Against Eunomius, Book I

Book I

• Against Eunomius I.1 — We have been justly provoked to make this Answer, being stung by Eunomius' accusations of our brother. §2. We have been justly provoked to make this Answer, being stung by Eunomius’ accusations of our brother. If…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.2 — We see nothing remarkable in logical force in the treatise of Eunomius, and so embark on our Answer with a just confidence. §3. We see nothing remarkable in logical force in the treatise of Eunomius, and so embark on…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.3 — Eunomius displays much folly and fine writing, but very little seriousness about vital points. §4. Eunomius displays much folly and fine writing, but very little seriousness about vital points. In these and such like…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.4 — His peculiar caricature of the bishops, Eustathius of Armenia and Basil of Galatia, is not well drawn. §5. His peculiar caricature of the bishops, Eustathius of Armenia and Basil of Galatia, is not well drawn. But,…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.5 — A notice of Aetius, Eunomius' master in heresy, and of Eunomius himself, describing the origin and avocations of each. §6. A notice of Aetius, Eunomius’ master in heresy, and of Eunomius himself, describing the…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.6 — Eunomius himself proves that the confession of faith which He made was not impeached. Let us see for a moment now what kind of truth is dealt with by this man, who in his Introduction complains that it is because of…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.7 — Facts show that the terms of abuse which he has employed against Basil are more suitable for himself. §8. Facts show that the terms of abuse which he has employed against Basil are more suitable for himself. But…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.8 — In charging Basil with not defending his faith at the time of the 'Trials,' he lays himself open to the same charge. §9. In charging Basil with not defending his faith at the time of the ‘Trials,’ he lays himself…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.9 — All his insulting epithets are shewn by facts to be false. §10. All his insulting epithets are shewn by facts to be false. I therefore pass over everything else, as mere insolent mockery and scoffing abuse, and…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.10 — §11. The sophistry which he employs to prove our acknowledgment that he had been tried, and that the confession of his faith had not been unimpeached, is feeble. He objects to sophistries in others; see the sort of…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.11 — His charge of cowardice is baseless: for Basil displayed the highest courage before the Emperor and his Lord-Lieutenants. §12. His charge of cowardice is baseless: for Basil displayed the highest courage before the…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.12 — Résumé of his dogmatic teaching. Objections to it in detail. §13. Résumé of his dogmatic teaching. Objections to it in detail. But somehow our discourse has swerved considerably from the mark; it has had to turn…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.13 — §14. He did wrong, when mentioning the Doctrines of Salvation, in adopting terms of his own choosing instead of the traditional terms Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The reason for this invention of new words I take to…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.14 — §15. He does wrong in making the being of the Father alone proper and supreme, implying by his omission of the Son and the Spirit that theirs is improperly spoken of, and is inferior. But at all events he will allow…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.15 — §16. Examination of the meaning of ‘subjection:’ in that he says that the nature of the Holy Spirit is subject to that of the Father and the Son. It is shewn that the Holy Spirit is of an equal, not inferior, rank to…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.16 — Discussion as to the exact nature of the 'energies' which, this man declares, 'follow' the being of the Father and of the Son. §17. Discussion as to the exact nature of the ‘energies’ which, this man declares,…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.17 — He has no reason for distinguishing a plurality of beings in the Trinity. He offers no demonstration that it is so. §18. He has no reason for distinguishing a plurality of beings in the Trinity. He offers no…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.18 — His acknowledgment that the Divine Being is 'single' is only verbal. “Each Being has, in fact and in conception, a nature unmixed, single, and absolutely one as estimated by its dignity; and as the works are bounded…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.19 — He does wrong in assuming, to account for the existence of the Only-Begotten, an 'energy' that produced Christ's Person. §20. He does wrong in assuming, to account for the existence of the Only-Begotten, an ‘energy’…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.20 — The blasphemy of these heretics is worse than the Jewish unbelief. But let us assume that this is not so: for they allow, forsooth, in theoretic kindness towards humanity, that the Only-begotten and the Holy Spirit…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.21 — He has no right to assert a greater and less in the Divine being. A systematic statement of the teaching of the Church. §22. He has no right to assert a greater and less in the Divine being. A systematic statement of…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.22 — These doctrines of our Faith witnessed to and confirmed by Scripture passages. §23. These doctrines of our Faith witnessed to and confirmed by Scripture passages. It is therefore clear that these are metaphors, which…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.23 — His elaborate account of degrees and differences in 'works' and 'energies' within the Trinity is absurd. §24. His elaborate account of degrees and differences in ‘works’ and ‘energies’ within the Trinity is absurd.