - οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὸ, ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχειν, τῆς θείας οὐσίας παρίστησι πάντως τὴν ἰδιότητα. Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, φησὶν, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Οὗτος δὲ ἀλλοτριῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Μονογενῆ, καὶ παντελῶς ἀποσχίζων τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν κοινωνίας, τὴν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ γενομένην τῆς γνώσεως ἄνοδον, τὸ ὅσον ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, διακόπτει. Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστιν, ὁ Κύριός φησιν. Εὐνόμιος, δὲ οὐδεμίαν λέγει κοινωνίαν εἶναι τῷ Πατρὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ, Ὥσπερ ὁ Πατὴρ ζωὴν ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως ἔδωκε καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Τοῦτο παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ δεδιδάγμεθα τοῦ Κυρίου - παρὰ δὲ Εὐνομίου τί; Μηδεμίαν εἶναι σύγκρισιν τῷ γεννηθέντι πρὸς τὸν γεννήσαντα. Καὶ ἀπαξαπλῶς, διὰ μιᾶς ταύτης φωνῆς ἀναιρεῖ μὲν τὸν τῆς εἰκόνος λόγον, ἀθετεῖ δὲ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα εἶναι καὶ χαρακτῆρα τῆς ὑποστάσεως. Οὔτε γὰρ εἰκόνα δυνατὸν τοῦ ἀσυγκρίτου νοεῖσθαι, οὔτε ἀπαύγασμα εἶναι τοῦ ἀκοινωνήτου κατὰ τὴν φύσιν. Τῷ δὲ αὐτῷ εἴδει πάλιν τοῦ τεχνάσματος ἐπιμένει, τῷ ἀγεννήτῳ λέγων μὴ εἶναι πρὸς τὸ γεννητὸν σύγκρισιν" οὐχὶ τῷ Πατρὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἧνπερ ἂν ταῖς φωναῖς ταύταις ὑπάρχουσαν ἀντίθεσιν ἐπιδείξῃ, ταύτην ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ μετενέγκῃ.

Hōste dia mias tautēs blasphēmias pasas atheteisthai tas phōnas tas para tou hagiou Pneumatos eis tēn tou Monogenous doxologian paradotheisas tou men Euangeliou didaskontos hoti, Touton ho Patēr esphragisen ho Theos" tou de ᾿Apostolou" Hos estin eikōn tou Theou tou aoratou. Eikōn ouch apsychos, oude cheirokmētos, oude technēs ergon kai epinoias" alla eikōn zōsa, mallon de auto ousa zōē, ouch en schēmatos homoiotēti, all᾽ en autę̄ tę̄ ousią to aparallakton aei diasōzousa. Egō gar kai to, en morphę̄ Theou hyparchein, ison dynasthai tǭ, en ousią Theou hyparchein, phēmi. Hōs gar to, morphēn aneilēphenai doulou, hen tę̄ ousią tēs anthrōpotētos ton Kyrion hēmōn gegennēsthai sēmainei - houtō de kai to, en morphę̄ Theou hyparchein, tēs theias ousias paristēsi pantōs tēn idiotēta. Ho heōrakōs eme, phēsin, heōrake ton Patera. Houtos de allotriōn tou Patros ton Monogenē, kai pantelōs aposchizōn tēs pros auton koinōnias, tēn di᾽ autou genomenēn tēs gnōseōs anodon, to hoson ep’ autǭ, diakoptei. Panta hosa echei ho Patēr, ema estin, ho Kyrios phēsin. Eunomios, de oudemian legei koinōnian einai tǭ Patri pros ton ex autou. Kai, Hōsper ho Patēr zōēn echei en heautǭ, houtōs edōke kai tǭ Huiǭ zōēn echein en heautǭ. Touto par᾽ autou dedidagmetha tou Kyriou - para de Eunomiou ti? Mēdemian einai synkrisin tǭ gennēthenti pros ton gennēsanta. Kai apaxaplōs, dia mias tautēs phōnēs anairei men ton tēs eikonos logon, athetei de to apaugasma einai kai charaktēra tēs hypostaseōs. Oute gar eikona dynaton tou asynkritou noeisthai, oute apaugasma einai tou akoinōnētou kata tēn physin. Tǭ de autǭ eidei palin tou technasmatos epimenei, tǭ agennētǭ legōn mē einai pros to gennēton synkrisin" ouchi tǭ Patri pros ton ex autou, hina hēnper an tais phōnais tautais hyparchousan antithesin epideixę̄, tautēn ep᾿ autēs tēs ousias tou Patros kai tou Huiou metenenkę̄.

