us,"^ the same Wisdom which was begotten of God conde-
CHAP. IV.] Christ's eelatiox to the fatheh. 349 on the one hand, who affirm that the Son is the same [Person] as the Father ; for [it is clear that] this Word could not possibly be with God, were it not with God the Father, and [it is just as evident that] He who is alone i^ equal to i;io one. And. on the other hand, those are equally excluded who affirm that the Son is a creature, although not such an one as the rest of the creatures are. For however great they declare the creature to be, if it is a creature, it has been fashioned and made.^ For the terms fashion and create'^ mean one and the same thing although in the usage of the Latin tongue the phrase ereate is employed at times instead of what would be the strictly accurate word, hcget. But the Greek language makes a distinction. For we call that creatura (creature) which they call KTiaixa or
; and when we desire to speak without ambiguity, we use not the word creare (create), but the word condere (fashion, found). Consequently, if the Son is a creature, however great that may be. He has been made. But we believe in Him by whom all things {omnia) were made, not in Him by whom the rest of things (cetera) were made. For here again we cannot take this term all things in any other sense than as meaning whatsoever things have been made.
6. But as "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amon^" us,"^ the same Wisdom which was begotten of God condescended also to be created among men.* There is a reference to this in the word, " The Lord created me in the becrinnincj of His ways." ^ For the beginning of His ways is the Head of the Church, which is Christ ^ endued with human nature
(homine indutiis), by whom it was purposed that there should be given to us a pattern of living, that is, a sure ^ Avay by which we might reach God. For by no other path was it possible for us to return but by humility, who fell by pride, according as it was said to our first creation, " Taste, and ye
Condita et facta est. ^ Condere and creare. ^ John i. 14.
Adopting in kominihus creavi. One important MS. gives in omnibus = amongst all.
Prov. viii. 22, with creavit me instead of the possessed me of the English version.
Various editions give j^'^'incipiiim et caput Ecclcslm est Chrisius = the beginning of His ways and tlie Head ot the Church is Clirist.
' For via certa others give via recta = a riglit way.
350 ON FAITH AND THE CREED. [CHAP. IV.
shall be as gods." ^ Of this humility, therefore, that is to say, of the way by wliich it ^vas needful for us to return, our
Kestorer Himself has deemed it meet to exhibit an example in His own person, " who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant ;" " in order that He might be created Man in the beginning of
His ways, the Word by whom all things were made. Wherefore, in so far as He is the Only-begotten, He has no brethren but in so far as He is the Tirst-begotten, He has deemed it worthy of Him to give the name of brethren to all those who, subsequently to and by means of His pre-eminence,^ are born again into the grace of God through the adoption of sons, according to the truth commended to us by apostolic teaching.* Thus, then, the Son according to nature {naturalis
JUius) was born of the very substance of the Father, the only one so born, subsisting as that which the Father is,^ God of
God, Light of Light. We, on the other hand, are not the light by nature, but are enlightened by that Light, so that we may be able to shine in wisdom. For, as one says, " that was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." ^ Therefore w^e add to the faith of things eternal likewise the temporal dispensation^ of our Lord, which He deemed it w^orthy of Him to bear for us and to minister in behalf of our salvation. For in so far as He is the onlybegotten Son of God, it cannot be said of Him that He was and that ITe shall he, but only that He is; because, on the one hand, that which was, now is not ; and, on the other, that which shall he, as yet is not. He, then, is unchangeable, independent of the condition of times and variation.
1 Gen. iii. 5. = Thil. ii. 6, 7.
3 Per ejus prhnatum = by moans of His standinff as the First-born. "We follow the Benedictine reading, 7^* 2^08t ejus et per ejus prhnatum in Dei gradam rcnascuntur. But there is another, although less authoritative, version, viz.
ijiii post ejus primitias in Dei gratia nascimur = all of us who, subsequently to
His tirst-fruits, are born in the grace of Cod.
* Luke viii. 21 ; Kom. viii. 15-17 ; Gal. iv. 5 ; Eph. i. 6 ; Heb. ii. 11.
" Id existens quod Pater est, etc. Another version is, idem existcns quod
Patrr Drus = subsisting as the same that God the Father is.
« John i. 9.
The term dispensatio occurs very frequently as the e(][uivalent of the Greek alxotifAitt = economy, designating thf liicai nation.