…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.24 — §25. He who asserts that the Father is ‘prior’ to the Son with any thought of an interval must perforce allow that even the Father is not without beginning. But more than this: what exposes still further the…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.25 — §26. It will not do to apply this conception, as drawn out above, of the Father and Son to the Creation, as they insist on doing: but we must contemplate the Son apart with the Father, and believe that the Creation…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.26 — He falsely imagines that the same energies produce the same works, and that variation in the works indicates variation in the energies. §27. He falsely imagines that the same energies produce the same works, and that…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.27 — He falsely imagines that we can have an unalterable series of harmonious natures existing side by side. §28. He falsely imagines that we can have an unalterable series of harmonious natures existing side by side. But…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.28 — He vainly thinks that the doubt about the energies is to be solved by the beings, and reversely. §29. He vainly thinks that the doubt about the energies is to be solved by the beings, and reversely. Now let us see…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.29 — There is no Word of God that commands such investigations: the uselessness of the philosophy which makes them is thereby proved. §30. There is no Word of God that commands such investigations: the uselessness of the…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.30 — The observations made by watching Providence are sufficient to give us the knowledge of sameness of Being. §31. The observations made by watching Providence are sufficient to give us the knowledge of sameness of…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.31 — His dictum that 'the manner of the likeness must follow the manner of the generation' is unintelligible. §32. His dictum that ‘the manner of the likeness must follow the manner of the generation’ is unintelligible.…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.32 — He declares falsely that 'the manner of the generation is to be known from the intrinsic worth of the generator'. §33. He declares falsely that ‘the manner of the generation is to be known from the intrinsic worth of…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.33 — The Passage where he attacks the ῾Ομοούσιον, and the contention in answer to it. §34. The Passage where he attacks the ‘Ομοούσιον, and the contention in answer to it. I will omit to speak of the words which occur…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.34 — Proof that the Anomœan teaching tends to Manichæism. §35. Proof that the Anomœan teaching tends to Manichæism. We hear our Lord saying. “I and My Father are one,” and we are taught in that utterance the dependence of…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.35 — A passing repetition of the teaching of the Church. But if a man keeps steadfast to the sound doctrine, and believes that the Son is of the nature which is divine without admixture, he will find everything in harmony…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.36 — Defence of S. Basil's statement, attacked by Eunomius, that the terms 'Father' and 'The Ungenerate' can have the same meaning. §37. Defence of S. Basil’s statement, attacked by Eunomius, that the terms ‘Father’ and…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.37 — Several ways of controverting his quibbling syllogisms. Let us, if you please, examine his irrefragable syllogisms, and his subtle transpositions of the terms in his own false premisses, by which he hopes to shake…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.38 — Answer to the question he is always asking, “Can He who is be begotten?”. §39. Answer to the question he is always asking, “Can He who is be begotten?” Eunomius does not like the meaning of the Ungenerate to be…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.39 — His unsuccessful attempt to be consistent with his own statements after Basil has confuted him. §40. His unsuccessful attempt to be consistent with his own statements after Basil has confuted him. For notice how…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.40 — The thing that follows is not the same as the thing that it follows. He first says, “the attribute of being ungenerate follows the Deity.” By that we understood him to mean that this Ungeneracy is one of the things…vatican.va
• Against Eunomius I.41 — Explanation of 'Ungenerate,' and a 'study' of Eternity. §42. Explanation of ‘Ungenerate,’ and a ‘study’ of Eternity. The eternity of God’s life, to sketch it in mere outline, is on this wise. He is always to be…vatican.va