[18] So by this one blasphemy all the sayings handed down by the Holy Spirit for the glorification of the Only-Begotten are set aside. The Gospel teaches, "Him has God the Father sealed"; and the Apostle, "who is the image of the invisible God": an image not lifeless, not made by hand, not a work of art and invention, but a living image, or rather, being life itself, preserving its exactness always, not in a likeness of shape but in the very essence. For I say that "being in the form of God" has the same force as "being in the essence of God." For as "having taken the form of a servant" signifies that our Lord was born in the essence of humanity, so also "being in the form of God" certainly presents the distinctive character of the divine essence. "He who has seen me," he says, "has seen the Father." But this man, estranging the Only-Begotten from the Father and cutting him off entirely from fellowship with him, cuts off, as far as it lies with him, the ascent to knowledge that comes through him. "All that the Father has is mine," says the Lord; but Eunomius says that the Father has no fellowship with the one who is from him. And, "As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." This we have been taught by the Lord himself; and by Eunomius what? That the begotten has no comparison with the begetter. In short, by this one statement he abolishes the account of the image and sets aside his being the radiance and the stamp of the hypostasis. For one cannot conceive an image of what admits no comparison, nor a radiance of what has no fellowship in nature. He persists again in the same kind of trick, saying that the unbegotten has no comparison with the begotten, not that the Father has none with the one from him, so that whatever opposition he shows to exist between these words he may transfer to the very essence of the Father and the Son.

John 6:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:7 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:15 (quotation, high confidence) · John 5:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:3 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil shows that Eunomius's denial of all comparison between Father and Son overturns the scriptural titles of the Son as seal, image, form of God, radiance, and stamp.

Chapter 18 of Book 1. Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.
ὑπόστασις is rendered 'hypostasis' (here in the words of Heb 1:3).
John 6:27; Col 1:15; Phil 2:6-7; John 14:9; John 16:15; John 5:26; Heb 1:3.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers)): ἀϑετεῖσθαι → ἀθετεῖσθαι; εἷς τὴν τοῦ → εἰς τὴν τοῦ; καραδοθεέσας → παραδοθείσας; διδάσχοντος → διδάσκοντος; Εἰχὼν οὐχ → Εἰκὼν οὐχ; χειρόχμητος, → χειρόκμητος,; ςἰχὼν ζῶσα, → εἰκὼν ζῶσα,; αὐτοοῦσα → αὐτὸ οὖσα; οὐσέᾳ τὸ → οὐσίᾳ τὸ; ὑπάρχϑιν, → ὑπάρχειν,; νοῶν. Ευϊεῖ οἱ Βδρ. φυΐπιυ5 οὕτως ἐν μέσῳ τῷ. δα Ου!ν. οὕτως ἐν μὲν τῷ. ΑἸλ νἱγ γι {εἰ δδί νι β ἄδθογα : οὕτως ἐν μὲν τῷ ἀποσφραγίσματι χαθορᾶται ὁ χαραχτὴρ τοῦ τυπώσαντος ἑαυτόν, εἰς ἐπ εἰδῦ δὲ → δὲ; Α [οτπια Βεὶ οὐσίας → οὐσίας; χοινωνίας, → κοινωνίας,; διαχκόπιει. → διακόπτει.; ἐστιν», ὁ → ἐστιν, ὁ; ξὲ οὐδεμίαν → δὲ οὐδεμίαν; χοινωνίαν → κοινωνίαν; εἷγαι τῷ → εἶναι τῷ; ἔδωχξ καὶ → ἔδωκε καὶ; δεδιδάγμε → δεδιδάγμεθα; θα τοῦ Κυρίου → τοῦ Κυρίου; εἷναι σύγχρισιν τῷ → εἶναι σύγκρισιν τῷ; εἰχόνος λόγον, → εἰκόνος λόγον,; χαραχτῆρα → χαρακτῆρα; ἀσυγχρίτου → ἀσυγκρίτου; εἷναι τοῦ → εἶναι τοῦ; ἀχοινωνήτου → ἀκοινωνήτου; χατὰ τὴν → κατὰ τὴν; σύγχρισιν" → σύγκρισιν"; μετενέγχῃ. ᾿ → μετενέγκῃ..

Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.18 (PG 29:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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1.19PG 29:535

Ὅπως δὲ μὴ, πάσαις αὐτοῦ κατακολουθοῦντες ταῖς βλασφημίαις, καὶ ἕκαστον εὐθύνειν τῶν εἰρημένων ἐπιχειροῦντες, εἰς πολὺ μῆκος τὸν λόγον ἐκτείνωμεν " ὅσα μὲν καὶ πρόχειρον ἔχει τὴν ἀσέβειαν, καὶ αὐτόθεν φανερὰ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσίν ἔστι, παρήσομεν· ἃ δὲ λόγου τινὸς πρὸς τὸν ἔλεγχον δεῖται, ταῦτα παραθησόμεθα. Ποικίλως γὰρ τὸ πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν ἀκοινώνητον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας κατασκευάσας, καὶ πανταχόθεν, ὡς οἴεται, τὸ ἄτοπον ἐπιδείξας, ἐπάγει" ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὡς κοινὴ μὲν ἀμφοῖν ἡ οὐσία" τάξει δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ χρόνου πρεσβείοις ὁ μὲν ἔστι πρῶτος, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος. Ἐπειδή γε δεῖ προσεῖναι ἐν τοῖς ὑπερέχουσι τὸ τῆς ὑπεροχῆς αἴτιον οὐ συνέζευκται δὲ τῇ οὐσίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ χρόνος, οὐκ αἰὼν, οὐ τάξις. Ἢ τε γὰρ τάξις δευτέρα τοῦ τάττοντος " οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑφ᾽ ἑτέρου τέτακται. Ὅ τε χρόνος ἀστέρων ποιά τίς ἔστι κίνησις ἀστέρες δὲ οὐ τῆς ἀγεννήτου μόνον οὐσίας καὶ νοητῶν ἁπάντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πρώτων σωμάτων γεγόνασιν ὕστεροι. Περὶ δὲ αἰώνων τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν, τῆς Γραφῆς σαφῶς διαγορευούσης, πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων ὑπάρχειν τὸν Θεόν; ΒΑΣ. Ὑποθέμενος ἑαυτῷ κατὰ τὸν λόγον ἅπερ ἐβούλετο, καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα λαβὼν ταῖς ὑποθέσεσιν, εἶτα εἰς ἀτόπους ἐννοίας ἑαυτὸν ἐξωθῶν, ἀναγκαίαν ἐντεῦθεν οἴεται τὴν παραδοχὴν τῶν ἰδίων δογμάτων ἐπιδεικνύναι. Φησὶ γὰρ ὅτι, Οὐχ ἂν τοῦτο εἴποιμεν, ὡς κοινὴ μὲν ἀμφοῖν ἡ οὐσία - τάξει δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ χρόνου πρεσβείοις ὁ μὲν ἔστι πρῶτος, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τὸ κοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας οὕτω νοήσας εἶπεν, ὡς ἐξ ὕλης προϋπαρχούσης διανομήν τινα καὶ καταδιαίρεσιν εἰς τὰ ἀπ᾽ αὑτῆς νοεῖν, οὔτ᾽ ἂν αὐτοὶ καταδεξαίμεθα τὴν διάνοιαν ταύτην" μὴ γένοιτο! καὶ τοὺς λέγοντας, εἴ τινες καί εἶσιν, οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἀσεβεῖν τῶν τὸ ἀνόμοιον λεγόντων ἀποφαινόμεθα εἰ δὲ οὕτω τις ἐκλαμβάνοι τὸ τῆς οὐσίας κοινὸν, ὡς τὸν τοῦ εἶναι λόγον ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοῖν θεωρεῖσθαι, ὥστε καὶ εἰ καθ᾽ ὑπόθεσιν φῶς ὁ Πατὴρ τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ νοοῖτο, φῶς καὶ τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐσίαν ὁμολογεῖσθαι, καὶ ὄνπερ ἄν τις ἀποδῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν τοῦ εἶναι λόγον, τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ ἐφαρμόζειν " εἰ οὔτω τὸ κοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας λαμβάνοιτο, δεχόμεθα " καὶ ἡμέτερον εἶναι τὸ δόγμα φήσομεν. Κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ θεότης μία" δηλονότι κατὰ τὸν τῆς οὐσίας λόγον τῆς ἑνότητος νοουμένης, ὥστε ἀριθμῷ μὲν τὴν διαφορὰν ὑπάρχειν, καὶ ταῖς ἰδιότησι ταῖς χαρακτηριζούσαις ἑκάτερον ἐν δὲ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς θεότητος τὴν ἐνότητα θεωρεῖσθαι.

Hopōs de mē, pasais autou katakolouthountes tais blasphēmiais, kai hekaston euthynein tōn eirēmenōn epicheirountes, eis poly mēkos ton logon ekteinōmen " hosa men kai procheiron echei tēn asebeian, kai autothen phanera tois entynchanousin esti, parēsomen; ha de logou tinos pros ton elenchon deitai, tauta parathēsometha. Poikilōs gar to pros ton Huion akoinōnēton tēs tou Patros ousias kataskeuasas, kai pantachothen, hōs oietai, to atopon epideixas, epagei" EUN. Ou gar dē touto an eipoimen, hōs koinē men amphoin hē ousia" taxei de kai tois ek chronou presbeiois ho men esti prōtos, ho de deuteros. Epeidē ge dei proseinai en tois hyperechousi to tēs hyperochēs aition ou synezeuktai de tę̄ ousią tou Theou ou chronos, ouk aiōn, ou taxis. Ē te gar taxis deutera tou tattontos " ouden de tōn tou Theou hyph᾽ heterou tetaktai. Ho te chronos asterōn poia tis esti kinēsis asteres de ou tēs agennētou monon ousias kai noētōn hapantōn, alla kai tōn prōtōn sōmatōn gegonasin hysteroi. Peri de aiōnōn ti dei kai legein, tēs Graphēs saphōs diagoreuousēs, pro tōn aiōnōn hyparchein ton Theon? BAS. Hypothemenos heautǭ kata ton logon haper ebouleto, kai ta akoloutha labōn tais hypothesesin, eita eis atopous ennoias heauton exōthōn, anankaian enteuthen oietai tēn paradochēn tōn idiōn dogmatōn epideiknynai. Phēsi gar hoti, Ouch an touto eipoimen, hōs koinē men amphoin hē ousia - taxei de kai tois ek chronou presbeiois ho men esti prōtos, ho de deuteros. Ei men oun to koinon tēs ousias houtō noēsas eipen, hōs ex hylēs proÿparchousēs dianomēn tina kai katadiairesin eis ta ap᾽ hautēs noein, out᾽ an autoi katadexaimetha tēn dianoian tautēn" mē genoito! kai tous legontas, ei tines kai eisin, ouden elatton asebein tōn to anomoion legontōn apophainometha ei de houtō tis eklambanoi to tēs ousias koinon, hōs ton tou einai logon hena kai ton auton ep᾿ amphoin theōreisthai, hōste kai ei kath᾽ hypothesin phōs ho Patēr tǭ hypokeimenǭ nooito, phōs kai tēn tou Monogenous ousian homologeisthai, kai onper an tis apodǭ epi tou Patros ton tou einai logon, ton auton touton kai tǭ Huiǭ epharmozein " ei outō to koinon tēs ousias lambanoito, dechometha " kai hēmeteron einai to dogma phēsomen. Kata touto gar kai theotēs mia" dēlonoti kata ton tēs ousias logon tēs henotētos nooumenēs, hōste arithmǭ men tēn diaphoran hyparchein, kai tais idiotēsi tais charaktērizousais hekateron en de tǭ logǭ tēs theotētos tēn enotēta theōreisthai.

[19] So that we may not draw out our discussion to great length by following all his blasphemies and trying to call each of his statements to account, we will pass over whatever has its impiety ready to hand and is plain at once to readers, and we will set out what needs some argument to refute it. Having established in various ways that the Son has no share in the Father's essence, and having shown, as he thinks, the absurdity from every side, he adds:

EUNOMIUS: "For we would certainly not say this: that the essence is common to both, but that in order and in seniority of time one is first and the other second. For in things that excel, the cause of the excelling must be present; but neither time nor age nor order is joined to the essence of God. For order is posterior to the one who orders, and nothing belonging to God has been ordered by another. And time is a certain motion of the stars; and the stars came into being later not only than the unbegotten essence and all intelligible things, but even than the first bodies. And what need is there even to speak of the ages, when Scripture plainly declares that God exists before the ages?"

BASIL: Having laid down for himself in his argument whatever he wished, and having taken what follows from his hypotheses, and then pushing himself into absurd notions, he thinks he shows from this that his own doctrines must be accepted. For he says, "We would not say this: that the essence is common to both, but that in order and in seniority of time one is first and the other second." If, then, he said this understanding the commonness of the essence as though one were to conceive a kind of distribution and division of a preexisting matter into the things that come from it, we ourselves would not accept this notion either (God forbid!), and we declare that those who say it, if there are any, are no less impious than those who say "unlike." But if one takes the commonness of the essence in this sense, that one and the same account of being is contemplated in both, so that if, by hypothesis, the Father is conceived as light in his substrate, the essence of the Only-Begotten is also confessed to be light, and whatever account of being one gives for the Father, the same also fits the Son: if the commonness of the essence is taken thus, we accept it and will say that the doctrine is ours. For it is in this way that the Godhead too is one, since the unity, clearly, is conceived according to the account of the essence; so that the difference lies in number and in the distinguishing properties that characterize each, while the unity is contemplated in the account of the Godhead.

Ps 55:19 (54:20 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil quotes Eunomius's denial that Father and Son share a common essence and explains the sense in which the church does confess one essence and one Godhead with distinct properties.

Chapter 19 of Book 1. Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections. The quotation is from Eunomius's Apology.
Basil distinguishes the 'commonness of essence' he rejects (a matter divided among those who come from it) from the one he accepts (one and the same account of being in Father and Son); the passage is translated as written.
'God exists before the ages' recalls Ps 55:19 (LXX 54:20).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): -Ὅπως δὲ → Ὅπως δὲ; πασαις αὐτοῦ → πάσαις αὐτοῦ; χαταχολουθοῦντες → κατακολουθοῦντες; μῆχος τὸν → μῆκος τὸν; ἐχτείνωμεν → ἐκτείνωμεν; τὶν ἀσέθειαν, → τὴν ἀσέβειαν,; παρἤσομεν" → παρήσομεν·; Ποιχίλως → Ποικίλως; ἀχοινώνητον → ἀκοινώνητον; τῇ: τοῦ Πατρὸς → τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς; κατασχευάσας, → κατασκευάσας,; ἐχ χρόνου πρεσδείοις ὁ μὲν ἔστι πρῶτος, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος. Ἐπειδή → ἐκ χρόνου πρεσβείοις ὁ μὲν ἔστι πρῶτος, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος. Ἐπειδή; τῆν ὑπεροχῆς → τῆς ὑπεροχῆς; “ οὐ συνέξευχται → οὐ συνέζευκται; τέταχτα!. → τέτακται.; “Ὃ τε χρόνος → Ὅ τε χρόνος; “ ἀστέρες → ἀστέρες; πρώ τῶν σωμάτων → πρώτων σωμάτων; Θεόν: ᾿ ὕπυς οοάδχ ἴλορ. εἰς πολὺ μήχιστον τὸν λότον ἐχδάλωμεν. (00. εἰς πολὺ μῆχος τῶν λόγων ἐχθάλωμεν. ΑἸ ἀπο οἱ εὐϊι} νὶ ἴῃ σουίοχιι, 36 7. Υ, 26. ἰλῖοι Θχ θεῖ. Ο μὲ νἱάἢ πε, δι ε586 αἷΐ Ῥαιγὶ εὐπὶ 60 αυἱ οχ ἶρ50 θδὶ. Εἰ, διε Ρϑγαιίοηθῖι ἰηφθηϊὶ εὐπὶ φθιΐι0 ς πθη Ῥαιγίβ, εὐναὶ ϑεσιπάσπι. δ᾽ φυΐάοπι οογία ἰη ἰ15 φυξ ργωϑίϑδῃῖ, ργῶ- Δρογιὰ μγομεπιοῖ θουπὶ δεῖ 8ὅ οι δ 6586 ἢ Ἡυγ. 1. ὅ. Ἀδᾳ. τεγίϊυα ὃ τε χρόνος ποιὰ τάσις ἐστὶν ἀστέρων χίνησις, εἴ [18 φιύψθε αἰ οούοχ Οο]ρόνος, οἰα. ᾿ 8ἷ φυὶ δηῖ, 608 ἰΐ8 φυὶ ἀδί ΠΠτυ ἀΐ πα η) ρτοθιδηιιν, υἱ 5ἱ οχ ΠΥρΟΙμ δὶ Ῥαίθῦ ἰὰχ βυ θεοῖο πιο! ἰφίιυγ, ἰι ἀαἰιαιἰβ ν6γῸ γαϊ θα πη }1858 δηΐπὶ ἤδγὶ ροϊεβῖ, ὑἱ ππἰψαγβογυπι θθυ8 οὑπὶ 808 Α ΒΑΣ. → Θεόν; ΒΑΣ.; χατὰ τὸν λόγον → κατὰ τὸν λόγον; ἐδούλετο, → ἐβούλετο,; ἀχόλουθα → ἀκόλουθα; λαδὼν ταῖς → λαβὼν ταῖς; ὁποθέσεσιν, → ὑποθέσεσιν,; ἐπιδειχνύναι. → ἐπιδεικνύναι.; χοινὴ μὲν → κοινὴ μὲν; ἐχ χρόνου πρεσδείοις ὁ μὲν ἔστι πρῶτος, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος. Εἰ → ἐκ χρόνου πρεσβείοις ὁ μὲν ἔστι πρῶτος, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος. Εἰ; χοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας οὕτω → κοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας οὕτω; ᾿νοήσας εἶπεν, → νοήσας εἶπεν,; προῦπαρχούσης → προϋπαρχούσης; χαταδεξαίμεθα → καταδεξαίμεθα; ἀσεδεῖν τῶν → ἀσεβεῖν τῶν; ἐχλαμδάνοι → ἐκλαμβάνοι; χαθ᾽ ὑπόθεσιν → καθ᾽ ὑπόθεσιν; ὑποχειμένῳ → ὑποκειμένῳ; Μογογενοῦς → Μονογενοῦς; εἶναςν λάγον, τὸν → εἶναι λόγον, τὸν; ποῦτον καὶ → τοῦτον καὶ; χοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας λαμδάν"οιτο, → κοινὸν τῆς οὐσίας λαμβάνοιτο,; χατὰ τὸν τῆς → κατὰ τὸν τῆς; χαραχτηριζούσαις → χαρακτηριζούσαις; ἑχάτερον → ἑκάτερον.

Topics: Trinity, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 1.19 (PG 29:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/1-10/#p-1-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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